diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
index 26fe077f87..bd9cb02e0a 100644
--- a/app.js
+++ b/app.js
@@ -141,7 +141,13 @@ function start() {
 					nconf.set('url', nconf.get('base_url') + (nconf.get('use_port') ? ':' + nconf.get('port') : '') + nconf.get('relative_path'));
 
 					plugins.ready(function() {
-						webserver.init();
+						webserver.init(function() {
+							// If this callback is called, this means that loader.js is used
+							process.on('SIGCONT', webserver.listen);
+							process.send({
+								action: 'ready'
+							});
+						});
 					});
 
 					process.on('SIGTERM', shutdown);
@@ -313,6 +319,8 @@ function shutdown(code) {
 	winston.info('[app] Shutdown (SIGTERM/SIGINT) Initialised.');
 	require('./src/database').close();
 	winston.info('[app] Database connection closed.');
+	require('./src/webserver').server.close();
+	winston.info('[app] Web server closed to connections.');
 
 	winston.info('[app] Shutdown complete.');
 	process.exit(code || 0);
diff --git a/loader.js b/loader.js
index 6448615348..a3ce275704 100644
--- a/loader.js
+++ b/loader.js
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@ var	nconf = require('nconf'),
 	pidFilePath = __dirname + '/pidfile',
 	output = fs.openSync(__dirname + '/logs/output.log', 'a'),
 	start = function() {
-		var	fork = require('child_process').fork,
-			nbb_start = function() {
+		var	nbb_start = function(callback) {
 				if (timesStarted > 3) {
 					console.log('\n[loader] Experienced three start attempts in 10 seconds, most likely an error on startup. Halting.');
 					return nbb_stop();
@@ -18,14 +17,24 @@ var	nconf = require('nconf'),
 				}
 				startTimer = setTimeout(resetTimer, 1000*10);
 
-				nbb = fork('./app', process.argv.slice(2), {
+				if (nbb) {
+					nbbOld = nbb;
+				}
+
+				nbb = require('child_process').fork('./app', process.argv.slice(2), {
 					env: process.env
 				});
 
 				nbb.on('message', function(message) {
 					if (message && typeof message === 'object' && message.action) {
-						if (message.action === 'restart') {
-							nbb_restart();
+						switch (message.action) {
+							case 'ready':
+								if (!callback) return nbb.kill('SIGCONT');
+								callback();
+							break;
+							case 'restart':
+								nbb_restart();
+							break;
 						}
 					}
 				});
@@ -52,10 +61,12 @@ var	nconf = require('nconf'),
 				}
 			},
 			nbb_restart = function() {
-				nbb.removeAllListeners('exit').on('exit', function() {
-					nbb_start();
+				nbb_start(function() {
+					nbbOld.removeAllListeners('exit').on('exit', function() {
+						nbb.kill('SIGCONT');
+					});
+					nbbOld.kill();
 				});
-				nbb.kill();
 			},
 			resetTimer = function() {
 				clearTimeout(startTimer);
@@ -70,7 +81,7 @@ var	nconf = require('nconf'),
 
 		nbb_start();
 	},
-	nbb;
+	nbb, nbbOld;
 
 nconf.argv();
 
diff --git a/src/webserver.js b/src/webserver.js
index 5c6f571372..3278713dd1 100644
--- a/src/webserver.js
+++ b/src/webserver.js
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ if(nconf.get('ssl')) {
 	}
 
 	module.exports.server = server;
-	module.exports.init = function () {
+	module.exports.init = function(callback) {
 		server.on("error", function(err){
 			if (err.code === 'EADDRINUSE') {
 				winston.error('NodeBB address in use, exiting...');
@@ -114,18 +114,26 @@ if(nconf.get('ssl')) {
 		});
 
 		emitter.on('templates:compiled', function() {
-			var	bind_address = ((nconf.get('bind_address') === "0.0.0.0" || !nconf.get('bind_address')) ? '0.0.0.0' : nconf.get('bind_address')) + ':' + port;
-			winston.info('NodeBB attempting to listen on: ' + bind_address);
-
-			server.listen(port, nconf.get('bind_address'), function(){
-				winston.info('NodeBB is now listening on: ' + bind_address);
-				if (process.send) {
-					process.send({
-						action: 'ready',
-						bind_address: bind_address
-					});
-				}
-			});
+			if (process.send) {
+				callback();
+			} else {
+				module.exports.listen();
+			}
+		});
+	};
+
+	module.exports.listen = function() {
+		var	bind_address = ((nconf.get('bind_address') === "0.0.0.0" || !nconf.get('bind_address')) ? '0.0.0.0' : nconf.get('bind_address')) + ':' + port;
+		winston.info('NodeBB attempting to listen on: ' + bind_address);
+
+		server.listen(port, nconf.get('bind_address'), function(){
+			winston.info('NodeBB is now listening on: ' + bind_address);
+			if (process.send) {
+				process.send({
+					action: 'listening',
+					bind_address: bind_address
+				});
+			}
 		});
 	};