diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0f6589f..9d8fc04 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -557,9 +557,11 @@ Array of users for the AllowUsers setting in sshd_config.
 
 - *Default*: undef
 
-sshd_config_maxstartups
+sshd_config_maxstartups (string)
 -----------------------
-Specifies the maximum number of concurrent unauthenticated connections to the SSH daemon.
+Specifies the maximum number of concurrent unauthenticated connections
+to the SSH daemon. Must be a stringified integer or a string with three
+integers separated by colons, such as '10:30:100'.
 
 - *Default*: undef
 
diff --git a/manifests/init.pp b/manifests/init.pp
index eb1deeb..a9cd4c8 100644
--- a/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/manifests/init.pp
@@ -632,7 +632,7 @@ class ssh (
   }
 
   if $sshd_config_maxstartups != undef {
-    validate_re($sshd_config_maxstartups,'^(\d+)+(\d+?:\d+?:\d+)?$',
+    validate_re($sshd_config_maxstartups,'^((\d+)|(\d+?:\d+?:\d+)?)$',
       "ssh::sshd_config_maxstartups may be either an integer or three integers separated with colons, such as 10:30:100. Detected value is <${sshd_config_maxstartups}>.")
   }