Reloader is a Kubernetes controller that automatically triggers rolling updates of workloads whenever their referenced ConfigMaps, Secrets, or CSI-mounted secrets change.
Kubernetes does not natively restart workloads when their configuration sources are updated, leaving applications running with stale credentials, feature flags, or environment settings. Reloader solves this by continuously watching ConfigMaps and Secrets across the cluster. When changes are detected, it automatically initiates rolling updates of associated Deployments, StatefulSets, DaemonSets, and DeploymentConfigs, ensuring workloads always run with current configuration. The tool uses annotations on workloads to specify which configuration sources to monitor and offers fine-grained control over reload behavior, including the ability to watch all resources by default, restrict monitoring to only Secrets or ConfigMaps, target specific resources, or use opt-in tagging patterns.
Reloader suits teams running Kubernetes in production where configuration and secrets change frequently, particularly those using external secret management systems like ExternalSecret or cert-manager, or GitOps workflows that deliver configuration updates. It eliminates manual rollout steps in CI/CD pipelines and reduces the window where applications run with outdated credentials. The tool works with all major Kubernetes workload types and requires only annotation-based configuration to enable on specific workloads, making adoption straightforward without requiring application code changes.
The project maintains active development with regular updates addressing Kubernetes ecosystem changes. The tool has achieved significant production adoption and offers an enterprise variant for teams requiring signed container images with software bill of materials, compliance artifact provenance, and vendor support with service level agreements.
