diff --git a/site-cookbooks/kosmos-ejabberd/recipes/default.rb b/site-cookbooks/kosmos-ejabberd/recipes/default.rb
index 548b588..b6bcb61 100644
--- a/site-cookbooks/kosmos-ejabberd/recipes/default.rb
+++ b/site-cookbooks/kosmos-ejabberd/recipes/default.rb
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ file "/opt/ejabberd/.erlang.cookie" do
   owner "ejabberd"
   group "ejabberd"
   content ejabberd_credentials['erlang_cookie']
+  # a changed cookie is only picked up by a restart, not by a config reload
+  notifies :restart, "service[ejabberd]", :delayed
 end
 
 ejabberd_nodes = search(:node, "role:ejabberd")
@@ -71,7 +73,8 @@ template "/opt/ejabberd/conf/ejabberdctl.cfg" do
   owner     'ejabberd'
   group     'ejabberd'
   variables epmd_node_name: "ejabberd@#{node['name']}"
-  notifies :reload, "service[ejabberd]", :delayed
+  # the Erlang node name is only applied by a restart, not by a config reload
+  notifies :restart, "service[ejabberd]", :delayed
 end
 
 postgresql_data_bag_item = data_bag_item('credentials', 'postgresql')