diff --git a/routines/routines.go b/routines/routines.go
index 0b67e1c..dd48101 100644
--- a/routines/routines.go
+++ b/routines/routines.go
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ type Manager struct {
 	// RestartDeadline specifies the amount of time a routine has to be
 	// running before failing to be restarted. This is to prevent routines
 	// that immediately fail from just being restarted over and over again.
+	// Defaults to 32 seconds if not set.
 	RestartDeadline time.Duration
 
 	// Logger, if non-nil, is where log messages will be written to. If it
@@ -123,6 +124,11 @@ func (this *Manager) initRoutine (routine Routine, group *sync.WaitGroup) {
 func (this *Manager) runRoutine (routine Routine, group *sync.WaitGroup) {
 	defer group.Done()
 
+	restartDeadline := this.RestartDeadline
+	if restartDeadline == 0 {
+		restartDeadline = 32 * time.Second
+	}
+
 	for {
 		lastStart := time.Now()
 		err := panicWrap(routine.Run, this.ctx)