diff --git a/lib/fluent/engine.rb b/lib/fluent/engine.rb
index afac3167ca..5e45084a39 100644
--- a/lib/fluent/engine.rb
+++ b/lib/fluent/engine.rb
@@ -136,6 +136,10 @@ def flush!
       @root_agent.flush!
     end
 
+    def shift_to_limited_mode!
+      @root_agent.shift_to_limited_mode!
+    end
+
     def now
       # TODO thread update
       Fluent::EventTime.now
diff --git a/lib/fluent/plugin/in_tcp.rb b/lib/fluent/plugin/in_tcp.rb
index bd2ea83e5b..ccc28209ec 100644
--- a/lib/fluent/plugin/in_tcp.rb
+++ b/lib/fluent/plugin/in_tcp.rb
@@ -101,6 +101,10 @@ def multi_workers_ready?
       true
     end
 
+    def limited_mode_ready?
+      true
+    end
+
     def start
       super
 
diff --git a/lib/fluent/plugin/in_udp.rb b/lib/fluent/plugin/in_udp.rb
index c2d436115f..dd65526ffa 100644
--- a/lib/fluent/plugin/in_udp.rb
+++ b/lib/fluent/plugin/in_udp.rb
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ def multi_workers_ready?
       true
     end
 
+    def limited_mode_ready?
+      true
+    end
+
     def start
       super
 
diff --git a/lib/fluent/plugin/input.rb b/lib/fluent/plugin/input.rb
index 7a6909f7a9..347e742f7c 100644
--- a/lib/fluent/plugin/input.rb
+++ b/lib/fluent/plugin/input.rb
@@ -70,6 +70,15 @@ def metric_callback(es)
       def multi_workers_ready?
         false
       end
+
+      def limited_mode_ready?
+        false
+      end
+
+      def shift_to_limited_mode!
+        raise "BUG: use shift_to_limited_mode although this plugin is not ready for the limited mode" unless limited_mode_ready?
+        event_emitter_force_limited_router
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/fluent/plugin_helper/event_emitter.rb b/lib/fluent/plugin_helper/event_emitter.rb
index ba089e485a..5c573d7299 100644
--- a/lib/fluent/plugin_helper/event_emitter.rb
+++ b/lib/fluent/plugin_helper/event_emitter.rb
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ module EventEmitter
 
       def router
         @_event_emitter_used_actually = true
+
+        return Engine.root_agent.limited_router if @_event_emitter_force_limited_router
+
         if @_event_emitter_lazy_init
           @router = @primary_instance.router
         end
@@ -48,6 +51,10 @@ def event_emitter_used_actually?
         @_event_emitter_used_actually
       end
 
+      def event_emitter_force_limited_router
+        @_event_emitter_force_limited_router = true
+      end
+
       def event_emitter_router(label_name)
         if label_name
           if label_name == "@ROOT"
@@ -72,6 +79,7 @@ def initialize
         super
         @_event_emitter_used_actually = false
         @_event_emitter_lazy_init = false
+        @_event_emitter_force_limited_router = false
         @router = nil
       end
 
diff --git a/lib/fluent/root_agent.rb b/lib/fluent/root_agent.rb
index 1165dbadcf..513b6700bb 100644
--- a/lib/fluent/root_agent.rb
+++ b/lib/fluent/root_agent.rb
@@ -29,13 +29,13 @@ module Fluent
   #
   #                      RootAgent
   #                          |
-  #             +------------+-------------+-------------+
-  #             |            |             |             |
-  #          <label>      <source>      <filter>      <match>
-  #             |
-  #        +----+----+
-  #        |         |
-  #     <filter>   <match>
+  #             +------------+-------------+-------------+------------+
+  #             |            |             |             |            |
+  #          <label>      <source>      <filter>      <match>      <agents>
+  #             |                                                     |
+  #        +----+----+                                           +----+----+
+  #        |         |                                           |         |
+  #     <filter>   <match>                                    <filter>   <match>
   #
   # Relation:
   # * RootAgent has many <label>, <source>, <filter> and <match>
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ def initialize(log:, system_config: SystemConfig.new)
       super(log: log)
 
       @labels = {}
+      @agents = []
       @inputs = []
       @suppress_emit_error_log_interval = 0
       @next_emit_error_log_time = nil
@@ -60,10 +61,15 @@ def initialize(log:, system_config: SystemConfig.new)
       suppress_interval(system_config.emit_error_log_interval) unless system_config.emit_error_log_interval.nil?
       @without_source = system_config.without_source unless system_config.without_source.nil?
       @enable_input_metrics = !!system_config.enable_input_metrics
+
+      @limited_router = nil
+      @limited_mode_agent_for_load = nil
+      @limited_mode_agent_buf_path = File.join(system_config.root_dir || DEFAULT_BACKUP_DIR, 'limited_mode_buffer')
     end
 
     attr_reader :inputs
     attr_reader :labels
+    attr_reader :limited_router
 
     def configure(conf)
       used_worker_ids = []
@@ -161,6 +167,10 @@ def configure(conf)
           add_source(type, e)
         }
       end
+
+      # TODO Stop doing this when it is not needed.
+      @limited_mode_agent_for_load = create_limited_mode_agent_for_load
+      @agents << @limited_mode_agent_for_load
     end
 
     def setup_error_label(e)
@@ -170,15 +180,15 @@ def setup_error_label(e)
     end
 
     def lifecycle(desc: false, kind_callback: nil)
-      kind_or_label_list = if desc
-                    [:output, :filter, @labels.values.reverse, :output_with_router, :input].flatten
+      kind_or_agent_list = if desc
+                    [:output, :filter, @agents.reverse, @labels.values.reverse, :output_with_router, :input].flatten
                   else
-                    [:input, :output_with_router, @labels.values, :filter, :output].flatten
+                    [:input, :output_with_router, @labels.values, @agents, :filter, :output].flatten
                   end
-      kind_or_label_list.each do |kind|
+      kind_or_agent_list.each do |kind|
         if kind.respond_to?(:lifecycle)
-          label = kind
-          label.lifecycle(desc: desc) do |plugin, display_kind|
+          agent = kind
+          agent.lifecycle(desc: desc) do |plugin, display_kind|
             yield plugin, display_kind
           end
         else
@@ -231,6 +241,89 @@ def flush!
       flushing_threads.each{|t| t.join }
     end
 
+    def shift_to_limited_mode!
+      log.info "shifts to the limited mode"
+
+      # Stop limited_mode_agent_for_load first to avoid using the same filer buffer path
+      if @limited_mode_agent_for_load
+        @limited_mode_agent_for_load.lifecycle do |instance, kind|
+          execute_shutdown_sequence(SHUTDOWN_SEQUENCES[0], instance, kind)
+        end
+      end
+
+      limited_mode_agent_for_output = create_limited_mode_agent_for_output
+      @limited_router = limited_mode_agent_for_output.event_router
+
+      lifecycle_control_list[:input].select do |instance|
+        instance.limited_mode_ready?
+      end.each do |instance|
+        instance.shift_to_limited_mode!
+      end
+
+      SHUTDOWN_SEQUENCES.each do |sequence|
+        if sequence.safe?
+          lifecycle do |instance, kind|
+            next if kind == :input and instance.limited_mode_ready?
+            execute_shutdown_sequence(sequence, instance, kind)
+          end
+          next
+        end
+
+        operation_threads = []
+        callback = ->(){
+          operation_threads.each { |t| t.join }
+          operation_threads.clear
+        }
+        lifecycle(kind_callback: callback) do |instance, kind|
+          next if kind == :input and instance.limited_mode_ready?
+          t = Thread.new do
+            Thread.current.abort_on_exception = true
+            execute_shutdown_sequence(sequence, instance, kind)
+          end
+          operation_threads << t
+        end
+      end
+
+      @agents << limited_mode_agent_for_output
+    end
+
+    def create_limited_mode_agent_for_output
+      limited_mode_agent_for_output = Agent.new(log: log)
+      limited_mode_agent_for_output.configure(
+        Config::Element.new('LIMITED_MODE_OUTPUT', '', {}, [
+          # TODO Use specialized plugin, not out_relabel
+          Config::Element.new('match', '**', {'@type' => 'relabel'}, [
+            Config::Element.new('buffer', 'tag', {
+              '@type' => 'file',
+              'path' => @limited_mode_agent_buf_path,
+              'flush_mode' => 'immediate',
+              'flush_at_shutdown' => 'false',
+              'flush_thread_count' => 0,
+            }, [])
+          ])
+        ])
+      )
+      limited_mode_agent_for_output
+    end
+
+    def create_limited_mode_agent_for_load
+      limited_mode_agent_for_load = Agent.new(log: log)
+      limited_mode_agent_for_load.configure(
+        Config::Element.new('LIMITED_MODE_LOAD', '', {}, [
+          # TODO Use specialized plugin, not out_relabel
+          Config::Element.new('match', '**', {'@type' => 'relabel', '@label' => '@ROOT'}, [
+            Config::Element.new('buffer', 'tag', {
+              '@type' => 'file',
+              'path' => @limited_mode_agent_buf_path,
+              'flush_mode' => 'immediate',
+              'flush_at_shutdown' => 'false',
+            }, [])
+          ])
+        ])
+      )
+      limited_mode_agent_for_load
+    end
+
     class ShutdownSequence
       attr_reader :method, :checker
       def initialize(method, checker, is_safe)
diff --git a/lib/fluent/supervisor.rb b/lib/fluent/supervisor.rb
index 5c1018c9c7..421939a25f 100644
--- a/lib/fluent/supervisor.rb
+++ b/lib/fluent/supervisor.rb
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ def before_run
       @rpc_endpoint = nil
       @rpc_server = nil
       @counter = nil
+      @socket_manager_server = nil
+      @is_limited_mode = false
 
       @fluentd_lock_dir = Dir.mktmpdir("fluentd-lock-")
       ENV['FLUENTD_LOCK_DIR'] = @fluentd_lock_dir
@@ -66,8 +68,12 @@ def before_run
       if config[:disable_shared_socket]
         $log.info "shared socket for multiple workers is disabled"
       else
-        server = ServerEngine::SocketManager::Server.open
-        ENV['SERVERENGINE_SOCKETMANAGER_PATH'] = server.path.to_s
+        if ENV.key?('SERVERENGINE_SOCKETMANAGER_PATH')
+          @socket_manager_server = ServerEngine::SocketManager::Server.take_over_another_server(ENV['SERVERENGINE_SOCKETMANAGER_PATH'])
+        else
+          @socket_manager_server = ServerEngine::SocketManager::Server.open
+          ENV['SERVERENGINE_SOCKETMANAGER_PATH'] = @socket_manager_server.path.to_s
+        end
       end
     end
 
@@ -76,7 +82,7 @@ def after_run
       stop_rpc_server if @rpc_endpoint
       stop_counter_server if @counter
       cleanup_lock_dir
-      Fluent::Supervisor.cleanup_resources
+      Fluent::Supervisor.cleanup_resources unless @is_limited_mode
     end
 
     def cleanup_lock_dir
@@ -138,7 +144,7 @@ def run_rpc_server
       @rpc_server.mount_proc('/api/config.gracefulReload') { |req, res|
         $log.debug "fluentd RPC got /api/config.gracefulReload request"
         if Fluent.windows?
-          supervisor_sigusr2_handler
+          graceful_reload
         else
           Process.kill :USR2, Process.pid
         end
@@ -187,7 +193,11 @@ def install_supervisor_signal_handlers
 
       trap :USR2 do
         $log.debug 'fluentd supervisor process got SIGUSR2'
-        supervisor_sigusr2_handler
+        if Fluent.windows?
+          graceful_reload
+        else
+          start_new_supervisor
+        end
       end
     end
 
@@ -254,7 +264,7 @@ def install_windows_event_handler
             when :usr1
               supervisor_sigusr1_handler
             when :usr2
-              supervisor_sigusr2_handler
+              graceful_reload
             when :cont
               supervisor_dump_handler_for_windows
             when :stop_event_thread
@@ -284,7 +294,7 @@ def supervisor_sigusr1_handler
       send_signal_to_workers(:USR1)
     end
 
-    def supervisor_sigusr2_handler
+    def graceful_reload
       conf = nil
       t = Thread.new do
         $log.info 'Reloading new config'
@@ -312,6 +322,17 @@ def supervisor_sigusr2_handler
       $log.error "Failed to reload config file: #{e}"
     end
 
+    def start_new_supervisor
+      send_signal_to_workers(:USR2)
+      sleep 5 # TODO Wait until all workers finish shifting to the limited mode. How?
+      @is_limited_mode = true
+      commands = [ServerEngine.ruby_bin_path, $0] + ARGV
+      env_to_add = {"SERVERENGINE_SOCKETMANAGER_INTERNAL_TOKEN" => ServerEngine::SocketManager::INTERNAL_TOKEN}
+      Process.spawn(env_to_add, commands.join(" "))
+    rescue => e
+      $log.error "Failed to start a new supervisor: #{e}"
+    end
+
     def supervisor_dump_handler_for_windows
       # As for UNIX-like, SIGCONT signal to each process makes the process output its dump-file,
       # and it is implemented before the implementation of the function for Windows.
@@ -832,7 +853,7 @@ def install_main_process_signal_handlers
         end
 
         trap :USR2 do
-          reload_config
+          shift_to_limited_mode
         end
 
         trap :CONT do
@@ -891,6 +912,16 @@ def flush_buffer
       end
     end
 
+    def shift_to_limited_mode
+      Thread.new do
+        begin
+          Fluent::Engine.shift_to_limited_mode!
+        rescue Exception => e
+          $log.warn "failed to shift to the limited mode: #{e}"
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
     def reload_config
       Thread.new do
         $log.debug('worker got SIGUSR2')