diff --git a/manifests/fpm.pp b/manifests/fpm.pp
index 4b2790a..821f9be 100644
--- a/manifests/fpm.pp
+++ b/manifests/fpm.pp
@@ -1,110 +1,117 @@
 # Install and configure mod_php for fpm
 #
 # === Parameters
 #
 # [*user*]
 #   The user that php-fpm should run as
 #
 # [*group*]
 #   The group that php-fpm should run as
 #
 # [*service_enable*]
 #   Enable/disable FPM service
 #
 # [*service_ensure*]
 #   Ensure FPM service is either 'running' or 'stopped'
 #
 # [*service_name*]
 #   This is the name of the php-fpm service. It defaults to reasonable OS
 #   defaults but can be different in case of using php7.0/other OS/custom fpm service
 #
 # [*service_provider*]
 #   This is the name of the service provider, in case there is a non
 #   OS default service provider used to start FPM.
 #   Defaults to 'undef', pick system defaults.
 #
 # [*pools*]
 #   Hash of php::fpm::pool resources that will be created. Defaults
 #   to a single php::fpm::pool named www with default parameters.
 #
 # [*log_owner*]
 #   The php-fpm log owner
 #
 # [*log_group*]
 #   The group owning php-fpm logs
 #
 # [*package*]
 #   Specify which package to install
 #
 # [*ensure*]
 #   Specify which version of the package to install
 #
 # [*inifile*]
 #   Path to php.ini for fpm
 #
 # [*settings*]
 #   fpm settings hash
 #
 # [*global_pool_settings*]
 #   Hash of defaults params php::fpm::pool resources that will be created.
 #   Defaults is empty hash.
 #
 # [*pool_purge*]
 #   Whether to purge pool config files not created
 #   by this module
 #
+# [*reload_fpm_on_config_changes*]
+#   by default, we reload the service on changes.
+#   But certain options, like socket owner, will only be applied during a restart.
+#   If set to false, a restart will be executed instead of a reload.
+#   This default will be changed in a future release.
+#
 class php::fpm (
-  String $ensure                = $php::ensure,
-  $user                         = $php::fpm_user,
-  $group                        = $php::fpm_group,
-  $service_ensure               = $php::fpm_service_ensure,
-  $service_enable               = $php::fpm_service_enable,
-  $service_name                 = $php::fpm_service_name,
-  $service_provider             = $php::fpm_service_provider,
-  String $package               = $php::real_fpm_package,
-  Stdlib::Absolutepath $inifile = $php::fpm_inifile,
-  Hash $settings                = $php::real_settings,
-  $global_pool_settings         = $php::real_fpm_global_pool_settings,
-  Hash $pools                   = $php::real_fpm_pools,
-  $log_owner                    = $php::log_owner,
-  $log_group                    = $php::log_group,
-  Boolean $pool_purge           = $php::pool_purge,
+  String $ensure                        = $php::ensure,
+  $user                                 = $php::fpm_user,
+  $group                                = $php::fpm_group,
+  $service_ensure                       = $php::fpm_service_ensure,
+  $service_enable                       = $php::fpm_service_enable,
+  $service_name                         = $php::fpm_service_name,
+  $service_provider                     = $php::fpm_service_provider,
+  String $package                       = $php::real_fpm_package,
+  Stdlib::Absolutepath $inifile         = $php::fpm_inifile,
+  Hash $settings                        = $php::real_settings,
+  $global_pool_settings                 = $php::real_fpm_global_pool_settings,
+  Hash $pools                           = $php::real_fpm_pools,
+  $log_owner                            = $php::log_owner,
+  $log_group                            = $php::log_group,
+  Boolean $pool_purge                   = $php::pool_purge,
+  Boolean $reload_fpm_on_config_changes = $php::reload_fpm_on_config_changes,
 ) {
   if ! defined(Class['php']) {
     warning('php::fpm is private')
   }
 
   $real_settings = $settings
 
   # On FreeBSD fpm is not a separate package, but included in the 'php' package.
   # Implies that the option SET+=FPM was set when building the port.
   $real_package = $facts['os']['family'] ? {
     'FreeBSD' => [],
     default   => $package,
   }
 
   package { $real_package:
     ensure  => $ensure,
     require => Class['php::packages'],
   }
 
   class { 'php::fpm::config':
     user       => $user,
     group      => $group,
     inifile    => $inifile,
     settings   => $real_settings,
     log_owner  => $log_owner,
     log_group  => $log_group,
     pool_purge => $pool_purge,
     require    => Package[$real_package],
   }
 
   contain 'php::fpm::config'
   contain 'php::fpm::service'
 
   Class['php::fpm::config'] ~> Class['php::fpm::service']
 
   $real_global_pool_settings = $global_pool_settings
   $real_pools = $pools
   create_resources(::php::fpm::pool, $real_pools, $real_global_pool_settings)
 }
diff --git a/manifests/fpm/service.pp b/manifests/fpm/service.pp
index 33a7b9a..5ef8f3e 100644
--- a/manifests/fpm/service.pp
+++ b/manifests/fpm/service.pp
@@ -1,36 +1,49 @@
 # Manage fpm service
 #
 # === Parameters
 #
 # [*service_name*]
 #   name of the php-fpm service
 #
 # [*ensure*]
 #   'ensure' value for the service
 #
 # [*enable*]
 #   Defines if the service is enabled
 #
 # [*provider*]
 #   Defines if the service provider to use
 #
+# [*reload_fpm_on_config_changes*]
+#   by default, we reload the service on changes.
+#   But certain options, like socket owner, will only be applied during a restart.
+#   If set to false, a restart will be executed instead of a reload.
+#   This default will be changed in a future release.
+#
 class php::fpm::service (
-  $service_name = $php::fpm::service_name,
-  $ensure       = $php::fpm::service_ensure,
-  $enable       = $php::fpm::service_enable,
-  $provider     = $php::fpm::service_provider,
+  $service_name                         = $php::fpm::service_name,
+  $ensure                               = $php::fpm::service_ensure,
+  $enable                               = $php::fpm::service_enable,
+  $provider                             = $php::fpm::service_provider,
+  Boolean $reload_fpm_on_config_changes = $php::fpm::reload_fpm_on_config_changes,
 ) {
   if ! defined(Class['php::fpm']) {
     warning('php::fpm::service is private')
   }
 
+  if $reload_fpm_on_config_changes {
+    $restart = "service ${service_name} reload"
+  } else {
+    $restart = undef
+  }
   service { $service_name:
     ensure     => $ensure,
     enable     => $enable,
     provider   => $provider,
     hasrestart => true,
+    restart    => $restart,
     hasstatus  => true,
   }
 
   ::Php::Extension <| |> ~> Service[$service_name]
 }
diff --git a/manifests/init.pp b/manifests/init.pp
index 1035bbc..7d2fc82 100644
--- a/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/manifests/init.pp
@@ -1,245 +1,252 @@
 # Base class with global configuration parameters that pulls in all
 # enabled components.
 #
 # === Parameters
 #
 # [*ensure*]
 #   Specify which version of PHP packages to install, defaults to 'present'.
 #   Please note that 'absent' to remove packages is not supported!
 #
 # [*manage_repos*]
 #   Include repository (dotdeb, ppa, etc.) to install recent PHP from
 #
 # [*fpm*]
 #   Install and configure php-fpm
 #
 # [*fpm_service_enable*]
 #   Enable/disable FPM service
 #
 # [*fpm_service_ensure*]
 #   Ensure FPM service is either 'running' or 'stopped'
 #
 # [*fpm_service_name*]
 #   This is the name of the php-fpm service. It defaults to reasonable OS
 #   defaults but can be different in case of using php7.0/other OS/custom fpm service
 #
 # [*fpm_service_provider*]
 #   This is the name of the service provider, in case there is a non
 #   OS default service provider used to start FPM.
 #   Defaults to 'undef', pick system defaults.
 #
 # [*fpm_pools*]
 #   Hash of php::fpm::pool resources that will be created. Defaults
 #   to a single php::fpm::pool named www with default parameters.
 #
 # [*fpm_global_pool_settings*]
 #   Hash of defaults params php::fpm::pool resources that will be created.
 #   Defaults to empty hash.
 #
 # [*fpm_inifile*]
 #   Path to php.ini for fpm
 #
 # [*fpm_package*]
 #   Name of fpm package to install
 #
 # [*fpm_user*]
 #   The user that php-fpm should run as
 #
 # [*fpm_group*]
 #   The group that php-fpm should run as
 #
 # [*dev*]
 #   Install php header files, needed to install pecl modules
 #
 # [*composer*]
 #   Install and auto-update composer
 #
 # [*pear*]
 #   Install PEAR
 #
 # [*phpunit*]
 #   Install phpunit
 #
 # [*apache_config*]
 #   Manage apache's mod_php configuration
 #
 # [*proxy_type*]
 #    proxy server type (none|http|https|ftp)
 #
 # [*proxy_server*]
 #   specify a proxy server, with port number if needed. ie: https://example.com:8080.
 #
 # [*extensions*]
 #   Install PHP extensions, this is overwritten by hiera hash `php::extensions`
 #
 # [*package_prefix*]
 #   This is the prefix for constructing names of php packages. This defaults
 #   to a sensible default depending on your operating system, like 'php-' or
 #   'php5-'.
 #
 # [*config_root_ini*]
 #   This is the path to the config .ini files of the extensions. This defaults
 #   to a sensible default depending on your operating system, like
 #   '/etc/php5/mods-available' or '/etc/php5/conf.d'.
 #
 # [*config_root_inifile*]
 #   The path to the global php.ini file. This defaults to a sensible default
 #   depending on your operating system.
 #
 # [*ext_tool_enable*]
 #   Absolute path to php tool for enabling extensions in debian/ubuntu systems.
 #   This defaults to '/usr/sbin/php5enmod'.
 #
 # [*ext_tool_query*]
 #   Absolute path to php tool for querying information about extensions in
 #   debian/ubuntu systems. This defaults to '/usr/sbin/php5query'.
 #
 # [*ext_tool_enabled*]
 #   Enable or disable the use of php tools on debian based systems
 #   debian/ubuntu systems. This defaults to 'true'.
 #
 # [*log_owner*]
 #   The php-fpm log owner
 #
 # [*log_group*]
 #   The group owning php-fpm logs
 #
 # [*embedded*]
 #   Enable embedded SAPI
 #
 # [*pear_ensure*]
 #   The package ensure of PHP pear to install and run pear auto_discover
 #
 # [*settings*]
 #   PHP configuration parameters in php.ini files as a hash. For example,
 #   'Date/date.timezone' => 'Australia/Melbourne' sets data.timezone
 #   to 'Australia/Melbourne' under [Date] section, and
 #   'PHP/memory_limit' => '256M' sets memory_limit to 256M.
 #
 # [*cli_settings*]
 #   Additional hash of PHP configuration parameters for PHP CLI. When a
 #   setting key already exists in $settings, the value provided from the
 #   $cli_settings parameter overrides the value from $settings parameter.
 #   For example, 'PHP/memory_limit' => '1000M' sets memory_limit to 1000M
 #   for the PHP cli ini file, regardless of the values from $settings.
 #
 # [*pool_purge*]
 #   Whether to purge pool config files not created
 #   by this module
 #
+# [*reload_fpm_on_config_changes*]
+#   by default, we reload the service on changes.
+#   But certain options, like socket owner, will only be applied during a restart.
+#   If set to false, a restart will be executed instead of a reload.
+#   This default will be changed in a future release.
+#
 class php (
   String $ensure                                  = $php::params::ensure,
   Boolean $manage_repos                           = $php::params::manage_repos,
   Boolean $fpm                                    = true,
   $fpm_service_enable                             = $php::params::fpm_service_enable,
   $fpm_service_ensure                             = $php::params::fpm_service_ensure,
   $fpm_service_name                               = $php::params::fpm_service_name,
   $fpm_service_provider                           = undef,
   Hash $fpm_pools                                 = $php::params::fpm_pools,
   Hash $fpm_global_pool_settings                  = {},
   $fpm_inifile                                    = $php::params::fpm_inifile,
   $fpm_package                                    = undef,
   $fpm_user                                       = $php::params::fpm_user,
   $fpm_group                                      = $php::params::fpm_group,
   Boolean $embedded                               = false,
   Boolean $dev                                    = true,
   Boolean $composer                               = true,
   Boolean $pear                                   = true,
   String $pear_ensure                             = $php::params::pear_ensure,
   Boolean $phpunit                                = false,
   Boolean $apache_config                          = false,
   $proxy_type                                     = undef,
   $proxy_server                                   = undef,
   Hash $extensions                                = {},
   Hash $settings                                  = {},
   Hash $cli_settings                              = {},
   $package_prefix                                 = $php::params::package_prefix,
   Stdlib::Absolutepath $config_root_ini           = $php::params::config_root_ini,
   Stdlib::Absolutepath $config_root_inifile       = $php::params::config_root_inifile,
   Optional[Stdlib::Absolutepath] $ext_tool_enable = $php::params::ext_tool_enable,
   Optional[Stdlib::Absolutepath] $ext_tool_query  = $php::params::ext_tool_query,
   Boolean $ext_tool_enabled                       = $php::params::ext_tool_enabled,
   String $log_owner                               = $php::params::fpm_user,
   String $log_group                               = $php::params::fpm_group,
   Boolean $pool_purge                             = $php::params::pool_purge,
+  Boolean $reload_fpm_on_config_changes           = true,
 ) inherits php::params {
   $real_fpm_package = pick($fpm_package, "${package_prefix}${php::params::fpm_package_suffix}")
 
   $real_settings = $settings
   $real_extensions = $extensions
   $real_fpm_pools = $fpm_pools
   $real_fpm_global_pool_settings = $fpm_global_pool_settings
 
   # Merge in additional or overridden settings for php::cli::settings.
   $final_cli_settings = $real_settings + $cli_settings
 
   if $manage_repos {
     contain php::repo
   }
 
   class { 'php::packages': }
   -> class { 'php::cli':
     settings => $final_cli_settings,
   }
   contain php::packages
   contain php::cli
 
   # Configure global PHP settings in php.ini
   if $facts['os']['family'] != 'Debian' {
     Class['php::packages']
     -> class { 'php::global':
       settings => $real_settings,
     }
     contain php::global
   }
 
   if $fpm { contain 'php::fpm' }
   if $embedded {
     if $facts['os']['family'] == 'RedHat' and $fpm {
       # Both fpm and embeded SAPIs are using same php.ini
       fail('Enabling both cli and embedded sapis is not currently supported')
     }
 
     class { 'php::embedded':
       settings => $real_settings,
     }
     contain php::embedded
   }
   if $dev {
     contain php::dev
   }
   if $composer {
     class { 'php::composer':
       proxy_type   => $proxy_type,
       proxy_server => $proxy_server,
     }
   }
   if $pear {
     class { 'php::pear':
       ensure => $pear_ensure,
     }
   }
   if $phpunit {
     contain php::phpunit
   }
   if $apache_config {
     class { 'php::apache_config':
       settings => $real_settings,
     }
     contain php::apache_config
   }
 
   create_resources('php::extension', $real_extensions, {
       require => Class['php::cli'],
   })
 
   # On FreeBSD purge the system-wide extensions.ini. It is going
   # to be replaced with per-module configuration files.
   if $facts['os']['family'] == 'FreeBSD' {
     # Purge the system-wide extensions.ini
     file { '/usr/local/etc/php/extensions.ini':
       ensure  => absent,
       require => Class['php::packages'],
     }
   }
 }