I ran into a machine that for some unexplained reason would hit a kernel bug and then get a kernel panic.
This usually left the machine in an usable state, requiring a reboot.
After some googling, I found an answer.
Kudos to Vivek Gite from http://www.cyberciti.biz/ for his post
Below are the important bits:
Edit /etc/sysctl.conf file
# vi /etc/sysctl.conf
The arguments below, instructs the kernel to reboot 10 seconds after a kernel panic occurs
kernel.panic = 10
It is of course possible to make the 10 seconds as long as you need.
Save the file and apply the setting.
# sysctl -p
Tags: automatic, kernel panic, reboot, sysctl