diff --git a/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.c b/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.c
index 5db4562128182c37bd6d68696b407d10e2a03b45..684e270a78dec01bd4056695150a9e8696b4068e 100644
--- a/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.c
@@ -2723,6 +2723,29 @@ virNWFilterCallbackDriversUnlock(void)
 
 static virHashIterator virNWFilterDomainFWUpdateCB;
 
+/**
+ * virNWFilterInstFiltersOnAllVMs:
+ * Apply all filters on all running VMs. Don't terminate in case of an
+ * error. This should be called upon reloading of the driver.
+ */
+int
+virNWFilterInstFiltersOnAllVMs(virConnectPtr conn)
+{
+    int i;
+    struct domUpdateCBStruct cb = {
+        .conn = conn,
+        .err = 0, /* ignored here */
+        .step = STEP_APPLY_CURRENT,
+        .skipInterfaces = NULL, /* not needed */
+    };
+
+    for (i = 0; i < nCallbackDriver; i++)
+        callbackDrvArray[i]->vmFilterRebuild(conn,
+                                             virNWFilterDomainFWUpdateCB,
+                                             &cb);
+
+    return 0;
+}
 
 static int
 virNWFilterTriggerVMFilterRebuild(virConnectPtr conn)
diff --git a/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.h b/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.h
index 3cb4b82f379ec688d0d53f225562c22ba5c79638..4816a9c6fe8d4e236687a312bde400516e2b00b7 100644
--- a/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.h
@@ -577,6 +577,7 @@ enum UpdateStep {
     STEP_APPLY_NEW,
     STEP_TEAR_NEW,
     STEP_TEAR_OLD,
+    STEP_APPLY_CURRENT,
 };
 
 struct domUpdateCBStruct {
@@ -722,6 +723,8 @@ void virNWFilterUnlockFilterUpdates(void);
 int virNWFilterConfLayerInit(virHashIterator domUpdateCB);
 void virNWFilterConfLayerShutdown(void);
 
+int virNWFilterInstFiltersOnAllVMs(virConnectPtr conn);
+
 # define virNWFilterReportError(code, fmt...)                      \
         virReportErrorHelper(VIR_FROM_NWFILTER, code, __FILE__,    \
                              __FUNCTION__, __LINE__, fmt)
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 915a43f12e9c578c232747d9c38c9c2fbb58dd71..e1ee23fa923b696c498e2aeebd715f1dd34bb722 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -811,6 +811,7 @@ virNWFilterConfLayerShutdown;
 virNWFilterDefFormat;
 virNWFilterDefFree;
 virNWFilterDefParseString;
+virNWFilterInstFiltersOnAllVMs;
 virNWFilterJumpTargetTypeToString;
 virNWFilterLoadAllConfigs;
 virNWFilterLockFilterUpdates;
diff --git a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c
index ed5028de9d4a55b119bea075cc50102ccf518262..ffb4b5df78777a4a2146179052b4b1b773f01e16 100644
--- a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c
+++ b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c
@@ -162,6 +162,8 @@ nwfilterDriverReload(void) {
         virNWFilterCallbackDriversUnlock();
         nwfilterDriverUnlock(driverState);
 
+        virNWFilterInstFiltersOnAllVMs(conn);
+
         virConnectClose(conn);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_gentech_driver.c b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_gentech_driver.c
index 17fdd39ff05a12ae8e7ba23964410b85975ff1fa..c35b74975dbdc551dadbef27a25bb9302d82332f 100644
--- a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_gentech_driver.c
+++ b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_gentech_driver.c
@@ -1122,7 +1122,7 @@ virNWFilterDomainFWUpdateCB(void *payload,
     virDomainObjPtr obj = payload;
     virDomainDefPtr vm = obj->def;
     struct domUpdateCBStruct *cb = data;
-    int i;
+    int i, err;
     bool skipIface;
 
     virDomainObjLock(obj);
@@ -1156,6 +1156,16 @@ virNWFilterDomainFWUpdateCB(void *payload,
                         cb->err = virNWFilterTearOldFilter(net);
                     }
                     break;
+
+                case STEP_APPLY_CURRENT:
+                    err = virNWFilterInstantiateFilter(cb->conn,
+                                                       vm->uuid,
+                                                       net);
+                    if (err)
+                        virNWFilterReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                            _("Failure while applying current filter on "
+                            "VM %s"), vm->name);
+                    break;
                 }
                 if (cb->err)
                     break;