diff --git a/Changes b/Changes
index 0e8bdcf..5e32eba 100644
--- a/Changes
+++ b/Changes
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
 - Added an advice in monitorix.conf(5) as a reminder that some default values
   are overwritten in the configuration files on certain systems.
   	(suggested by Sander Bos)
+- Changed the alert in 'system.pm' to use the minimum value between the second
+  and the third load averages to obtain a more symmetric curve and a sooner
+  cancellation of the alert.
+  	(suggested by Michael Tosch)
 - Fixed a bad memory scaling in *BSD systems.
 - Fixed in 'process.pm' to fully honour the option 'netstats_in_bps'.
 - Fixed to force Monitorix to be started at the end of boot in systemd-based
diff --git a/lib/system.pm b/lib/system.pm
index f3cee18..eab0180 100644
--- a/lib/system.pm
+++ b/lib/system.pm
@@ -380,7 +380,10 @@ sub system_update {
 
 	# SYSTEM alert
 	if(lc($system->{alerts}->{loadavg_enabled}) eq "y") {
-		if(!$system->{alerts}->{loadavg_threshold} || $load15 < $system->{alerts}->{loadavg_threshold}) {
+		my $load;
+
+		$load = min($load5, $load15);
+		if(!$system->{alerts}->{loadavg_threshold} || $load < $system->{alerts}->{loadavg_threshold}) {
 			$config->{system_hist_alert1} = 0;
 		} else {
 			if(!$config->{system_hist_alert1}) {
@@ -389,7 +392,7 @@ sub system_update {
 			if($config->{system_hist_alert1} > 0 && (time - $config->{system_hist_alert1}) >= $system->{alerts}->{loadavg_timeintvl}) {
 				if(-x $system->{alerts}->{loadavg_script}) {
 					logger("$myself: ALERT: executing script '$system->{alerts}->{loadavg_script}'.");
-					system($system->{alerts}->{loadavg_script} . " " .$system->{alerts}->{loadavg_timeintvl} . " " . $system->{alerts}->{loadavg_threshold} . " " . $load15);
+					system($system->{alerts}->{loadavg_script} . " " .$system->{alerts}->{loadavg_timeintvl} . " " . $system->{alerts}->{loadavg_threshold} . " " . $load);
 				} else {
 					logger("$myself: ERROR: script '$system->{alerts}->{loadavg_script}' doesn't exist or don't has execution permissions.");
 				}
diff --git a/man/man5/monitorix.conf.5 b/man/man5/monitorix.conf.5
index a9d0754..fcdcb27 100644
--- a/man/man5/monitorix.conf.5
+++ b/man/man5/monitorix.conf.5
@@ -505,7 +505,9 @@ Default value: \fIreal\fP
 .RS
 This section enables or disables the alert capabilities for this graph. Only the alert for the average CPU load is currently implemented. It works as follows:
 .P
-The CPU load average uses the third value (the one that represents the last 15 minutes of the load average), and if it reaches the \fBloadavg_threshold\fP value for the interval of time defined in \fBloadavg_timeintvl\fP, Monitorix will execute the external alert script defined in \fBloadavg_script\fP.
+This alert uses the minimum value between the second and the third load averages (those that represent the last 5 and 15 minutes), and if it reaches the \fBloadavg_threshold\fP value for the interval of time defined in \fBloadavg_timeintvl\fP, Monitorix will execute the external alert script defined in \fBloadavg_script\fP.
+.P
+The idea to use \fImin(load5, load15)\fP is to obtain a more symmetric curve and a sooner cancellation of the alert.
 .P
 The default Monitorix installation includes an example of a shell-script alert called \fBmonitorix-alert.sh\fP which you can use as a base for your own script.
 .P