diff --git a/roles/ferm-configure/handlers/main.yml b/roles/ferm-configure/handlers/main.yml
index 920efd0e606e42d3ad642e2cc27a7f93fa5d29f6..1b086e5b1c6843df7a5f20ad5b6add6e1e9cde76 100644
--- a/roles/ferm-configure/handlers/main.yml
+++ b/roles/ferm-configure/handlers/main.yml
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 ---
 
-- name: restart ferm
-  when: ansible_facts.services['ferm.service'] is defined
+- name: reload ferm
   systemd:
     name: ferm
-    state: restarted
+    state: reloaded
 
 ...
diff --git a/roles/ferm-configure/tasks/main.yml b/roles/ferm-configure/tasks/main.yml
index a10cf787ca6f978c32ac4842bac4eedcd031ab2c..8d9a916f45260f0813a362e5d9b58ff03061dc27 100644
--- a/roles/ferm-configure/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/ferm-configure/tasks/main.yml
@@ -12,14 +12,14 @@
 
 - name: global
   when: ferm_global_settings | d(false)
-  notify: restart ferm
+  notify: reload ferm
   copy:
     dest: /etc/ferm/ferm.d/{{ ferm_rules_filename }}.conf
     content: "{{ ferm_global_settings }}"
 
 - name: input
   when: ferm_input_rules | length > 0
-  notify: restart ferm
+  notify: reload ferm
   copy:
     dest: /etc/ferm/input.d/{{ ferm_rules_filename }}.conf
     content: |
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 
 - name: output
   when: ferm_output_rules | length > 0
-  notify: restart ferm
+  notify: reload ferm
   copy:
     dest: /etc/ferm/output.d/{{ ferm_rules_filename }}.conf
     content: |
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 
 - name: forward
   when: ferm_forward_rules | length > 0
-  notify: restart ferm
+  notify: reload ferm
   copy:
     dest: /etc/ferm/forward.d/{{ ferm_rules_filename }}.conf
     content: |