diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d4a8339..760262c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ Available variables are listed below, along with default values (see `defaults/m
 
 (RHEL/CentOS only) You can set a repo to use for the PostgreSQL installation by passing it in here.
 
+    postgresql_restarted_state: "restarted"
+
+Set the state of the service when configuration changes are made. Recommended values are `restarted` or `reloaded`.
+
     postgresql_python_library: python-psycopg2
 
 Library used by Ansible to communicate with PostgreSQL. If you are using Python 3 (e.g. set via `ansible_python_interpreter`), you should change this to `python3-psycopg2`.
diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 6d9a154..25f2c2f 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 # RHEL/CentOS only. Set a repository to use for PostgreSQL installation.
 postgresql_enablerepo: ""
 
+# Set postgresql state when configuration changes are made. Recommended values:
+# `restarted` or `reloaded`
+postgresql_restarted_state: "restarted"
+
 postgresql_python_library: python-psycopg2
 postgresql_user: postgres
 postgresql_group: postgres
diff --git a/handlers/main.yml b/handlers/main.yml
index 523ad1b..cce42b7 100644
--- a/handlers/main.yml
+++ b/handlers/main.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
 ---
 - name: restart postgresql
-  service: "name={{ postgresql_daemon }} state=restarted sleep=5"
+  service:
+    name: "{{ postgresql_daemon }}"
+    state: "{{ postgresql_restarted_state }}"
+    sleep: 5