diff --git a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c
index 10ae6efeb2..d1bdd806fc 100644
--- a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c
+++ b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c
@@ -54,6 +54,13 @@ static virMutex driverMutex = VIR_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
 
 #ifdef WITH_FIREWALLD
 
+static void nwfilterStateReloadThread(void *opaque G_GNUC_UNUSED)
+{
+    VIR_INFO("Reloading configuration on firewalld reload/restart");
+
+    nwfilterStateReload();
+}
+
 static void
 nwfilterFirewalldDBusSignalCallback(GDBusConnection *connection G_GNUC_UNUSED,
                                     const char *senderName G_GNUC_UNUSED,
@@ -63,7 +70,15 @@ nwfilterFirewalldDBusSignalCallback(GDBusConnection *connection G_GNUC_UNUSED,
                                     GVariant *parameters G_GNUC_UNUSED,
                                     gpointer user_data G_GNUC_UNUSED)
 {
-    nwfilterStateReload();
+    virThread thr;
+
+    if (virThreadCreateFull(&thr, false, nwfilterStateReloadThread,
+                            "firewall-reload", false, NULL) < 0) {
+        /*
+         * Not much we can do on error here except log it.
+         */
+        VIR_ERROR(_("Failed to create thread to handle firewall reload/restart"));
+    }
 }
 
 static unsigned int restartID;