diff --git a/data/Debian-16.04-family-major.yaml b/data/Debian-16.04-family-major.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eaab257
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/Debian-16.04-family-major.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+
+nscd::service_reload: '/sbin/service nscd reload'
diff --git a/data/Debian-8-family-major.yaml b/data/Debian-8-family-major.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eaab257
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/Debian-8-family-major.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+
+nscd::service_reload: '/sbin/service nscd reload'
diff --git a/data/Debian-family.yaml b/data/Debian-family.yaml
index 32d92e7..1787812 100644
--- a/data/Debian-family.yaml
+++ b/data/Debian-family.yaml
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
 ---
 nscd::user: root
+
+nscd::service_reload: '/bin/systemctl reload nscd.service'
diff --git a/data/RedHat-6-family-major.yaml b/data/RedHat-6-family-major.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eaab257
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/RedHat-6-family-major.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+
+nscd::service_reload: '/sbin/service nscd reload'
diff --git a/data/common.yaml b/data/common.yaml
index c991c12..6907834 100644
--- a/data/common.yaml
+++ b/data/common.yaml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ lookup_options:
       strategy: deep
       knockout_prefix: '--'
 
+nscd::service_reload: '/usr/bin/systemctl reload nscd.service'
 
 nscd::dbconfig:
   passwd:
diff --git a/hiera.yaml b/hiera.yaml
index 422fa92..75a8759 100644
--- a/hiera.yaml
+++ b/hiera.yaml
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ defaults:
   data_hash: 'yaml_data'
 
 hierarchy:
+  - name: 'Operating System Family Release'
+    path: '%{facts.os.family}-%{facts.os.release.major}-family-major.yaml'
+
   - name: 'Operating System Family'
     path: '%{facts.os.family}-family.yaml'
 
diff --git a/manifests/init.pp b/manifests/init.pp
index e6cdf1f..852291c 100644
--- a/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/manifests/init.pp
@@ -29,10 +29,12 @@
 # @param debug_level debug level
 # @param reload_count any many reload attempts to make
 # @param logfile specify a debug log file location.
+# @param service_reload command to reload nscd service
 # @dbconfig configuration for each of the passwd, group, hosts and service database.
 
 class nscd (
   Nscd::Database                    $dbconfig,
+  String                            $service_reload,
   Enum['present','absent','latest'] $pkg_ensure       = 'present',
   Boolean                           $service_ensure   = true,
   Boolean                           $service_enable   = true,
diff --git a/manifests/service.pp b/manifests/service.pp
index 17b1e6a..21f4a25 100644
--- a/manifests/service.pp
+++ b/manifests/service.pp
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 class nscd::service (
   $service_ensure = $nscd::service_ensure,
   $service_enable = $nscd::service_enable,
+  $service_reload = $nscd::service_reload,
   $pkg_ensure     = $nscd::pkg_ensure,
 ) {
 
   if $pkg_ensure != 'absent' {
     service{'nscd':
-      ensure => $service_ensure,
-      enable => $service_enable,
+      ensure  => $service_ensure,
+      enable  => $service_enable,
+      restart => $service_reload,
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/spec/classes/nscd_spec.rb b/spec/classes/nscd_spec.rb
index 2509ac9..0e0272e 100644
--- a/spec/classes/nscd_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/nscd_spec.rb
@@ -13,6 +13,18 @@
         it { is_expected.to contain_package('nscd').with_ensure('present') }
         it { is_expected.to contain_service('nscd').with_ensure(true) }
 
+        case [facts[:os]['family'], facts[:os]['release']['major']]
+        when %w[RedHat 6], ['Debian', '16.04'], %w[Debian 8]
+          it { is_expected.to contain_service('nscd').with_restart('/sbin/service nscd reload') }
+        else
+          case facts[:os]['family']
+          when 'Debian'
+            it { is_expected.to contain_service('nscd').with_restart('/bin/systemctl reload nscd.service') }
+          else
+            it { is_expected.to contain_service('nscd').with_restart('/usr/bin/systemctl reload nscd.service') }
+          end
+        end
+
         it { is_expected.to contain_file('/etc/nscd.conf').with_content(%r{^threads\s+5$}) }
         it { is_expected.to contain_file('/etc/nscd.conf').with_content(%r{^max-threads\s+32$}) }