diff --git a/src/core/service.c b/src/core/service.c
index fb97bbeaae..d5f79d274e 100644
--- a/src/core/service.c
+++ b/src/core/service.c
@@ -3474,6 +3474,15 @@ static void service_sigchld_event(Unit *u, pid_t pid, int code, int status) {
 
                         case SERVICE_START_POST:
                         case SERVICE_RELOAD:
+                                /* If neither main nor control processes are running then
+                                 * the current state can never exit cleanly, hence immediately
+                                 * terminate the service. */
+                                if (control_pid_good(s) <= 0)
+                                        service_enter_stop(s, f);
+
+                                /* Otherwise need to wait untill the operation is done. */
+                                break;
+
                         case SERVICE_STOP:
                                 /* Need to wait until the operation is
                                  * done */
diff --git a/test/TEST-59-RELOADING-RESTART/Makefile b/test/TEST-59-RELOADING-RESTART/Makefile
new file mode 120000
index 0000000000..e9f93b1104
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/TEST-59-RELOADING-RESTART/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../TEST-01-BASIC/Makefile
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/TEST-59-RELOADING-RESTART/test.sh b/test/TEST-59-RELOADING-RESTART/test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..ad990963b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/TEST-59-RELOADING-RESTART/test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -e
+TEST_DESCRIPTION="Test auto restart of exited services which are stuck in reloading state"
+
+TEST_NO_QEMU=1
+
+. $TEST_BASE_DIR/test-functions
+
+do_test "$@" 59
diff --git a/test/units/testsuite-59.service b/test/units/testsuite-59.service
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..66d06866c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/units/testsuite-59.service
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=TEST-59-RELOADING-RESTART
+
+[Service]
+Type=oneshot
+ExecStart=/usr/lib/systemd/tests/testdata/units/%N.sh
diff --git a/test/units/testsuite-59.sh b/test/units/testsuite-59.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..459d6e6403
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/units/testsuite-59.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -eux
+set -o pipefail
+
+fail () {
+    systemd-analyze log-level info
+    exit 1
+}
+
+# Wait for a service to enter a state within a timeout period, if it doesn't
+# enter the desired state within the timeout period then this function will
+# exit the test case with a non zero exit code.
+wait_on_state_or_fail () {
+    service=$1
+    expected_state=$2
+    timeout=$3
+
+    state=$(systemctl show "$service" --property=ActiveState --value)
+    while [ "$state" != "$expected_state" ]; do
+        if [ "$timeout" = "0" ]; then
+            fail
+        fi
+        timeout=$((timeout - 1))
+        sleep 1
+        state=$(systemctl show "$service" --property=ActiveState --value)
+    done
+}
+
+systemd-analyze log-level debug
+systemd-analyze log-target console
+
+
+cat >/run/systemd/system/testservice-fail-59.service <<EOF
+[Unit]
+Description=TEST-59-RELOADING-RESTART Normal exit
+
+[Service]
+Type=notify
+ExecStart=/bin/bash -c "systemd-notify --ready; systemd-notify RELOADING=1; sleep 1; exit 1"
+EOF
+
+cat >/run/systemd/system/testservice-fail-restart-59.service <<EOF
+[Unit]
+Description=TEST-59-RELOADING-RESTART Restart=on-failure
+
+[Service]
+Type=notify
+ExecStart=/bin/bash -c "systemd-notify --ready; systemd-notify RELOADING=1; sleep 1; exit 1"
+Restart=on-failure
+StartLimitBurst=1
+EOF
+
+
+cat >/run/systemd/system/testservice-abort-restart-59.service <<EOF
+[Unit]
+Description=TEST-59-RELOADING-RESTART Restart=on-abort
+
+[Service]
+Type=notify
+ExecStart=/bin/bash -c "systemd-notify --ready; systemd-notify RELOADING=1; sleep 5; exit 1"
+Restart=on-abort
+EOF
+
+systemctl daemon-reload
+
+# This service sends a RELOADING=1 message then exits before it sends a
+# READY=1. Ensure it enters failed state and does not linger in reloading
+# state.
+systemctl start testservice-fail-59.service
+wait_on_state_or_fail "testservice-fail-59.service" "failed" "30"
+
+# This service sends a RELOADING=1 message then exits before it sends a
+# READY=1. It should automatically restart on failure. Ensure it enters failed
+# state and does not linger in reloading state.
+systemctl start testservice-fail-restart-59.service
+wait_on_state_or_fail "testservice-fail-restart-59.service" "failed" "30"
+
+# This service sends a RELOADING=1 message then exits before it sends a
+# READY=1. It should automatically restart on abort. It will sleep for 5s
+# to allow us to send it a SIGABRT. Ensure the service enters the failed state
+# and does not linger in reloading state.
+systemctl start testservice-abort-restart-59.service
+systemctl --signal=SIGABRT kill testservice-abort-restart-59.service
+wait_on_state_or_fail "testservice-abort-restart-59.service" "failed" "30"
+
+systemd-analyze log-level info
+
+echo OK >/testok
+
+exit 0