diff --git a/modules/arch/unix/mod_systemd.c b/modules/arch/unix/mod_systemd.c
index 9359d38..6d0cb3b 100644
--- a/modules/arch/unix/mod_systemd.c
+++ b/modules/arch/unix/mod_systemd.c
@@ -49,6 +49,21 @@ static int systemd_pre_config(apr_pool_t *pconf, apr_pool_t *plog,
     return OK;
 }
 
+/* Report the service is ready in post_config, which could be during
+ * startup or after a reload.  The server could still hit a fatal
+ * startup error after this point during ap_run_mpm(), so this is
+ * perhaps too early, but by post_config listen() has been called on
+ * the TCP ports so new connections will not be rejected.  There will
+ * always be a possible async failure event simultaneous to the
+ * service reporting "ready", so this should be good enough. */
+static int systemd_post_config_last(apr_pool_t *p, apr_pool_t *plog,
+                               apr_pool_t *ptemp, server_rec *main_server)
+{
+    sd_notify(0, "READY=1\n"
+              "STATUS=Configuration loaded.\n");
+    return OK;
+}
+
 static int systemd_pre_mpm(apr_pool_t *p, ap_scoreboard_e sb_type)
 {
     int rv;
@@ -125,6 +140,8 @@ static void systemd_register_hooks(apr_pool_t *p)
 {
     /* Enable ap_extended_status. */
     ap_hook_pre_config(systemd_pre_config, NULL, NULL, APR_HOOK_LAST);
+    /* Signal service is ready. */
+    ap_hook_post_config(systemd_post_config_last, NULL, NULL, APR_HOOK_REALLY_LAST);
     /* We know the PID in this hook ... */
     ap_hook_pre_mpm(systemd_pre_mpm, NULL, NULL, APR_HOOK_LAST);
     /* Used to update httpd's status line using sd_notifyf */