diff --git a/drivers/VirtualWatchdog.cpp b/drivers/VirtualWatchdog.cpp
index 66e03ac486..ea91852a9b 100644
--- a/drivers/VirtualWatchdog.cpp
+++ b/drivers/VirtualWatchdog.cpp
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ VirtualWatchdog *VirtualWatchdog::_first = NULL;
 bool VirtualWatchdog::_is_hw_watchdog_running = false;
 us_timestamp_t VirtualWatchdog::_ticker_timeout = 0;
 
-VirtualWatchdog::VirtualWatchdog(uint32_t timeout, const char *const str, uint32_t watchdog_hw_timeout) : _name(str)
+VirtualWatchdog::VirtualWatchdog(uint32_t timeout, const char *const str) : _name(str)
 {
     _current_count = 0;
     _is_initialized = false;
@@ -45,9 +45,8 @@ VirtualWatchdog::VirtualWatchdog(uint32_t timeout, const char *const str, uint32
         if (watchdog.is_running() == true) {
             MBED_MAKE_ERROR(MBED_MODULE_DRIVER_WATCHDOG, MBED_ERROR_INITIALIZATION_FAILED);
         }
-        // we use default hw timeout provided by config
-        watchdog.start(watchdog_hw_timeout);
-        _ticker_timeout = MS_TO_US(watchdog_hw_timeout / 2);
+        watchdog.start(timeout);
+        _ticker_timeout = MS_TO_US(timeout / 2);
         if (_ticker_timeout == 0) {
             _ticker_timeout = 1;
         }
diff --git a/drivers/VirtualWatchdog.h b/drivers/VirtualWatchdog.h
index 3e00918ad6..27960d2ecd 100644
--- a/drivers/VirtualWatchdog.h
+++ b/drivers/VirtualWatchdog.h
@@ -65,13 +65,14 @@ class VirtualWatchdog {
 public:
 
     /** Constructor configured with timeout and name for this software watchdog instance.
+     *
+     * Note, the first instance of VirtualWatchog configures the hardware watchdog peripheral (uses timeout value passed here).
      *
      *  @param timeout Timer timeout
      *  @param str The name for this watchdog timer
-     *  @param watchdog_hw_timeout The watchdog driver timeout - can be set only once (as soon as watchdog runs, cannot be reconfigured)
      *
      */
-    VirtualWatchdog(uint32_t timeout = 1000, const char *const str = NULL, uint32_t watchdog_hw_timeout = Watchdog::watchdog_timeout);
+    VirtualWatchdog(uint32_t timeout = 1000, const char *const str = NULL);
 
     ~VirtualWatchdog();
 public: