diff --git a/registration-api/main.go b/registration-api/main.go
index cc18d88b..c79996f3 100644
--- a/registration-api/main.go
+++ b/registration-api/main.go
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@ import (
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
+	"os/signal"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"syscall"
 
 	"github.com/BurntSushi/toml"
 	"github.com/golang/protobuf/proto"
@@ -191,51 +193,108 @@ func parseIP(addrPort string) *net.IP {
 
 }
 
-func main() {
-	var s server
-	s.logger = log.New(os.Stdout, "[API] ", log.Ldate|log.Lmicroseconds)
-	s.messageAccepter = s.sendToZMQ
+// setupReloadHandler spawns a lightweight thread to listen for reload signals
+// and loads updated configurations for the registration-api process everytime
+// the reload signal is received
+func (s *server) setupReloadHandler() {
+	signalChan := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
+
+	signal.Notify(
+		signalChan,
+		syscall.SIGHUP, // listen for SIGHUP as reload signal
+	)
+
+	// spawn a goroutine to handle os signals
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			<-signalChan
+			s.loadNewConfig()
+		}
+	}()
+}
 
-	_, err := toml.DecodeFile(os.Getenv("CJ_API_CONFIG"), &s)
+// loadNewConfig reads configuration for registration-api, and updates the in-memory config
+// all configs other than the ports can be reloaded. Updating the port of ZMQ socket and/or
+// the application should require a restart.
+func (s *server) loadNewConfig() {
+	var newConfig *config
+
+	_, err := toml.DecodeFile(os.Getenv("CJ_API_CONFIG"), &newConfig)
 	if err != nil {
 		s.logger.Fatalln("failed to load config:", err)
 	}
 
-	// Should we log client IP addresses
-	s.logClientIP, err = strconv.ParseBool(os.Getenv("LOG_CLIENT_IP"))
-	if err != nil {
-		s.logger.Printf("failed parse client ip logging setting: %v\n", err)
-		s.logClientIP = false
-	}
+	privkey := s.getPrivKey(newConfig)
 
-	sock, err := zmq.NewSocket(zmq.PUB)
+	s.Lock()
+	defer s.Unlock()
+
+	// AuthStart() is not idempotent, must explictly stop auth before updating curve
+	zmq.AuthStop()
+	// update the auth curve of the ZMQ socket without creating a new one
+	s.setupAuth(newConfig, privkey, s.sock)
+}
+
+// getPrivKey reads the content of the private key on disk, truncates the key content
+// and returns the truncated key as a string in Z85 format
+func (s *server) getPrivKey(conf *config) string {
+	// always read from key path everytime this function is called because
+	// even if the key path stays the same, the key content may have changed
+	privkeyBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(conf.PrivateKeyPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		s.logger.Fatalln("failed to create zmq socket:", err)
+		s.logger.Fatalln("failed to get private key:", err)
 	}
 
-	if s.AuthType == "CURVE" {
-		privkeyBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(s.PrivateKeyPath)
-		if err != nil {
-			s.logger.Fatalln("failed to get private key:", err)
-		}
+	privkey := zmq.Z85encode(string(privkeyBytes[:32]))
 
-		privkey := zmq.Z85encode(string(privkeyBytes[:32]))
+	return privkey
+}
+
+// setupAuth resets the auth settings based on the configuration
+func (s *server) setupAuth(conf *config, privkey string, sock *zmq.Socket) {
+	if conf.AuthType == "CURVE" {
+		zmq.AuthSetVerbose(conf.AuthVerbose)
 
-		zmq.AuthSetVerbose(s.AuthVerbose)
-		err = zmq.AuthStart()
+		err := zmq.AuthStart()
 		if err != nil {
 			s.logger.Fatalln("failed to start zmq auth:", err)
 		}
 
-		s.logger.Println(s.StationPublicKeys)
+		s.logger.Println(conf.StationPublicKeys)
 		zmq.AuthAllow("*")
-		zmq.AuthCurveAdd("*", s.StationPublicKeys...)
+		zmq.AuthCurveAdd("*", conf.StationPublicKeys...)
 
 		err = sock.ServerAuthCurve("*", privkey)
 		if err != nil {
 			s.logger.Fatalln("failed to set up auth on zmq socket:", err)
 		}
 	}
+}
+
+func main() {
+	var s server
+	s.logger = log.New(os.Stdout, "[API] ", log.Ldate|log.Lmicroseconds)
+	s.messageAccepter = s.sendToZMQ
+
+	_, err := toml.DecodeFile(os.Getenv("CJ_API_CONFIG"), &s)
+	if err != nil {
+		s.logger.Fatalln("failed to load config:", err)
+	}
+
+	// Should we log client IP addresses
+	s.logClientIP, err = strconv.ParseBool(os.Getenv("LOG_CLIENT_IP"))
+	if err != nil {
+		s.logger.Printf("failed parse client ip logging setting: %v\n", err)
+		s.logClientIP = false
+	}
+
+	sock, err := zmq.NewSocket(zmq.PUB)
+	if err != nil {
+		s.logger.Fatalln("failed to create zmq socket:", err)
+	}
+
+	privkey := s.getPrivKey(&s.config)
+	s.setupAuth(&s.config, privkey, sock)
 
 	err = sock.Bind(fmt.Sprintf("tcp://*:%d", s.ZMQPort))
 	if err != nil {
@@ -251,5 +310,7 @@ func main() {
 	r.HandleFunc("/register", s.register)
 	http.Handle("/", r)
 
+	s.setupReloadHandler()
+
 	s.logger.Fatal(http.ListenAndServe(fmt.Sprintf(":%d", s.APIPort), nil))
 }
diff --git a/sysconfig/conjure-registration-api.service b/sysconfig/conjure-registration-api.service
index 4ac3978d..151aa942 100644
--- a/sysconfig/conjure-registration-api.service
+++ b/sysconfig/conjure-registration-api.service
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ EnvironmentFile=/opt/conjure/sysconfig/conjure.conf
 
 ExecStart=/opt/conjure/registration-api/registration-api
 
+# send SIGHUP to the process running API service on systemd reload
+ExecReload=/bin/kill -HUP $MAINPID
+
 # on stop processes will get SIGTERM, and after 10 secs - SIGKILL (default 90)
 TimeoutStopSec=10