diff --git a/manifests/on-prem/keepalived.yaml b/manifests/on-prem/keepalived.yaml
index f663e9f4ca..555a5d0faa 100644
--- a/manifests/on-prem/keepalived.yaml
+++ b/manifests/on-prem/keepalived.yaml
@@ -42,42 +42,61 @@ spec:
         if pid=$(pgrep -o keepalived); then
             kill -s SIGHUP "$pid"
         else
-            /usr/sbin/keepalived -f /etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf --dont-fork --vrrp --log-detail --log-console &
+            start_keepalived
         fi
       }
+
       stop_keepalived()
       {
-        echo "Keepalived process stopped" >> /var/run/keepalived/stopped
         if pid=$(pgrep -o keepalived); then
-            kill -s TERM "$pid"
+          kill -s SIGTERM "$pid"
+          # The monitor runs every 10 seconds
+          sleep 9
+          if pid=$(pgrep -o keepalived); then
+            kill -s SIGKILL "$pid"
+          fi
+          touch /var/run/keepalived/stopped
+        fi
+      }
+
+      start_keepalived()
+      {
+        if ! pgrep -o keepalived > /dev/null; then
+          /usr/sbin/keepalived -f /etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf --dont-fork --vrrp --log-detail --log-console &
         fi
+        rm -f /var/run/keepalived/stopped
       }
 
       msg_handler()
       {
         while read -r line; do
+          # These get sent a lot, don't spam the logs with them
+          if [ "$line" = stop ]; then
+              stop_keepalived
+              continue
+          elif [ "$line" = start ]; then
+              start_keepalived
+              continue
+          fi
           echo "The client sent: $line" >&2
-          # currently only 'reload' and 'stop' msgs are supported
           if [ "$line" = reload ]; then
               reload_keepalived
-          elif  [ "$line" = stop ]; then
-              stop_keepalived
+          else
+              echo "Unrecognized command: $line" >&2
           fi
         done
       }
+
       set -ex
       declare -r keepalived_sock="/var/run/keepalived/keepalived.sock"
       export -f msg_handler
       export -f reload_keepalived
       export -f stop_keepalived
-
-      while [ -s "/var/run/keepalived/stopped" ]; do
-         echo "Container stopped"
-         sleep 60
-      done
-      if [ -s "/etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf" ]; then
-          /usr/sbin/keepalived -f /etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf --dont-fork --vrrp --log-detail --log-console &
+      export -f start_keepalived
+      if [ -s "/etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf" -a ! -e /var/run/keepalived/stopped ]; then
+        start_keepalived
       fi
+
       rm -f "$keepalived_sock"
       socat UNIX-LISTEN:${keepalived_sock},fork system:'bash -c msg_handler'
     resources:
@@ -96,7 +115,7 @@ spec:
         - -c
         - |
           [[ -s /etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf ]] || \
-          [[ -s /var/run/keepalived/stopped ]] || \
+          [[ -e /var/run/keepalived/stopped ]] || \
           kill -s SIGUSR1 "$(pgrep -o keepalived)" && ! grep -q "State = FAULT" /tmp/keepalived.data
       initialDelaySeconds: 20
     terminationMessagePolicy: FallbackToLogsOnError
diff --git a/pkg/operator/assets/bindata.go b/pkg/operator/assets/bindata.go
index b726ef2e73..c186becadd 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/assets/bindata.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/assets/bindata.go
@@ -1858,42 +1858,61 @@ spec:
         if pid=$(pgrep -o keepalived); then
             kill -s SIGHUP "$pid"
         else
-            /usr/sbin/keepalived -f /etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf --dont-fork --vrrp --log-detail --log-console &
+            start_keepalived
         fi
       }
+
       stop_keepalived()
       {
-        echo "Keepalived process stopped" >> /var/run/keepalived/stopped
         if pid=$(pgrep -o keepalived); then
-            kill -s TERM "$pid"
+          kill -s SIGTERM "$pid"
+          # The monitor runs every 10 seconds
+          sleep 9
+          if pid=$(pgrep -o keepalived); then
+            kill -s SIGKILL "$pid"
+          fi
+          touch /var/run/keepalived/stopped
+        fi
+      }
+
+      start_keepalived()
+      {
+        if ! pgrep -o keepalived > /dev/null; then
+          /usr/sbin/keepalived -f /etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf --dont-fork --vrrp --log-detail --log-console &
         fi
+        rm -f /var/run/keepalived/stopped
       }
 
       msg_handler()
       {
         while read -r line; do
+          # These get sent a lot, don't spam the logs with them
+          if [ "$line" = stop ]; then
+              stop_keepalived
+              continue
+          elif [ "$line" = start ]; then
+              start_keepalived
+              continue
+          fi
           echo "The client sent: $line" >&2
-          # currently only 'reload' and 'stop' msgs are supported
           if [ "$line" = reload ]; then
               reload_keepalived
-          elif  [ "$line" = stop ]; then
-              stop_keepalived
+          else
+              echo "Unrecognized command: $line" >&2
           fi
         done
       }
+
       set -ex
       declare -r keepalived_sock="/var/run/keepalived/keepalived.sock"
       export -f msg_handler
       export -f reload_keepalived
       export -f stop_keepalived
-
-      while [ -s "/var/run/keepalived/stopped" ]; do
-         echo "Container stopped"
-         sleep 60
-      done
-      if [ -s "/etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf" ]; then
-          /usr/sbin/keepalived -f /etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf --dont-fork --vrrp --log-detail --log-console &
+      export -f start_keepalived
+      if [ -s "/etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf" -a ! -e /var/run/keepalived/stopped ]; then
+        start_keepalived
       fi
+
       rm -f "$keepalived_sock"
       socat UNIX-LISTEN:${keepalived_sock},fork system:'bash -c msg_handler'
     resources:
@@ -1912,7 +1931,7 @@ spec:
         - -c
         - |
           [[ -s /etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf ]] || \
-          [[ -s /var/run/keepalived/stopped ]] || \
+          [[ -e /var/run/keepalived/stopped ]] || \
           kill -s SIGUSR1 "$(pgrep -o keepalived)" && ! grep -q "State = FAULT" /tmp/keepalived.data
       initialDelaySeconds: 20
     terminationMessagePolicy: FallbackToLogsOnError
diff --git a/templates/common/on-prem/files/keepalived.yaml b/templates/common/on-prem/files/keepalived.yaml
index cf178bcc06..f57a3e421a 100644
--- a/templates/common/on-prem/files/keepalived.yaml
+++ b/templates/common/on-prem/files/keepalived.yaml
@@ -82,17 +82,49 @@ contents:
             if pid=$(pgrep -o keepalived); then
                 kill -s SIGHUP "$pid"
             else
-                /usr/sbin/keepalived -f /etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf --dont-fork --vrrp --log-detail --log-console &
+                start_keepalived
             fi
           }
 
+          stop_keepalived()
+          {
+            if pid=$(pgrep -o keepalived); then
+              kill -s SIGTERM "$pid"
+              # Immediately create the stopped flag. Otherwise, if the liveness probe
+              # happens to fire during the sleep below it might incorrectly fail.
+              touch /var/run/keepalived/stopped
+              # The monitor runs every 10 seconds
+              sleep 9
+              if pid=$(pgrep -o keepalived); then
+                kill -s SIGKILL "$pid"
+              fi
+            fi
+          }
+
+          start_keepalived()
+          {
+            if ! pgrep -o keepalived > /dev/null; then
+              /usr/sbin/keepalived -f /etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf --dont-fork --vrrp --log-detail --log-console &
+            fi
+            rm -f /var/run/keepalived/stopped
+          }
+
           msg_handler()
           {
             while read -r line; do
+              # These get sent a lot, don't spam the logs with them
+              if [ "$line" = stop ]; then
+                  stop_keepalived
+                  continue
+              elif [ "$line" = start ]; then
+                  start_keepalived
+                  continue
+              fi
               echo "The client sent: $line" >&2
-              # currently only 'reload' msg is supported
               if [ "$line" = reload ]; then
                   reload_keepalived
+              else
+                  echo "Unrecognized command: $line" >&2
               fi
             done
           }
@@ -102,10 +134,13 @@ contents:
           export -f msg_handler
           export -f reload_keepalived
           export -f sigterm_handler
+          export -f stop_keepalived
+          export -f start_keepalived
 
           trap sigterm_handler SIGTERM
-          if [ -s "/etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf" ]; then
-              /usr/sbin/keepalived -f /etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf --dont-fork --vrrp --log-detail --log-console &
+
+          if [ -s "/etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf" -a ! -e /var/run/keepalived/stopped ]; then
+            start_keepalived
           fi
 
           rm -f "$keepalived_sock"
@@ -125,7 +160,7 @@ contents:
             - /bin/bash
             - -c
             - |
-              echo "State = FAULT" > /tmp/keepalived.data && kill -s SIGUSR1 "$(pgrep -o keepalived)" && for i in $(seq 5); do grep -q "State = FAULT" /tmp/keepalived.data && sleep 1 || exit 0; done && exit 1
+              [ -e /var/run/keepalived/stopped ] || (echo "State = FAULT" > /tmp/keepalived.data && kill -s SIGUSR1 "$(pgrep -o keepalived)" && for i in $(seq 5); do grep -q "State = FAULT" /tmp/keepalived.data && sleep 1 || exit 0; done && exit 1)
           initialDelaySeconds: 20
         terminationMessagePolicy: FallbackToLogsOnError
         imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
@@ -168,4 +203,4 @@ contents:
       - operator: Exists
       priorityClassName: system-node-critical
     status: {}
-    {{ end -}}
\ No newline at end of file
+    {{ end -}}