diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__lxc_container/gencode-remote b/cdist/conf/type/__lxc_container/gencode-remote
index ddba593a..480d7d41 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__lxc_container/gencode-remote
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__lxc_container/gencode-remote
@@ -234,8 +234,55 @@ DONE
 rm -rf "$container_config"
 mv "\$tmpconfig" "$container_config"
 DONE
-	# write message
 	echo "config" >> "$__messages_out"
+
+
+	# restart container only if it is running
+	#  do not echo messages start/stop or melt/start/stop/freeze; only restart to avoid junk
+	case "$state_is" in
+		running|frozen)
+			# only do it if the container will run again
+			case "$state_should" in
+				present|running|frozen)
+					# su stuff
+					cat <<USER
+su "$user" - <<SU
+USER
+
+					# unfreeze if required
+					if [ "$state_is" = "frozen" ]; then
+						cat <<LXC
+lxc-unfreeze $LXC_PARAM -n "$name"
+LXC
+					fi
+
+					# stop and start
+					cat <<LXC
+lxc-stop $LXC_PARAM -n "$name"
+lxc-start $LXC_PARAM -n "$name"
+LXC
+
+					# freeze it again if it was there before, but be clever
+					# if $state_is = running but should be frozen, later code will do that
+					if [ "$state_is" = "frozen" ]; then
+						if [ "$state_should" = "frozen" ] || [ "$state_should" = "present" ]; then
+							cat <<LXC
+lxc-freeze $LXC_PARAM -n "$name"
+LXC
+						else
+							# correct current state
+							state_is="running"
+							echo "melt" >> "$__messages_out"
+						fi
+					fi
+
+					# ending
+					echo "restart" >> "$__messages_out"
+					echo "SU"
+				;;
+			esac
+			;;
+	esac
 fi
 
 
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__lxc_container/man.rst b/cdist/conf/type/__lxc_container/man.rst
index d0abf2e2..7d1f6522 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__lxc_container/man.rst
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__lxc_container/man.rst
@@ -70,7 +70,11 @@ config-absent
 
 BOOLEAN PARAMETERS
 ------------------
-None.
+
+restart-if-changed
+    Restarts the container if configuration changes. It stop and start the container that new configuration
+    can be applied. If it whould be restarted with ``lxc-stop -n $name --reboot``, configuration changes
+    would be ignored.
 
 CREATE PARAMETERS
 -----------------
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__lxc_container/parameter/boolean b/cdist/conf/type/__lxc_container/parameter/boolean
index caf89a8e..724fa14b 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__lxc_container/parameter/boolean
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__lxc_container/parameter/boolean
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 no-default-config
+restart-if-changed