diff --git a/handlers/restart_services.yml b/handlers/restart_services.yml
index 1d2e964cd7..b4371e92c2 100644
--- a/handlers/restart_services.yml
+++ b/handlers/restart_services.yml
@@ -149,10 +149,10 @@
 - name: restart bridge
   shell: /usr/lib/systemd/systemd-sysctl --prefix=/proc/sys/net/bridge
 
-- name: hup libvirtd
-  command: pkill -HUP libvirtd
+- name: reload libvirtd
+  service: name=libvirtd state=reloaded
   ignore_errors: true
-  when: inventory_hostname.startswith('buildhw')
+  when: ansible_virtualization_role == 'host'
 
 - name: restart fcomm-cache-worker
   service: name=fcomm-cache-worker state=restarted
diff --git a/roles/base/tasks/main.yml b/roles/base/tasks/main.yml
index 744ab539ce..669d028abe 100644
--- a/roles/base/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/base/tasks/main.yml
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@
   when: not inventory_hostname.startswith('fed-cloud09')
   notify:
   - restart iptables
-  - hup libvirtd
+  - reload libvirtd
   tags:
   - iptables
   - config
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@
   when: not inventory_hostname.startswith('fed-cloud09')
   notify:
   - restart ip6tables
-  - hup libvirtd
+  - reload libvirtd
   tags:
   - ip6tables
   - config