diff --git a/octavia/amphorae/backends/agent/api_server/loadbalancer.py b/octavia/amphorae/backends/agent/api_server/loadbalancer.py
index b67248a258..d40e827fd7 100644
--- a/octavia/amphorae/backends/agent/api_server/loadbalancer.py
+++ b/octavia/amphorae/backends/agent/api_server/loadbalancer.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ from werkzeug import exceptions
 from octavia.amphorae.backends.agent.api_server import haproxy_compatibility
 from octavia.amphorae.backends.agent.api_server import osutils
 from octavia.amphorae.backends.agent.api_server import util
+from octavia.amphorae.backends.utils import haproxy_query
 from octavia.common import constants as consts
 from octavia.common import utils as octavia_utils
 
@@ -248,6 +249,17 @@ class Loadbalancer(object):
         if action == consts.AMP_ACTION_RELOAD:
             if consts.OFFLINE == self._check_haproxy_status(lb_id):
                 action = consts.AMP_ACTION_START
+            else:
+                # We first have to save the state when we reload
+                haproxy_state_file = util.state_file_path(lb_id)
+                stat_sock_file = util.haproxy_sock_path(lb_id)
+
+                lb_query = haproxy_query.HAProxyQuery(stat_sock_file)
+                if not lb_query.save_state(haproxy_state_file):
+                    # We accept to reload haproxy even if the state_file is
+                    # not generated, but we probably want to know about that
+                    # failure!
+                    LOG.warning('Failed to save haproxy-%s state!', lb_id)
 
         cmd = ("/usr/sbin/service haproxy-{lb_id} {action}".format(
             lb_id=lb_id, action=action))
diff --git a/octavia/amphorae/backends/agent/api_server/templates/systemd.conf.j2 b/octavia/amphorae/backends/agent/api_server/templates/systemd.conf.j2
index 3ccc69489f..545486e3a7 100644
--- a/octavia/amphorae/backends/agent/api_server/templates/systemd.conf.j2
+++ b/octavia/amphorae/backends/agent/api_server/templates/systemd.conf.j2
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ Environment="CONFIG={{ haproxy_cfg }}" "USERCONFIG={{ haproxy_user_group_cfg }}"
 
 ExecStartPre={{ haproxy_cmd }} -f $CONFIG -f $USERCONFIG -c -q -L {{ peer_name }}
 
-ExecReload=/bin/sh -c "echo 'show servers state' | socat stdio unix-connect:{{ haproxy_socket }} > {{ haproxy_state_file }}"
 ExecReload={{ haproxy_cmd }} -c -f $CONFIG -f $USERCONFIG -L {{ peer_name }}
 ExecReload=/bin/kill -USR2 $MAINPID
 
diff --git a/octavia/amphorae/backends/utils/haproxy_query.py b/octavia/amphorae/backends/utils/haproxy_query.py
index c9366cc903..1d62d6a8b3 100644
--- a/octavia/amphorae/backends/utils/haproxy_query.py
+++ b/octavia/amphorae/backends/utils/haproxy_query.py
@@ -15,11 +15,14 @@
 import csv
 import socket
 
+from oslo_log import log as logging
 import six
 
 from octavia.common import constants as consts
 from octavia.i18n import _
 
+LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 
 class HAProxyQuery(object):
     """Class used for querying the HAProxy statistics socket.
@@ -30,9 +33,9 @@ class HAProxyQuery(object):
     """
 
     def __init__(self, stats_socket):
-        """stats_socket
+        """Initialize the class
 
-            Path to the HAProxy statistics socket file.
+        :param stats_socket: Path to the HAProxy statistics socket file.
         """
 
         self.socket = stats_socket
@@ -134,3 +137,23 @@ class HAProxyQuery(object):
                 final_results[line['pxname']]['members'][line['svname']] = (
                     line['status'])
         return final_results
+
+    def save_state(self, state_file_path):
+        """Save haproxy connection state to a file.
+
+        :param state_file_path: Absolute path to the state file
+
+        :returns: bool (True if success, False otherwise)
+        """
+
+        try:
+            result = self._query('show servers state')
+            # No need for binary mode, the _query converts bytes to ascii.
+            with open(state_file_path, 'w') as fh:
+                fh.write(result)
+            return True
+        except Exception as e:
+            # Catch any exception - may be socket issue, or write permission
+            # issue as well.
+            LOG.warning("Unable to save state: %r", e)
+            return False
diff --git a/octavia/tests/functional/amphorae/backend/agent/api_server/test_server.py b/octavia/tests/functional/amphorae/backend/agent/api_server/test_server.py
index 9e03612879..d58ecb87e3 100644
--- a/octavia/tests/functional/amphorae/backend/agent/api_server/test_server.py
+++ b/octavia/tests/functional/amphorae/backend/agent/api_server/test_server.py
@@ -352,8 +352,10 @@ class TestServerTestCase(base.TestCase):
     @mock.patch('octavia.amphorae.backends.agent.api_server.loadbalancer.'
                 'Loadbalancer._check_haproxy_status')
     @mock.patch('subprocess.check_output')
-    def _test_reload(self, distro, mock_subprocess, mock_haproxy_status,
-                     mock_vrrp, mock_exists, mock_listdir):
+    @mock.patch('octavia.amphorae.backends.utils.haproxy_query.HAProxyQuery')
+    def _test_reload(self, distro, mock_haproxy_query, mock_subprocess,
+                     mock_haproxy_status, mock_vrrp, mock_exists,
+                     mock_listdir):
 
         self.assertIn(distro, [consts.UBUNTU, consts.CENTOS])
 
diff --git a/octavia/tests/unit/amphorae/backends/agent/api_server/test_loadbalancer.py b/octavia/tests/unit/amphorae/backends/agent/api_server/test_loadbalancer.py
index 5de0f23516..663a59609b 100644
--- a/octavia/tests/unit/amphorae/backends/agent/api_server/test_loadbalancer.py
+++ b/octavia/tests/unit/amphorae/backends/agent/api_server/test_loadbalancer.py
@@ -65,8 +65,9 @@ class ListenerTestCase(base.TestCase):
     @mock.patch('octavia.amphorae.backends.agent.api_server.loadbalancer.'
                 'Loadbalancer._check_lb_exists')
     @mock.patch('subprocess.check_output')
-    def test_start_stop_lb(self, mock_check_output, mock_lb_exists,
-                           mock_path_exists, mock_vrrp_update,
+    @mock.patch('octavia.amphorae.backends.utils.haproxy_query.HAProxyQuery')
+    def test_start_stop_lb(self, mock_haproxy_query, mock_check_output,
+                           mock_lb_exists, mock_path_exists, mock_vrrp_update,
                            mock_check_status):
         listener_id = uuidutils.generate_uuid()
 
diff --git a/octavia/tests/unit/amphorae/backends/utils/test_haproxy_query.py b/octavia/tests/unit/amphorae/backends/utils/test_haproxy_query.py
index 1e58876147..ced4f3b100 100644
--- a/octavia/tests/unit/amphorae/backends/utils/test_haproxy_query.py
+++ b/octavia/tests/unit/amphorae/backends/utils/test_haproxy_query.py
@@ -145,3 +145,32 @@ class QueryTestCase(base.TestCase):
              'description': '', 'Release_date': '2014/07/25'},
             self.q.show_info()
         )
+
+    def test_save_state(self):
+        filename = 'state_file'
+
+        query_mock = mock.Mock()
+        query_mock.return_value = 'DATA'
+
+        self.q._query = query_mock
+        builtin_open = '__builtin__.open' if six.PY2 else 'builtins.open'
+
+        with mock.patch(builtin_open) as mock_open:
+            mock_fh = mock.MagicMock()
+            mock_open().__enter__.return_value = mock_fh
+
+            self.q.save_state(filename)
+
+            mock_fh.write.assert_called_once_with('DATA')
+
+    def test_save_state_error(self):
+        """save_state() should swallow exceptions"""
+        filename = 'state_file'
+
+        query_mock = mock.Mock(side_effect=OSError())
+        self.q._query = query_mock
+
+        try:
+            self.q.save_state(filename)
+        except Exception as ex:
+            self.fail("save_state() raised %r unexpectedly!" % ex)
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/ping-healthcheck-selinux-e3b7d360c8503527.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/ping-healthcheck-selinux-e3b7d360c8503527.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..70043c4348
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/ping-healthcheck-selinux-e3b7d360c8503527.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+issues:
+  - |
+    When using a distribution with a recent SELinux release such as CentOS 8
+    Stream, PING health-monitor does not work as shell_exec_t calls are denied
+    by SELinux.