diff --git a/apps/confbridge/conf_config_parser.c b/apps/confbridge/conf_config_parser.c
index f4a960410762c01958f4eac5043abbcf74bba664..128691458208c93c607cb7b75921a348b0addd16 100644
--- a/apps/confbridge/conf_config_parser.c
+++ b/apps/confbridge/conf_config_parser.c
@@ -1316,7 +1316,10 @@ int conf_load_config(int reload)
 
 	return 0;
 error:
-	conf_destroy_config();
+	/* On a reload, just keep the config we already have in place. */
+	if (!reload) {
+		conf_destroy_config();
+	}
 	return -1;
 }