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Run sudo systemctl daemon-reload after changing or installing a systemd unit file or drop-in so systemd rereads its configuration. It refreshes the manager’s view of unit files and dependencies; it does not restart a service or reload that service’s application configuration. Choose any service reload or restart separately.
When to run systemctl daemon-reload
Use it after editing or installing a unit file or drop-in in a systemd unit search path. It is also appropriate after installing new systemd generators or changing their configuration. The systemd project’s systemctl manual describes the operation as reloading manager configuration, reloading unit files, and recreating the dependency tree. The systemd.generator manual notes that it reruns generators as part of this process.
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sudo systemctl daemon-reloadRun the command after saving the on-disk change. Then determine whether the service needs a separate action to use the new settings.
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daemon-reload refreshes systemd’s manager configuration and its understanding of units and dependencies. It does not, by itself, start, stop, or restart services. Nor does it tell an application such as a web server to reread its own configuration file.
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If you changed a unit setting that affects an already-running process, a manager reload alone does not make that process restart with the changed setting. Decide separately whether to restart the service. If you changed application-level configuration, use the service’s supported reload operation or restart it as appropriate.
How the three similar commands differ
| Command | What it targets | What it does |
|---|---|---|
systemctl daemon-reload |
The systemd manager and unit configuration | Rereads manager and unit configuration, reruns generators, and rebuilds the dependency tree; does not itself restart services. |
systemctl reload NAME |
A named running service | Asks that service to reload its own configuration, if it supports the operation. It does not reread the systemd unit file. |
systemctl daemon-reexec |
The systemd manager process | Saves manager state, reexecutes the manager, then restores the state. The systemctl manual characterizes this heavier operation as mostly useful for debugging and package upgrades. |
The systemctl manual illustrates the service-versus-manager distinction with Apache: reloading Apache’s httpd.conf is different from reloading apache.service as a unit definition. The separate command systemctl daemon-reexec is the one that reexecutes the manager; calling daemon-reload a systemd restart is inaccurate.
Choose the command by what you changed
- Unit file or drop-in: Run
sudo systemctl daemon-reload, then decide whether the service needs a restart to apply the changed unit settings to its process. - Application configuration: Use
systemctl reload NAMEif the service supports reloading that configuration; otherwise use the service’s appropriate restart procedure. - Generator installation or configuration: Run
systemctl daemon-reloadso systemd reruns generators and updates its view. - Manager reexecution:
systemctl daemon-reexecreexecutes the manager process and is not the routine command for applying a unit-file edit.
Version and system considerations
The linked manuals are from the upstream systemd project’s current source-tree documentation, accessed October 4, 2026. Manual wording and behavior details can vary by systemd version and distribution packaging. For operational work, check the documentation matching the systemd release installed on the machine and its unit-file layout.
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