diff --git a/patroni/api.py b/patroni/api.py
index 505852a9..07db06ae 100644
--- a/patroni/api.py
+++ b/patroni/api.py
@@ -768,6 +768,8 @@ class RestApiServer(ThreadingMixIn, HTTPServer, Thread):
         reloading_config = self.__listen is not None  # changing config in runtime
         if reloading_config:
             self.shutdown()
+            # Rely on ThreadingMixIn.server_close() to have all requests terminate before we continue
+            self.server_close()
 
         self.__listen = listen
         self.__ssl_options = ssl_options
diff --git a/tests/test_api.py b/tests/test_api.py
index 2d901a1f..e83edfef 100644
--- a/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/test_api.py
@@ -549,7 +549,8 @@ class TestRestApiServer(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, MockRestApiServer, None, '', bad_config)
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.srv.reload_config, bad_config)
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.srv.reload_config, {})
-        with patch.object(socket.socket, 'setsockopt', Mock(side_effect=socket.error)):
+        with patch.object(socket.socket, 'setsockopt', Mock(side_effect=socket.error)), \
+                patch.object(MockRestApiServer, 'server_close', Mock()):
             self.srv.reload_config({'listen': ':8008'})
 
     @patch.object(MockPatroni, 'dcs')