diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
index 9b51d8067..89cba0f2d 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
@@ -4682,13 +4682,21 @@ sub create_chainlist_reload($) {
 
     my $chains = $_[0];
 
-    my @chains = split_list $chains, 'chain';
+    my @chains;
 
-    unless ( @chains ) {
-	@chains = qw( blacklst ) if $filter_table->{blacklst};
-	push @chains, 'blackout' if $filter_table->{blackout};
-	push @chains, 'mangle:' if have_capability( 'MANGLE_ENABLED' ) && $config{MANGLE_ENABLED};
-	$chains = join( ',', @chains ) if @chains;
+    unless ( $chains eq ':none:' ) {
+	if ( $chains eq ':refresh:' ) {
+	    $chains = '';
+	} else {
+	    @chains =  split_list $chains, 'chain';
+	}
+
+	unless ( @chains ) {
+	    @chains = qw( blacklst ) if $filter_table->{blacklst};
+	    push @chains, 'blackout' if $filter_table->{blackout};
+	    push @chains, 'mangle:' if have_capability( 'MANGLE_ENABLED' ) && $config{MANGLE_ENABLED};
+	    $chains = join( ',', @chains ) if @chains;
+	}
     }
 
     $mode = NULL_MODE;
diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/compiler.pl b/Shorewall/Perl/compiler.pl
index e3f435b5a..5757df4e6 100755
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/compiler.pl
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/compiler.pl
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ my $shorewall_dir = '';
 my $verbose       = 0;
 my $timestamp     = 0;
 my $debug         = 0;
-my $chains        = '';
+my $chains        = ':none:';
 my $log           = '';
 my $log_verbose   = 0;
 my $help          = 0;
diff --git a/Shorewall/shorewall b/Shorewall/shorewall
index 04fdd7296..97198869d 100755
--- a/Shorewall/shorewall
+++ b/Shorewall/shorewall
@@ -826,6 +826,8 @@ refresh_command() {
 	    g_refreshchains="$g_refreshchains,$1"
 	    shift
 	done
+    else
+	g_refreshchains=:refresh:
     fi
 
     shorewall_is_started || fatal_error "Shorewall is not running"
@@ -1470,7 +1472,7 @@ g_verbose_offset=0
 g_use_verbosity=
 g_debug=
 g_export=
-g_refreshchains=
+g_refreshchains=:none:
 
 #
 # Make sure that these variables are cleared
diff --git a/Shorewall6/shorewall6 b/Shorewall6/shorewall6
index 15b80555a..893b5ddcc 100755
--- a/Shorewall6/shorewall6
+++ b/Shorewall6/shorewall6
@@ -757,6 +757,8 @@ refresh_command() {
 	    g_refreshchains="$g_refreshchains,$1"
 	    shift
 	done
+    else
+	g_refreshchains=:refresh:
     fi
 
     shorewall6_is_started || fatal_error "Shorewall6 is not running"
@@ -1378,6 +1380,7 @@ g_verbose_offset=0
 g_use_verbosity=
 g_debug=
 g_export=
+g_refreshchains=:none:
 
 g_noroutes=
 g_purge=