diff --git a/lib/capistrano/puma/systemd.rb b/lib/capistrano/puma/systemd.rb
index 49f31cc..4eca408 100644
--- a/lib/capistrano/puma/systemd.rb
+++ b/lib/capistrano/puma/systemd.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ class Puma::Systemd < Capistrano::Plugin
     include PumaCommon
 
     def register_hooks
-      after 'deploy:finished', 'puma:restart'
+      after 'deploy:finished', 'puma:reload'
     end
 
     def define_tasks
diff --git a/lib/capistrano/tasks/systemd.rake b/lib/capistrano/tasks/systemd.rake
index dee09a6..781ea2d 100644
--- a/lib/capistrano/tasks/systemd.rake
+++ b/lib/capistrano/tasks/systemd.rake
@@ -97,6 +97,22 @@ namespace :puma do
     end
   end
 
+  desc 'Reload Puma service via systemd'
+  task :reload do
+    on roles(fetch(:puma_role)) do
+      service_ok = execute("#{fetch(:puma_systemctl_bin)} --user status #{fetch(:puma_service_unit_name)} > /dev/null", raise_on_non_zero_exit: false)
+      cmd = 'reload'
+      if !service_ok
+        cmd = 'restart'
+      end
+      if fetch(:puma_systemctl_user) == :system
+        sudo "#{fetch(:puma_systemctl_bin)}  #{cmd} #{fetch(:puma_service_unit_name)}"
+      else
+        execute "#{fetch(:puma_systemctl_bin)}", "--user", cmd, fetch(:puma_service_unit_name)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   desc 'Get Puma service status via systemd'
   task :status do
     on roles(fetch(:puma_role)) do
diff --git a/lib/capistrano/templates/puma.service.erb b/lib/capistrano/templates/puma.service.erb
index ba7368c..28265c4 100644
--- a/lib/capistrano/templates/puma.service.erb
+++ b/lib/capistrano/templates/puma.service.erb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ WorkingDirectory=<%= current_path %>
 # Support older bundler versions where file descriptors weren't kept
 # See https://github.com/rubygems/rubygems/issues/3254
 ExecStart=<%= expanded_bundle_command %> exec --keep-file-descriptors puma -C <%= fetch(:puma_conf) %>
-ExecReload=/bin/kill -TSTP $MAINPID
+ExecReload=/bin/kill -USR1 $MAINPID
 StandardOutput=append:<%= fetch(:puma_access_log) %>
 StandardError=append:<%= fetch(:puma_error_log) %>
 <%="EnvironmentFile=#{fetch(:puma_service_unit_env_file)}" if fetch(:puma_service_unit_env_file) %>