diff --git a/diagnostic_aggregator/README.md b/diagnostic_aggregator/README.md
index e7f63c2b..08178a06 100644
--- a/diagnostic_aggregator/README.md
+++ b/diagnostic_aggregator/README.md
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ The robot has two of each, one on each side.
 The robot also 4 camera sensors, one left and one right and one in the front and one in the back.
 These are all the available diagnostic sources:
 
-``` 
+```
 /arms/left/motor
 /arms/right/motor
 /legs/left/motor
@@ -119,6 +119,9 @@ Additional parameters depend on the type of the analyzer.
 Any diagnostic item that is not matched by any analyzer will be published by an "Other" analyzer.
 Items created by the "Other" analyzer will go stale after 5 seconds.
 
+The `critical` parameter makes the aggregator react immediately to a degradation in diagnostic state.
+This is useful if the toplevel state is parsed by a watchdog for example.
+
 ## Launching
 You can launch the `aggregator_node` like this (see [example.launch.py.in](example/example.launch.py.in)):
 ``` python
@@ -186,4 +189,4 @@ This means that things that are ignored by the `IgnoreAnalyzer` will still be pu
 - `analyzers` (map, default: {}) - The analyzers that will be used to aggregate the diagnostics
 
 # Tutorials
-TODO: Port tutorials #contributions-welcome
\ No newline at end of file
+TODO: Port tutorials #contributions-welcome
diff --git a/diagnostic_aggregator/mainpage.dox b/diagnostic_aggregator/mainpage.dox
index f7827de5..b720b86e 100644
--- a/diagnostic_aggregator/mainpage.dox
+++ b/diagnostic_aggregator/mainpage.dox
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ See Analyzer for more information on the base class.
 
 \subsubsection generic_analyzer GenericAnalyzer
 
-\b generic_analyzer holds the GenericAnalyzer class, which is the most basic of the Analyzer's. It is used by the diagnostic_aggregator/Aggregator to store, process and republish diagnostics data. The GenericAnalyzer is loaded by the pluginlib as a Analyzer plugin. It is the most basic of all Analyzer's. 
+\b generic_analyzer holds the GenericAnalyzer class, which is the most basic of the Analyzer's. It is used by the diagnostic_aggregator/Aggregator to store, process and republish diagnostics data. The GenericAnalyzer is loaded by the pluginlib as a Analyzer plugin. It is the most basic of all Analyzer's.
 
 \subsubsection analyzer_group AnalyzerGroup
 
@@ -37,10 +37,10 @@ aggregator_node subscribes to "/diagnostics" and publishes an aggregated set of
 \subsubsection topics ROS topics
 
 Subscribes to:
-- \b "/diagnostics": [diagnostics_msgs/DiagnosticArray] 
+- \b "/diagnostics": [diagnostics_msgs/DiagnosticArray]
 
 Publishes to:
-- \b "/diagnostics_agg": [diagnostics_msgs/DiagnosticArray] 
+- \b "/diagnostics_agg": [diagnostics_msgs/DiagnosticArray]
 
 \subsubsection parameters ROS parameters
 
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ Reads the following parameters from the parameter server
 - \b "~pub_rate" : \b double [optional] Rate that output diagnostics published
 - \b "~base_path" : \b double [optional] Prepended to all analyzed output
 - \b "~analyzers" : \b {} Configuration for loading analyzers
+- \b "~critical" : \b bool [optional] React immediately to a degradation in diagnostic state
 
 \subsection analyzer_loader analyzer_loader
 
@@ -61,4 +62,4 @@ Reads the following parameters from the parameter server
 - \b "~analyzers" : \b {} Configuration for loading and testing analyzers
 
 
-*/
\ No newline at end of file
+*/