diff --git a/roles/bodhi2/backend/files/fedwatch.service b/roles/bodhi2/backend/files/fedwatch.service
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0e5bd98884
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/bodhi2/backend/files/fedwatch.service
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+[Service]
+User=fedmsg
+Group=fedmsg
+Restart=on-failure
diff --git a/roles/bodhi2/backend/tasks/main.yml b/roles/bodhi2/backend/tasks/main.yml
index c49fd2fa3d..aeddd839f6 100644
--- a/roles/bodhi2/backend/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/bodhi2/backend/tasks/main.yml
@@ -172,6 +172,16 @@
   - bodhi
   - cron
 
+- name: extend the fedwatch systemd configuration to restart on failure
+  copy: src=fedwatch.service dest=/usr/lib/systemd/system/fedwatch.service.d/fedwatch.conf
+  when: inventory_hostname.startswith('bodhi-backend01') and env == "production"
+  notify:
+  - reload systemd
+  - restart fedwatch
+  tags:
+  - bodhi
+  - fedwatch
+
 - name: configure fedwatch to sync packages as soon as requests are process.
   copy: src=fedwatch.conf dest=/etc/fedwatch.conf
   when: inventory_hostname.startswith('bodhi-backend01') and env == "production"