diff --git a/cmd/lnd/main.go b/cmd/lnd/main.go
index 3f30567c14f..9a2943a3509 100644
--- a/cmd/lnd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/lnd/main.go
@@ -41,4 +41,13 @@ func main() {
 		_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
+
+	// If the shutdown was requested programmatically (e.g. a health check
+	// detected that the chain backend is unavailable) rather than via an
+	// OS signal, exit with a non-zero status code. This allows process
+	// managers such as systemd with Restart=on-failure to automatically
+	// restart lnd rather than treating the exit as intentional.
+	if shutdownInterceptor.RequestedShutdown() {
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
 }
diff --git a/docs/release-notes/release-notes-0.22.0.md b/docs/release-notes/release-notes-0.22.0.md
index 260c099f1f2..a34544c7b6c 100644
--- a/docs/release-notes/release-notes-0.22.0.md
+++ b/docs/release-notes/release-notes-0.22.0.md
@@ -22,6 +22,13 @@
 
 # Bug Fixes
 
+* [Fixed a bug](https://github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/pull/10944) where
+  lnd exited with status code `0` after a health check triggered a
+  programmatic shutdown (e.g. the chain backend becoming unreachable). lnd
+  now exits with code `1` in that case, so process managers such as systemd
+  with `Restart=on-failure` automatically restart the daemon instead of
+  treating the exit as intentional.
+
 * Bitcoind outbound peer health checks [now use](https://github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/pull/10686)
   `getnetworkinfo.connections_out` instead of `getpeerinfo`. The same PR also
   [clarifies](https://github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/issues/10568) the ZMQ
diff --git a/signal/signal.go b/signal/signal.go
index 8b4a01485ce..615baebf492 100644
--- a/signal/signal.go
+++ b/signal/signal.go
@@ -113,6 +113,12 @@ type Interceptor struct {
 
 	// Notifier handles sending shutdown notifications.
 	Notifier Notifier
+
+	// requestedShutdown is set to 1 atomically when the shutdown was
+	// triggered programmatically via RequestShutdown, as opposed to an OS
+	// signal. This allows callers to distinguish abnormal shutdowns (e.g.
+	// health check failure) from user-initiated ones and exit accordingly.
+	requestedShutdown uint32
 }
 
 // Intercept starts the interception of interrupt signals and returns an `Interceptor` instance.
@@ -179,6 +185,7 @@ func (c *Interceptor) mainInterruptHandler() {
 
 		case <-c.shutdownRequestChannel:
 			log.Infof("Received shutdown request.")
+			atomic.StoreUint32(&c.requestedShutdown, 1)
 			shutdown()
 
 		case <-c.quit:
@@ -222,6 +229,15 @@ func (c *Interceptor) RequestShutdown() {
 	}
 }
 
+// RequestedShutdown returns true if the shutdown was triggered
+// programmatically via RequestShutdown (e.g. a health check failure), rather
+// than by an OS signal such as SIGINT or SIGTERM. Callers can use this to exit
+// with a non-zero status code so that process managers like systemd with
+// Restart=on-failure will automatically restart the daemon.
+func (c *Interceptor) RequestedShutdown() bool {
+	return atomic.LoadUint32(&c.requestedShutdown) != 0
+}
+
 // ShutdownChannel returns the channel that will be closed once the main
 // interrupt handler has exited.
 func (c *Interceptor) ShutdownChannel() <-chan struct{} {
diff --git a/signal/signal_test.go b/signal/signal_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3ea52fe007f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/signal/signal_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package signal
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"syscall"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// newTestInterceptor builds an Interceptor and starts its handler goroutine
+// without going through Intercept(), which holds a package-level lock that
+// prevents more than one active interceptor at a time. This lets each subtest
+// own an independent interceptor.
+func newTestInterceptor() *Interceptor {
+	c := &Interceptor{
+		interruptChannel:       make(chan os.Signal, 1),
+		shutdownChannel:        make(chan struct{}),
+		shutdownRequestChannel: make(chan struct{}),
+		quit:                   make(chan struct{}),
+	}
+	go c.mainInterruptHandler()
+	return c
+}
+
+// TestRequestedShutdown checks that RequestedShutdown returns false when lnd
+// exits due to an OS signal and true when shutdown is triggered
+// programmatically via RequestShutdown (e.g. a health check failure).
+func TestRequestedShutdown(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	t.Run("os signal does not set requested shutdown", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		interceptor := newTestInterceptor()
+
+		// Simulate an OS signal (SIGINT) the way the OS would deliver
+		// it, bypassing RequestShutdown.
+		interceptor.interruptChannel <- syscall.SIGINT
+
+		// Wait for the shutdown goroutine to finish.
+		<-interceptor.ShutdownChannel()
+
+		// A signal-driven shutdown must not set the flag; exiting with
+		// code 0 is the correct behaviour in that case.
+		require.False(t, interceptor.RequestedShutdown())
+	})
+
+	t.Run("programmatic shutdown sets requested shutdown", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		interceptor := newTestInterceptor()
+
+		// Trigger a programmatic shutdown, as the health check does
+		// when bitcoind becomes unreachable.
+		interceptor.RequestShutdown()
+
+		// Wait for the shutdown goroutine to finish.
+		<-interceptor.ShutdownChannel()
+
+		// A programmatic shutdown must set the flag so that main exits
+		// with code 1, allowing systemd (Restart=on-failure) to
+		// restart lnd automatically.
+		require.True(t, interceptor.RequestedShutdown())
+	})
+}