diff --git a/sambacc/commands/ctdb.py b/sambacc/commands/ctdb.py
index a3847c1..abbfe78 100644
--- a/sambacc/commands/ctdb.py
+++ b/sambacc/commands/ctdb.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #
 
 import argparse
+import contextlib
 import logging
 import os
 import socket
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@
 from sambacc import samba_cmds
 from sambacc.simple_waiter import Sleeper, Waiter
 
-from .cli import best_waiter, commands, Context, Fail
+from .cli import best_leader_locator, best_waiter, commands, Context, Fail
 
 _logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -302,37 +303,66 @@ def ctdb_set_node(ctx: Context) -> None:
 
 @commands.command(name="ctdb-manage-nodes", arg_func=_ctdb_general_node_args)
 def ctdb_manage_nodes(ctx: Context) -> None:
-    """Run a long lived procees to monitor the node state file for new nodes.
-    When a new node is found, if the current node is in the correct state, this
-    node will add it to CTDB.
+    """Run a long lived process to manage the cluster metadata. It can add new
+    nodes. When a new node is found, if the current node is in the correct
+    state, this node will add it to CTDB.
     """
     _ctdb_ok()
     np = NodeParams(ctx)
     expected_pnn = np.node_number or 0
     waiter = np.cluster_meta_waiter()
 
-    errors = 0
+    limiter = ErrorLimiter("ctdb_manage_nodes", 10, pause_func=waiter.wait)
     while True:
-        try:
-            ctdb.monitor_cluster_meta_updates(
+        with limiter.catch():
+            ctdb.manage_cluster_meta_updates(
                 cmeta=np.cluster_meta(),
                 pnn=expected_pnn,
                 real_path=np.persistent_path,
                 pause_func=waiter.wait,
             )
-            errors = 0
-        except KeyboardInterrupt:
-            raise
-        except Exception as err:
-            _logger.error(
-                f"error during manage_nodes: {err}, count={errors}",
-                exc_info=True,
+
+
+def _ctdb_monitor_nodes_args(parser: argparse.ArgumentParser) -> None:
+    _ctdb_must_have_node_args(parser)
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--reload",
+        choices=("leader", "never", "all"),
+        default="leader",
+        help="Specify which nodes can command CTDB to reload nodes",
+    )
+
+
+@commands.command(name="ctdb-monitor-nodes", arg_func=_ctdb_monitor_nodes_args)
+def ctdb_monitor_nodes(ctx: Context) -> None:
+    """Run a long lived process to monitor the cluster metadata.
+    Unlike ctdb_manage_nodes this function assumes that the node state
+    file is externally managed and primarily exists to reflect any changes
+    to the cluster meta into CTDB.
+    """
+    _ctdb_ok()
+    np = NodeParams(ctx)
+    waiter = np.cluster_meta_waiter()
+    leader_locator = None
+    if ctx.cli.reload == "leader":
+        leader_locator = best_leader_locator(ctx.instance_config)
+    reload_all = ctx.cli.reload == "all"
+    nodes_file_path = np.persistent_path if ctx.cli.write_nodes else None
+
+    _logger.info("monitoring cluster meta changes")
+    _logger.debug(
+        "reload_all=%s leader_locator=%r", reload_all, leader_locator
+    )
+    limiter = ErrorLimiter("ctdb_monitor_nodes", 10, pause_func=waiter.wait)
+    while True:
+        with limiter.catch():
+            ctdb.monitor_cluster_meta_changes(
+                cmeta=np.cluster_meta(),
+                pause_func=waiter.wait,
+                nodes_file_path=nodes_file_path,
+                leader_locator=leader_locator,
+                reload_all=reload_all,
             )
-            errors += 1
-            if errors > 10:
-                _logger.error(f"too many retries ({errors}). giving up")
-                raise
-            waiter.wait()
 
 
 def _ctdb_must_have_node_args(parser: argparse.ArgumentParser) -> None:
@@ -340,7 +370,7 @@ def _ctdb_must_have_node_args(parser: argparse.ArgumentParser) -> None:
     parser.add_argument(
         "--write-nodes",
         action="store_true",
-        help="Specify node by IP",
+        help="Write ctdb nodes file based on cluster meta contents",
     )
 
 
@@ -411,3 +441,43 @@ def ctdb_rados_mutex(ctx: Context) -> None:
         cmd = cmd["-n", namespace]
     _logger.debug("executing command: %r", cmd)
     samba_cmds.execute(cmd)  # replaces process
+
+
+class ErrorLimiter:
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        name: str,
+        limit: int,
+        *,
+        pause_func: typing.Optional[typing.Callable] = None,
+    ) -> None:
+        self.name = name
+        self.limit = limit
+        self.errors = 0
+        self.pause_func = pause_func
+
+    def post_catch(self):
+        if self.pause_func is not None:
+            self.pause_func()
+
+    @contextlib.contextmanager
+    def catch(self) -> typing.Iterator[None]:
+        try:
+            _logger.debug(
+                "error limiter proceeding: %s: errors=%r",
+                self.name,
+                self.errors,
+            )
+            yield
+        except KeyboardInterrupt:
+            raise
+        except Exception as err:
+            _logger.error(
+                f"error during {self.name}: {err}, count={self.errors}",
+                exc_info=True,
+            )
+            self.errors += 1
+            if self.errors > self.limit:
+                _logger.error(f"too many retries ({self.errors}). giving up")
+                raise
+            self.post_catch()
diff --git a/sambacc/ctdb.py b/sambacc/ctdb.py
index bfb2a0a..095033a 100644
--- a/sambacc/ctdb.py
+++ b/sambacc/ctdb.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import typing
 
 from sambacc import config
+from sambacc import leader
 from sambacc import samba_cmds
 from sambacc.jfile import ClusterMetaJSONFile
 from sambacc.netcmd_loader import template_config
@@ -338,7 +339,7 @@ def manage_nodes(
     pause_func: typing.Callable,
 ) -> None:
     """Monitor nodes json for updates, reflecting those changes into ctdb."""
-    monitor_cluster_meta_updates(
+    manage_cluster_meta_updates(
         ClusterMetaJSONFile(nodes_json),
         pnn,
         real_path,
@@ -346,7 +347,7 @@ def manage_nodes(
     )
 
 
-def monitor_cluster_meta_updates(
+def manage_cluster_meta_updates(
     cmeta: ClusterMeta,
     pnn: int,
     real_path: str,
@@ -464,10 +465,7 @@ def _node_update(cmeta: ClusterMeta, real_path: str) -> bool:
                 new_ctdb_nodes.append(expected_line)
             else:
                 new_ctdb_nodes[pnn] = expected_line
-        with open(real_path, "w") as nffh:
-            write_nodes_file(nffh, new_ctdb_nodes)
-            nffh.flush()
-            os.fsync(nffh)
+        _save_nodes(real_path, new_ctdb_nodes)
         _logger.info("running: ctdb reloadnodes")
         subprocess.check_call(list(samba_cmds.ctdb["reloadnodes"]))
         for entry in need_reload:
@@ -490,17 +488,107 @@ def cluster_meta_to_nodes(cmeta: ClusterMeta, real_path: str) -> None:
         json_data = cmo.load()
         nodes = json_data.get("nodes", [])
         _logger.info("Found node metadata: %r", nodes)
-        pnn_max = max(n["pnn"] for n in nodes) + 1  # pnn is zero indexed
-        ctdb_nodes: list[str] = [""] * pnn_max
-        for entry in nodes:
-            pnn = entry["pnn"]
-            expected_line = _entry_to_node(ctdb_nodes, entry)
-            ctdb_nodes[pnn] = expected_line
+        ctdb_nodes = _cluster_meta_to_ctdb_nodes(nodes)
         _logger.info("Will write nodes: %s", ctdb_nodes)
-        with open(real_path, "w") as nffh:
-            write_nodes_file(nffh, ctdb_nodes)
-            nffh.flush()
-            os.fsync(nffh)
+        _save_nodes(real_path, ctdb_nodes)
+
+
+def _cluster_meta_to_ctdb_nodes(nodes: list[dict]) -> list[str]:
+    pnn_max = max(n["pnn"] for n in nodes) + 1  # pnn is zero indexed
+    ctdb_nodes: list[str] = [""] * pnn_max
+    for entry in nodes:
+        pnn = entry["pnn"]
+        # overwrite the pnn indexed entry with expected value
+        ctdb_nodes[pnn] = _entry_to_node(ctdb_nodes, entry)
+    return ctdb_nodes
+
+
+def _save_nodes(path: str, ctdb_nodes: list[str]) -> None:
+    with open(path, "w") as nffh:
+        write_nodes_file(nffh, ctdb_nodes)
+        nffh.flush()
+        os.fsync(nffh)
+
+
+def monitor_cluster_meta_changes(
+    cmeta: ClusterMeta,
+    pause_func: typing.Callable,
+    *,
+    nodes_file_path: typing.Optional[str] = None,
+    reload_all: bool = False,
+    leader_locator: typing.Optional[leader.LeaderLocator] = None,
+) -> None:
+    """Monitor cluster meta for changes, reflecting those changes into ctdb.
+
+    Unlike manage_cluster_meta_updates this function never changes the
+    contents of the nodes list in the cluster meta and takes those values
+    as a given, assuming some external agent has the correct global view of
+    the cluster and is updating it correctly. This function exists to
+    translate that content into something ctdb can understand.
+    """
+    prev_meta: dict[str, typing.Any] = {}
+    if nodes_file_path:
+        prev_nodes = read_ctdb_nodes(nodes_file_path)
+    else:
+        with cmeta.open(locked=True) as cmo:
+            meta1 = cmo.load()
+        prev_nodes = _cluster_meta_to_ctdb_nodes(meta1.get("nodes", []))
+    _logger.debug("initial cluster meta content: %r", prev_meta)
+    _logger.debug("initial nodes content: %r", prev_nodes)
+    while True:
+        pause_func()
+        with cmeta.open(locked=True) as cmo:
+            curr_meta = cmo.load()
+        if curr_meta == prev_meta:
+            _logger.debug("cluster meta content unchanged: %r", curr_meta)
+            continue
+        _logger.info("cluster meta content changed")
+        _logger.debug(
+            "cluster meta: previous=%r current=%r", prev_meta, curr_meta
+        )
+        prev_meta = curr_meta
+
+        # maybe some other metadata changed?
+        expected_nodes = _cluster_meta_to_ctdb_nodes(
+            curr_meta.get("nodes", [])
+        )
+        if prev_nodes == expected_nodes:
+            _logger.debug("ctdb nodes list unchanged: %r", expected_nodes)
+            continue
+        _logger.info("ctdb nodes list changed")
+        _logger.debug(
+            "nodes list: previous=%r current=%r", prev_nodes, expected_nodes
+        )
+        prev_nodes = expected_nodes
+
+        if nodes_file_path:
+            _logger.info("updating nodes file: %s", nodes_file_path)
+            _save_nodes(nodes_file_path, expected_nodes)
+        _maybe_reload_nodes(leader_locator, reload_all=reload_all)
+
+
+def _maybe_reload_nodes(
+    leader_locator: typing.Optional[leader.LeaderLocator] = None,
+    reload_all: bool = False,
+) -> None:
+    """Issue a reloadnodes command if leader_locator is available and
+    node is leader or reload_all is true.
+    """
+    if reload_all:
+        _logger.info("running: ctdb reloadnodes")
+        subprocess.check_call(list(samba_cmds.ctdb["reloadnodes"]))
+        return
+    if leader_locator is None:
+        _logger.warning("no leader locator: not calling reloadnodes")
+        return
+    # use the leader locator to only issue the reloadnodes command once
+    # for a change instead of all the nodes "spamming" the cluster
+    with leader_locator as ll:
+        if ll.is_leader():
+            _logger.info("running: ctdb reloadnodes")
+            subprocess.check_call(list(samba_cmds.ctdb["reloadnodes"]))
+        else:
+            _logger.info("node is not leader. skipping reloadnodes")
 
 
 def ensure_ctdbd_etc_files(