diff --git a/manifests/alertmanager.pp b/manifests/alertmanager.pp
index 63c88b02d..6fac59bc0 100644
--- a/manifests/alertmanager.pp
+++ b/manifests/alertmanager.pp
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@
   Stdlib::Ensure::Service $service_ensure = 'running',
   String[1] $service_name                 = 'alertmanager',
   Boolean $restart_on_change              = true,
+  Boolean $reload_on_change               = false,
   Boolean $purge_config_dir               = true,
   Boolean $manage_config                  = true,
   Prometheus::Initstyle $init_style       = $facts['service_provider'],
@@ -138,6 +139,25 @@
     default => undef,
   }
 
+  $alertmanager_reload = $prometheus::init_style ? {
+    'systemd'                     => "systemctl reload-or-restart ${service_name}",
+    /^(upstart|none)$/            => "service ${service_name} reload",
+    /^(sysv|redhat|sles|debian)$/ => "/etc/init.d/${service_name} reload",
+    'launchd'                     => "launchctl stop ${service_name} && launchctl start ${service_name}",
+  }
+
+  exec { 'alertmanager-reload':
+    command     => $alertmanager_reload,
+    path        => [ '/usr/bin', '/bin', '/usr/sbin', '/sbin' ],
+    refreshonly => true,
+  }
+
+  if $reload_on_change {
+    $_notify_service = Exec['alertmanager-reload']
+  } else {
+    $_notify_service = $notify_service
+  }
+
   file { $config_dir:
     ensure  => 'directory',
     owner   => 'root',
@@ -160,7 +180,7 @@
         group        => $group,
         mode         => $config_mode,
         content      => template('prometheus/alertmanager.yaml.erb'),
-        notify       => $notify_service,
+        notify       => $_notify_service,
         require      => File["${bin_dir}/amtool", $config_dir],
         validate_cmd => "${bin_dir}/amtool check-config --alertmanager.url='' %",
       }
@@ -174,7 +194,7 @@
         group   => $group,
         mode    => $config_mode,
         content => template('prometheus/alertmanager.yaml.erb'),
-        notify  => $notify_service,
+        notify  => $_notify_service,
         require => File[$config_dir],
       }
     }
diff --git a/spec/classes/alertmanager_spec.rb b/spec/classes/alertmanager_spec.rb
index 9a7c6561c..22416e989 100644
--- a/spec/classes/alertmanager_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/alertmanager_spec.rb
@@ -32,10 +32,27 @@
         end
         describe 'config file contents' do
           it {
-            is_expected.to contain_file('/etc/alertmanager/alertmanager.yaml')
+            is_expected.to contain_file('/etc/alertmanager/alertmanager.yaml').with_notify('Service[alertmanager]')
             verify_contents(catalogue, '/etc/alertmanager/alertmanager.yaml', ['---', 'global:', '  smtp_smarthost: localhost:25', '  smtp_from: alertmanager@localhost'])
           }
         end
+        describe 'service reload' do
+          it {
+            is_expected.to contain_exec('alertmanager-reload').with(
+              # 'command'     => 'systemctl reload alertmanager',
+              'path'        => ['/usr/bin', '/bin', '/usr/sbin', '/sbin'],
+              'refreshonly' => true
+            )
+          }
+        end
+      end
+
+      context 'when reload_on_change => true' do
+        let(:params) { { reload_on_change: true } }
+
+        it {
+          is_expected.to contain_file('/etc/alertmanager/alertmanager.yaml').with_notify('Exec[alertmanager-reload]')
+        }
       end
 
       context 'with manage_config => false' do