diff --git a/man/systemd.service.xml b/man/systemd.service.xml
index 8b9994a46a..549f36af1d 100644
--- a/man/systemd.service.xml
+++ b/man/systemd.service.xml
@@ -590,7 +590,29 @@
         <term><varname>RestartSteps=</varname></term>
         <listitem><para>Configures the number of exponential steps to take to increase the interval
         of auto-restarts from <varname>RestartSec=</varname> to <varname>RestartMaxDelaySec=</varname>.
-        Takes a positive integer or 0 to disable it. Defaults to 0.</para>
+        Takes a positive integer or 0 to disable it. Defaults to 0. <emphasis>Hint:</emphasis> values
+        between 3 and 5 are good choices when exponential backoff is desired.</para>
+
+        <para>Example:</para>
+
+        <programlisting>RestartSec=10s
+RestartSteps=4
+RestartMaxDelaySec=160s</programlisting>
+
+        <para>This will produce the following restart intervals: 10s, 20s, 40s, 80s, 160s, 160s, 160s, etc.
+        Notice the geometric interpolation and the resulting constant ratio between intervals; here it is 2.
+        The formula for the <emphasis>ratio</emphasis> is
+        <inlineequation>
+          <mathphrase>
+            (<varname>RestartMaxDelaySec</varname> / <varname>RestartSec</varname>)^(1 / <varname>RestartSteps</varname>)
+          </mathphrase>
+        </inlineequation>. A (repeating) delay equal to <varname>RestartMaxDelaySec=</varname> is always
+        reached after
+        <inlineequation>
+          <mathphrase>
+            <varname>RestartSteps</varname> + 1
+          </mathphrase>
+        </inlineequation> steps.</para>
 
         <para>This setting is effective only if <varname>RestartMaxDelaySec=</varname> is also set and
         <varname>RestartSec=</varname> is not zero.</para>