diff --git a/net/keepalived/Makefile b/net/keepalived/Makefile
index e5c52a8315580c..f6725dcca335cd 100644
--- a/net/keepalived/Makefile
+++ b/net/keepalived/Makefile
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 
 PKG_NAME:=keepalived
 PKG_VERSION:=2.3.3
-PKG_RELEASE:=3
+PKG_RELEASE:=4
 
 PKG_SOURCE:=$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION).tar.gz
 PKG_SOURCE_URL:=https://www.keepalived.org/software
diff --git a/net/keepalived/files/keepalived.init b/net/keepalived/files/keepalived.init
index 91360e3b17809b..2df050fabb8fa1 100644
--- a/net/keepalived/files/keepalived.init
+++ b/net/keepalived/files/keepalived.init
@@ -668,9 +668,18 @@ service_triggers() {
 }
 
 reload_service() {
-	process_config
-	#SIGHUP is used by keepalived to do init.d reload
-	procd_send_signal keepalived
+	local enabled
+
+	config_load 'keepalived'
+	config_get_bool enabled globals enabled 1
+
+	if [ "$enabled" = "1" ] && procd_running "keepalived"; then
+		process_config
+		# SIGHUP is used by keepalived to do init.d reload
+		procd_send_signal keepalived
+	else
+		start
+	fi
 }
 
 start_service() {