diff --git a/config/types.go b/config/types.go
index 7b0f10916..18291ac72 100644
--- a/config/types.go
+++ b/config/types.go
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ type ServiceConfigV1 struct {
 	Links         yaml.MaporColonSlice `yaml:"links,omitempty"`
 	LogDriver     string               `yaml:"log_driver,omitempty"`
 	MacAddress    string               `yaml:"mac_address,omitempty"`
-	MemLimit      yaml.StringorInt     `yaml:"mem_limit,omitempty"`
-	MemSwapLimit  yaml.StringorInt     `yaml:"memswap_limit,omitempty"`
-	MemSwappiness yaml.StringorInt     `yaml:"mem_swappiness,omitempty"`
+	MemLimit      yaml.MemStringorInt  `yaml:"mem_limit,omitempty"`
+	MemSwapLimit  yaml.MemStringorInt  `yaml:"memswap_limit,omitempty"`
+	MemSwappiness yaml.MemStringorInt  `yaml:"mem_swappiness,omitempty"`
 	Name          string               `yaml:"name,omitempty"`
 	Net           string               `yaml:"net,omitempty"`
 	OomScoreAdj   yaml.StringorInt     `yaml:"oom_score_adj,omitempty"`
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ type ServiceConfigV1 struct {
 	Privileged    bool                 `yaml:"privileged,omitempty"`
 	Restart       string               `yaml:"restart,omitempty"`
 	ReadOnly      bool                 `yaml:"read_only,omitempty"`
-	ShmSize       yaml.StringorInt     `yaml:"shm_size,omitempty"`
+	ShmSize       yaml.MemStringorInt  `yaml:"shm_size,omitempty"`
 	StdinOpen     bool                 `yaml:"stdin_open,omitempty"`
 	SecurityOpt   []string             `yaml:"security_opt,omitempty"`
 	StopSignal    string               `yaml:"stop_signal,omitempty"`
@@ -115,9 +115,9 @@ type ServiceConfig struct {
 	Links         yaml.MaporColonSlice `yaml:"links,omitempty"`
 	Logging       Log                  `yaml:"logging,omitempty"`
 	MacAddress    string               `yaml:"mac_address,omitempty"`
-	MemLimit      yaml.StringorInt     `yaml:"mem_limit,omitempty"`
-	MemSwapLimit  yaml.StringorInt     `yaml:"memswap_limit,omitempty"`
-	MemSwappiness yaml.StringorInt     `yaml:"mem_swappiness,omitempty"`
+	MemLimit      yaml.MemStringorInt  `yaml:"mem_limit,omitempty"`
+	MemSwapLimit  yaml.MemStringorInt  `yaml:"memswap_limit,omitempty"`
+	MemSwappiness yaml.MemStringorInt  `yaml:"mem_swappiness,omitempty"`
 	NetworkMode   string               `yaml:"network_mode,omitempty"`
 	Networks      *yaml.Networks       `yaml:"networks,omitempty"`
 	OomScoreAdj   yaml.StringorInt     `yaml:"oom_score_adj,omitempty"`
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ type ServiceConfig struct {
 	Ports         []string             `yaml:"ports,omitempty"`
 	Privileged    bool                 `yaml:"privileged,omitempty"`
 	SecurityOpt   []string             `yaml:"security_opt,omitempty"`
-	ShmSize       yaml.StringorInt     `yaml:"shm_size,omitempty"`
+	ShmSize       yaml.MemStringorInt  `yaml:"shm_size,omitempty"`
 	StopSignal    string               `yaml:"stop_signal,omitempty"`
 	Tmpfs         yaml.Stringorslice   `yaml:"tmpfs,omitempty"`
 	VolumeDriver  string               `yaml:"volume_driver,omitempty"`
diff --git a/docker/service/convert_test.go b/docker/service/convert_test.go
index e2b3bb464..1f1835bc5 100644
--- a/docker/service/convert_test.go
+++ b/docker/service/convert_test.go
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ func TestIsolation(t *testing.T) {
 func TestMemSwappiness(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := &ctx.Context{}
 	sc := &config.ServiceConfig{
-		MemSwappiness: yaml.StringorInt(10),
+		MemSwappiness: yaml.MemStringorInt(10),
 	}
 	_, hostCfg, err := Convert(sc, ctx.Context, nil)
 	assert.Nil(t, err)
diff --git a/project/project_test.go b/project/project_test.go
index 73b356520..3ae8add39 100644
--- a/project/project_test.go
+++ b/project/project_test.go
@@ -201,7 +201,8 @@ func TestParseWithMultipleComposeFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	configThree := []byte(`
   multiple:
     image: busybox
-    mem_limit: 40000000
+    mem_limit: "40m"
+    memswap_limit: 40000000
     ports:
       - 10000`)
 
@@ -243,5 +244,6 @@ func TestParseWithMultipleComposeFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "busybox", multipleConfig.Image)
 	assert.Equal(t, "multi", multipleConfig.ContainerName)
 	assert.Equal(t, []string{"8000", "9000", "10000"}, multipleConfig.Ports)
-	assert.Equal(t, yaml.StringorInt(40000000), multipleConfig.MemLimit)
+	assert.Equal(t, yaml.MemStringorInt(41943040), multipleConfig.MemLimit)
+	assert.Equal(t, yaml.MemStringorInt(40000000), multipleConfig.MemSwapLimit)
 }
diff --git a/yaml/types_yaml.go b/yaml/types_yaml.go
index b3c1126cf..5e75e5eca 100644
--- a/yaml/types_yaml.go
+++ b/yaml/types_yaml.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/strslice"
+	"github.com/docker/go-units"
 )
 
 // StringorInt represents a string or an integer.
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ func (s *StringorInt) UnmarshalYAML(unmarshal func(interface{}) error) error {
 	var stringType string
 	if err := unmarshal(&stringType); err == nil {
 		intType, err := strconv.ParseInt(stringType, 10, 64)
+
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -33,6 +35,32 @@ func (s *StringorInt) UnmarshalYAML(unmarshal func(interface{}) error) error {
 	return errors.New("Failed to unmarshal StringorInt")
 }
 
+// MemStringorInt represents a string or an integer
+// the String supports notations like 10m for then Megabyte of memory
+type MemStringorInt int64
+
+// UnmarshalYAML implements the Unmarshaller interface.
+func (s *MemStringorInt) UnmarshalYAML(unmarshal func(interface{}) error) error {
+	var intType int64
+	if err := unmarshal(&intType); err == nil {
+		*s = MemStringorInt(intType)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	var stringType string
+	if err := unmarshal(&stringType); err == nil {
+		intType, err := units.RAMInBytes(stringType)
+
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		*s = MemStringorInt(intType)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return errors.New("Failed to unmarshal MemStringorInt")
+}
+
 // Stringorslice represents
 // Using engine-api Strslice and augment it with YAML marshalling stuff. a string or an array of strings.
 type Stringorslice strslice.StrSlice