diff --git a/src/main/java/info/fetter/logstashforwarder/Forwarder.java b/src/main/java/info/fetter/logstashforwarder/Forwarder.java
index 3e32905..dc52bbb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/info/fetter/logstashforwarder/Forwarder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/info/fetter/logstashforwarder/Forwarder.java
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ public class Forwarder {
 			configManager.readConfiguration();
 			for(FilesSection files : configManager.getConfig().getFiles()) {
 				for(String path : files.getPaths()) {
-					watcher.addFilesToWatch(path, new Event(files.getFields()), FileWatcher.ONE_DAY);
+					watcher.addFilesToWatch(path, new Event(files.getFields()), files.getDeadTimeInSeconds() * 1000);
 				}
 			}
 			watcher.initialize();
diff --git a/src/main/java/info/fetter/logstashforwarder/config/FilesSection.java b/src/main/java/info/fetter/logstashforwarder/config/FilesSection.java
index 2344afe..43f9b2e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/info/fetter/logstashforwarder/config/FilesSection.java
+++ b/src/main/java/info/fetter/logstashforwarder/config/FilesSection.java
@@ -22,9 +22,13 @@ import java.util.Map;
 
 import org.apache.commons.lang.builder.ToStringBuilder;
 
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonProperty;
+
 public class FilesSection {
 	private List<String> paths;
 	private Map<String,String> fields;
+	@JsonProperty("dead time")
+	private String deadTime = "24h";
 
 	public List<String> getPaths() {
 		return paths;
@@ -41,12 +45,46 @@ public class FilesSection {
 	public void setFields(Map<String, String> fields) {
 		this.fields = fields;
 	}
-	
+
+	public String getDeadTime() {
+		return deadTime;
+	}
+
+	public int getDeadTimeInSeconds() {
+		int deadTimeInSeconds = 0;
+		String remaining = deadTime;
+
+		if(deadTime.contains("h")) {
+			String[] splitByHour = deadTime.split("h",2);
+			if(splitByHour.length > 1) {
+				remaining = splitByHour[1];
+			}
+			deadTimeInSeconds += Integer.parseInt(splitByHour[0]) * 3600;
+		}
+		if(remaining.contains("m")) {
+			String[] splitByMinute = remaining.split("m",2);
+			if(splitByMinute.length > 1) {
+				remaining = splitByMinute[1];
+			}
+			deadTimeInSeconds += Integer.parseInt(splitByMinute[0]) * 60;
+		}
+		if(remaining.contains("s")) {
+			String[] splitBySecond = remaining.split("s",2);
+			deadTimeInSeconds += Integer.parseInt(splitBySecond[0]);
+		}
+		return deadTimeInSeconds;
+	}
+
+	public void setDeadTime(String deadTime) {
+		this.deadTime = deadTime;
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	public String toString() {
-	     return new ToStringBuilder(this).
-	    	       append("paths", paths).
-	    	       append("fields", fields).
-	    	       toString();
+		return new ToStringBuilder(this).
+				append("paths", paths).
+				append("fields", fields).
+				append("dead time", deadTime).
+				toString();
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/info/fetter/logstashforwarder/config/ConfigurationManagerTest.java b/src/test/java/info/fetter/logstashforwarder/config/ConfigurationManagerTest.java
index 36e9998..d5969a6 100644
--- a/src/test/java/info/fetter/logstashforwarder/config/ConfigurationManagerTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/info/fetter/logstashforwarder/config/ConfigurationManagerTest.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package info.fetter.logstashforwarder.config;
  */
 
 import static org.apache.log4j.Level.DEBUG;
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
@@ -51,5 +52,19 @@ public class ConfigurationManagerTest {
 		ConfigurationManager manager = new ConfigurationManager(new File(ConfigurationManagerTest.class.getClassLoader().getResource("config1.json").getFile()));
 		manager.readConfiguration();
 		logger.debug(manager.getConfig().toString());
+		for(FilesSection files : manager.getConfig().getFiles()) {
+			logger.debug("File Section");
+			for(String path : files.getPaths()) {
+				logger.debug(" - Path : " + path);
+			}
+			logger.debug(" - Dead time : " + files.getDeadTimeInSeconds());
+			if(files.getDeadTime().equals("24h")) {
+				assertEquals(86400, files.getDeadTimeInSeconds());
+			} else if(files.getDeadTime().equals("12h")) {
+				assertEquals(43200, files.getDeadTimeInSeconds());
+			} else if(files.getDeadTime().equals("8h32m50s")) {
+				assertEquals(30770, files.getDeadTimeInSeconds());
+			}
+		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/test/resources/config1.json b/src/test/resources/config1.json
index 82801c8..d045315 100644
--- a/src/test/resources/config1.json
+++ b/src/test/resources/config1.json
@@ -46,7 +46,14 @@
       "paths": [
         "/var/log/apache/httpd-*.log"
       ],
-      "fields": { "type": "apache" }
+      "fields": { "type": "apache" },
+      "dead time": "12h" 
+    }, {
+      "paths": [
+        "/var/log/apache/error-*.log"
+      ],
+      "fields": { "type": "error" },
+      "dead time": "8h32m50s" 
     }
   ]
 }
\ No newline at end of file