Index: head/usr.sbin/newsyslog/newsyslog.c
===================================================================
--- head/usr.sbin/newsyslog/newsyslog.c
+++ head/usr.sbin/newsyslog/newsyslog.c
@@ -278,6 +278,7 @@
 static int log_trim(const char *logname, const struct conf_entry *log_ent);
 static int age_old_log(const char *file);
 static void savelog(char *from, char *to);
+static int signame_to_signum(const char *);
 static void createdir(const struct conf_entry *ent, char *dirpart);
 static void createlog(const struct conf_entry *ent);
 
@@ -1338,11 +1339,11 @@
 		if (q && *q) {
 			if (*q == '/')
 				working->pid_cmd_file = strdup(q);
-			else if (isdigit(*q))
+			else if (isalnum(*q))
 				goto got_sig;
 			else
 				errx(1,
-			"illegal pid file or signal number in config file:\n%s",
+			"illegal pid file or signal in config file:\n%s",
 				    errline);
 		}
 		if (eol)
@@ -1354,13 +1355,16 @@
 
 		working->sig = SIGHUP;
 		if (q && *q) {
-			if (isdigit(*q)) {
+			if (isalnum(*q)) {
 		got_sig:
-				working->sig = atoi(q);
+				if (isdigit(*q))
+					working->sig = atoi(q);
+				else
+					working->sig = signame_to_signum(q);
 			} else {
 		err_sig:
 				errx(1,
-				    "illegal signal number in config file:\n%s",
+				    "illegal signal in config file:\n%s",
 				    errline);
 			}
 			if (working->sig < 1 || working->sig >= NSIG)
@@ -2469,6 +2473,20 @@
 		err(1, "can't fclose %s", from);
 }
 
+static int
+signame_to_signum(const char *sig)
+{
+	int n;
+
+	if (strncasecmp(sig, "SIG", 3) == 0)
+		sig += 3;
+	for (n = 1; n < sys_nsig; n++) {
+		if (!strcasecmp(sys_signame[n], sig))
+			return (n);
+	}
+	return (-1);
+}
+
 /* create one or more directory components of a path */
 static void
 createdir(const struct conf_entry *ent, char *dirpart)
Index: head/usr.sbin/newsyslog/newsyslog.conf.5
===================================================================
--- head/usr.sbin/newsyslog/newsyslog.conf.5
+++ head/usr.sbin/newsyslog/newsyslog.conf.5
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@
 .Cm U
 flag was specified.
 If this field is present, a
-.Ar signal_number
+.Ar signal
 is sent to the process ID contained in this file.
 If this field is not present and the
 .Cm N
@@ -358,14 +358,23 @@
 by the
 .Xr newsyslog 8
 after rotation instead of sending the signal out.
-.It Ar signal_number
-This optional field specifies the signal number that will be sent
-to the daemon process (or to all processes in a process group, if the
+.It Ar signal
+This optional field specifies the signal that will be sent to the daemon
+process (or to all processes in a process group, if the
 .Cm U
 flag was specified).
 If this field is not present, then a
 .Dv SIGHUP
 signal will be sent.
+Signal names
+must start with
+.Dq SIG 
+and be the signal name, e.g.,
+.Dv SIGUSR1 .
+Alternatively,
+.Ar signal
+can be the signal number, e.g., 30 for
+.Dv SIGUSR1 .
 .El
 .Sh EXAMPLES
 The following is an example of the