diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
index a9924981f..f91b5edc4 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
@@ -601,11 +601,13 @@ our %validlevels;            # Valid log levels.
 # Deprecated options with their default values
 #
 our %deprecated = (
+		   LEGACY_RESTART => 'no'
 		  );
 #
 # Deprecated options that are eliminated via update
 #
 our %converted = (
+		  LEGACY_RESTART => 1
 		 );
 #
 # Eliminated options
@@ -858,6 +860,7 @@ sub initialize( $;$$) {
 	  BASIC_FILTERS => undef,
 	  WORKAROUNDS => undef ,
 	  LEGACY_RESTART => undef ,
+	  RESTART => undef ,
 	  #
 	  # Packet Disposition
 	  #
@@ -4863,6 +4866,7 @@ sub update_config_file( $ ) {
 
     update_default( 'USE_DEFAULT_RT', 'No' );
     update_default( 'EXPORTMODULES',  'No' );
+    update_default( 'RESTART',        'reload' );
 
     my $fn;
 
@@ -5759,7 +5763,15 @@ sub get_configuration( $$$$ ) {
     default_yes_no 'INLINE_MATCHES'             , '';
     default_yes_no 'BASIC_FILTERS'              , '';
     default_yes_no 'WORKAROUNDS'                , 'Yes';
-    default_yes_no 'LEGACY_RESTART'             , '';
+
+    if ( supplied( $val = $config{RESTART} ) ) {
+	fatal_error "Invalid value for RESTART ($val)" unless $val =~ /^(restart|reload)$/;
+    } elsif (supplied $config{LEGACY_RESTART} ) {
+	default_yes_no 'LEGACY_RESTART'             , 'Yes';
+	$config{RESTART} = $config{LEGACY_RESTART} ? 'reload' : 'restart';
+    } else {
+	$config{RESTART} = 'reload';
+    }
 
     require_capability( 'BASIC_EMATCH', 'BASIC_FILTERS=Yes', 's' ) if $config{BASIC_FILTERS};
 
@@ -6302,7 +6314,7 @@ sub generate_aux_config() {
 
     emit "#\n# Shorewall auxiliary configuration file created by Shorewall version $globals{VERSION} - $date\n#";
 
-    for my $option ( qw(VERBOSITY LOGFILE LOGFORMAT ARPTABLES IPTABLES IP6TABLES IP TC IPSET PATH SHOREWALL_SHELL SUBSYSLOCK LOCKFILE RESTOREFILE WORKAROUNDS LEGACY_RESTART) ) {
+    for my $option ( qw(VERBOSITY LOGFILE LOGFORMAT ARPTABLES IPTABLES IP6TABLES IP TC IPSET PATH SHOREWALL_SHELL SUBSYSLOCK LOCKFILE RESTOREFILE WORKAROUNDS RESTART) ) {
 	conditionally_add_option $option;
     }
 
diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/prog.footer b/Shorewall/Perl/prog.footer
index b8ebcd7e3..d40a635b3 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/prog.footer
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/prog.footer
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ case "$COMMAND" in
     restart)
 	[ $# -ne 1 ] && usage 2
 
-	if [ -z "$LEGACY_RESTART" ]; then
+	if [ "$RESTART" = restart ]; then
 	    COMMAND=stop stop_command && COMMAND=start start_command
 	else
 	    COMMAND=reload
diff --git a/Shorewall/Samples/Universal/shorewall.conf b/Shorewall/Samples/Universal/shorewall.conf
index a9eb6e0db..d58440ca3 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Samples/Universal/shorewall.conf
+++ b/Shorewall/Samples/Universal/shorewall.conf
@@ -176,8 +176,6 @@ KEEP_RT_TABLES=No
 
 LOAD_HELPERS_ONLY=Yes
 
-LEGACY_RESTART=Yes
-
 MACLIST_TABLE=filter
 
 MACLIST_TTL=
@@ -204,6 +202,8 @@ REJECT_ACTION=
 
 REQUIRE_INTERFACE=Yes
 
+RESTART=restart
+
 RESTORE_DEFAULT_ROUTE=Yes
 
 RESTORE_ROUTEMARKS=Yes
diff --git a/Shorewall/Samples/one-interface/shorewall.conf b/Shorewall/Samples/one-interface/shorewall.conf
index 40e409099..ade08a0bb 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Samples/one-interface/shorewall.conf
+++ b/Shorewall/Samples/one-interface/shorewall.conf
@@ -187,8 +187,6 @@ KEEP_RT_TABLES=No
 
 LOAD_HELPERS_ONLY=Yes
 
-LEGACY_RESTART=Yes
-
 MACLIST_TABLE=filter
 
 MACLIST_TTL=
@@ -215,6 +213,8 @@ REJECT_ACTION=
 
 REQUIRE_INTERFACE=No
 
+RESTART=restart
+
 RESTORE_DEFAULT_ROUTE=Yes
 
 RESTORE_ROUTEMARKS=Yes
diff --git a/Shorewall/Samples/three-interfaces/shorewall.conf b/Shorewall/Samples/three-interfaces/shorewall.conf
index c26a08219..7960e7c3d 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Samples/three-interfaces/shorewall.conf
+++ b/Shorewall/Samples/three-interfaces/shorewall.conf
@@ -184,8 +184,6 @@ KEEP_RT_TABLES=No
 
 LOAD_HELPERS_ONLY=Yes
 
-LEGACY_RESTART=Yes
-
 MACLIST_TABLE=filter
 
 MACLIST_TTL=
@@ -212,6 +210,8 @@ REJECT_ACTION=
 
 REQUIRE_INTERFACE=No
 
+RESTART=restart
+
 RESTORE_DEFAULT_ROUTE=Yes
 
 RESTORE_ROUTEMARKS=Yes
diff --git a/Shorewall/Samples/two-interfaces/shorewall.conf b/Shorewall/Samples/two-interfaces/shorewall.conf
index c63a01c00..f6fbcdb3f 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Samples/two-interfaces/shorewall.conf
+++ b/Shorewall/Samples/two-interfaces/shorewall.conf
@@ -187,8 +187,6 @@ KEEP_RT_TABLES=No
 
 LOAD_HELPERS_ONLY=Yes
 
-LEGACY_RESTART=Yes
-
 MACLIST_TABLE=filter
 
 MACLIST_TTL=
@@ -215,6 +213,8 @@ REJECT_ACTION=
 
 REQUIRE_INTERFACE=No
 
+RESTART=restart
+
 RESTORE_DEFAULT_ROUTE=Yes
 
 RESTORE_ROUTEMARKS=Yes
diff --git a/Shorewall/configfiles/shorewall.conf b/Shorewall/configfiles/shorewall.conf
index 4fef45809..729a3b2a6 100644
--- a/Shorewall/configfiles/shorewall.conf
+++ b/Shorewall/configfiles/shorewall.conf
@@ -174,8 +174,6 @@ IP_FORWARDING=On
 
 KEEP_RT_TABLES=No
 
-LEGACY_RESTART=Yes
-
 LOAD_HELPERS_ONLY=Yes
 
 MACLIST_TABLE=filter
@@ -204,6 +202,8 @@ REJECT_ACTION=
 
 REQUIRE_INTERFACE=No
 
+RESTART=restart
+
 RESTORE_DEFAULT_ROUTE=Yes
 
 RESTORE_ROUTEMARKS=Yes
diff --git a/Shorewall6/Samples6/Universal/shorewall6.conf b/Shorewall6/Samples6/Universal/shorewall6.conf
index 330440051..44aedb558 100644
--- a/Shorewall6/Samples6/Universal/shorewall6.conf
+++ b/Shorewall6/Samples6/Universal/shorewall6.conf
@@ -163,8 +163,6 @@ IP_FORWARDING=Off
 
 KEEP_RT_TABLES=Yes
 
-LEGACY_RESTART=Yes
-
 LOAD_HELPERS_ONLY=Yes
 
 MACLIST_TABLE=filter
@@ -187,6 +185,8 @@ REJECT_ACTION=
 
 REQUIRE_INTERFACE=Yes
 
+RESTART=restart
+
 RESTORE_ROUTEMARKS=Yes
 
 SAVE_IPSETS=No
diff --git a/Shorewall6/Samples6/one-interface/shorewall6.conf b/Shorewall6/Samples6/one-interface/shorewall6.conf
index 6c3a987fc..3f99e6191 100644
--- a/Shorewall6/Samples6/one-interface/shorewall6.conf
+++ b/Shorewall6/Samples6/one-interface/shorewall6.conf
@@ -164,8 +164,6 @@ IP_FORWARDING=Off
 
 KEEP_RT_TABLES=Yes
 
-LEGACY_RESTART=Yes
-
 LOAD_HELPERS_ONLY=Yes
 
 MACLIST_TABLE=filter
@@ -188,6 +186,8 @@ REJECT_ACTION=
 
 REQUIRE_INTERFACE=No
 
+RESTART=restart
+
 RESTORE_ROUTEMARKS=Yes
 
 SAVE_IPSETS=No
diff --git a/Shorewall6/Samples6/three-interfaces/shorewall6.conf b/Shorewall6/Samples6/three-interfaces/shorewall6.conf
index 45b9e3bcd..67fb163cc 100644
--- a/Shorewall6/Samples6/three-interfaces/shorewall6.conf
+++ b/Shorewall6/Samples6/three-interfaces/shorewall6.conf
@@ -163,8 +163,6 @@ IP_FORWARDING=On
 
 KEEP_RT_TABLES=Yes
 
-LEGACY_RESTART=Yes
-
 LOAD_HELPERS_ONLY=Yes
 
 MACLIST_TABLE=filter
@@ -187,6 +185,8 @@ REJECT_ACTION=
 
 REQUIRE_INTERFACE=No
 
+RESTART=restart
+
 RESTORE_ROUTEMARKS=Yes
 
 SAVE_IPSETS=No
diff --git a/Shorewall6/Samples6/two-interfaces/shorewall6.conf b/Shorewall6/Samples6/two-interfaces/shorewall6.conf
index dd83091e4..c684cda75 100644
--- a/Shorewall6/Samples6/two-interfaces/shorewall6.conf
+++ b/Shorewall6/Samples6/two-interfaces/shorewall6.conf
@@ -163,8 +163,6 @@ IP_FORWARDING=On
 
 KEEP_RT_TABLES=Yes
 
-LEGACY_RESTART=Yes
-
 LOAD_HELPERS_ONLY=Yes
 
 MACLIST_TABLE=filter
@@ -187,6 +185,8 @@ REJECT_ACTION=
 
 REQUIRE_INTERFACE=No
 
+RESTART=restart
+
 RESTORE_ROUTEMARKS=Yes
 
 SAVE_IPSETS=No
diff --git a/Shorewall6/configfiles/shorewall6.conf b/Shorewall6/configfiles/shorewall6.conf
index 4aaaea0b9..e970f2735 100644
--- a/Shorewall6/configfiles/shorewall6.conf
+++ b/Shorewall6/configfiles/shorewall6.conf
@@ -163,8 +163,6 @@ IP_FORWARDING=Off
 
 KEEP_RT_TABLES=Yes
 
-LEGACY_RESTART=Yes
-
 LOAD_HELPERS_ONLY=Yes
 
 MACLIST_TABLE=filter
@@ -187,6 +185,8 @@ REJECT_ACTION=
 
 REQUIRE_INTERFACE=No
 
+RESTART=restart
+
 RESTORE_ROUTEMARKS=Yes
 
 SAVE_IPSETS=No