diff --git a/octavia/amphorae/backends/utils/keepalivedlvs_query.py b/octavia/amphorae/backends/utils/keepalivedlvs_query.py
index 56dae54844..fb02e15b7f 100644
--- a/octavia/amphorae/backends/utils/keepalivedlvs_query.py
+++ b/octavia/amphorae/backends/utils/keepalivedlvs_query.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 # under the License.
 
 import ipaddress
+import os
 import re
 import subprocess
 
@@ -236,6 +237,20 @@ def get_udp_listener_pool_status(listener_id):
             'members': {}
         }}
 
+    config_path = util.keepalived_lvs_cfg_path(listener_id)
+    pids_pathes = util.keepalived_lvs_pids_path(listener_id)
+
+    config_stat = os.stat(config_path)
+    check_pid_stat = os.stat(pids_pathes[2])
+
+    # Indicates that keepalived configuration has been updated but the service
+    # has yet to be restarted.
+    # NOTE: It only works if we are doing a RESTART on configuration change,
+    # Iaa34db6cb1dfed98e96a585c5d105e263c7efa65 forces a RESTART instead of a
+    # RELOAD, we need to be careful if we want to switch back to RELOAD after
+    # updating to a recent keepalived release.
+    restarting = config_stat.st_mtime > check_pid_stat.st_mtime
+
     with open(util.keepalived_lvs_cfg_path(listener_id), 'r') as f:
         cfg = f.read()
         hm_enabled = len(CHECKER_REGEX.findall(cfg)) > 0
@@ -259,7 +274,8 @@ def get_udp_listener_pool_status(listener_id):
             if member_ip_port is None:
                 status = constants.MAINT
             elif member_ip_port in down_member_ip_port_set:
-                status = constants.DOWN
+                status = (
+                    constants.RESTARTING if restarting else constants.DOWN)
             elif int(realserver_result[member_ip_port]['Weight']) == 0:
                 status = constants.DRAIN
             else:
@@ -275,7 +291,8 @@ def get_udp_listener_pool_status(listener_id):
             if member['ipport'] is None:
                 member_results[member['id']] = constants.MAINT
             elif hm_enabled:
-                member_results[member['id']] = constants.DOWN
+                member_results[member['id']] = (
+                    constants.RESTARTING if restarting else constants.DOWN)
             else:
                 member_results[member['id']] = constants.NO_CHECK
 
diff --git a/octavia/common/constants.py b/octavia/common/constants.py
index b4be1309e0..e45034455a 100644
--- a/octavia/common/constants.py
+++ b/octavia/common/constants.py
@@ -641,6 +641,8 @@ HAPROXY_MEMBER_STATUSES = (UP, DOWN, DRAIN, MAINT, NO_CHECK)
 # the sysctl fs.file-max fs.nr_open settings in the image
 HAPROXY_MAX_MAXCONN = 1000000
 
+RESTARTING = 'RESTARTING'
+
 # Quota Constants
 QUOTA_UNLIMITED = -1
 MIN_QUOTA = QUOTA_UNLIMITED
diff --git a/octavia/controller/healthmanager/health_drivers/update_db.py b/octavia/controller/healthmanager/health_drivers/update_db.py
index c9e4659ece..99022e8297 100644
--- a/octavia/controller/healthmanager/health_drivers/update_db.py
+++ b/octavia/controller/healthmanager/health_drivers/update_db.py
@@ -431,6 +431,14 @@ class UpdateHealthDb(update_base.HealthUpdateBase):
                     member_status = constants.OFFLINE
                 elif status == constants.NO_CHECK:
                     member_status = constants.NO_MONITOR
+                elif status == constants.RESTARTING:
+                    # RESTARTING means that keepalived is restarting and a down
+                    # member has been detected, the real status of the member
+                    # is not clear, it might mean that the checker hasn't run
+                    # yet.
+                    # In this case, keep previous member_status, and wait for a
+                    # non-transitional status.
+                    pass
                 else:
                     LOG.warning('Member %(mem)s reported '
                                 'status of %(status)s',
diff --git a/octavia/tests/unit/amphorae/backends/utils/test_keepalivedlvs_query.py b/octavia/tests/unit/amphorae/backends/utils/test_keepalivedlvs_query.py
index f033a61041..c1a455c662 100644
--- a/octavia/tests/unit/amphorae/backends/utils/test_keepalivedlvs_query.py
+++ b/octavia/tests/unit/amphorae/backends/utils/test_keepalivedlvs_query.py
@@ -298,8 +298,15 @@ class LvsQueryTestCase(base.TestCase):
             self.disabled_listener_id)
         self.assertEqual((None, constants.AMPHORA_NAMESPACE), res)
 
+    @mock.patch('os.stat')
     @mock.patch('subprocess.check_output')
-    def test_get_udp_listener_pool_status(self, mock_check_output):
+    def test_get_udp_listener_pool_status(self, mock_check_output,
+                                          mock_os_stat):
+        mock_os_stat.side_effect = (
+            mock.Mock(st_mtime=1234),
+            mock.Mock(st_mtime=1234),
+        )
+
         # test with ipv4 and ipv6
         mock_check_output.return_value = KERNAL_FILE_SAMPLE_V4
         res = lvs_query.get_udp_listener_pool_status(self.listener_id_v4)
@@ -313,6 +320,11 @@ class LvsQueryTestCase(base.TestCase):
                          self.member_id4_v4: constants.MAINT}}}
         self.assertEqual(expected, res)
 
+        mock_os_stat.side_effect = (
+            mock.Mock(st_mtime=1234),
+            mock.Mock(st_mtime=1234),
+        )
+
         mock_check_output.return_value = KERNAL_FILE_SAMPLE_V6
         res = lvs_query.get_udp_listener_pool_status(self.listener_id_v6)
         expected = {
@@ -325,6 +337,28 @@ class LvsQueryTestCase(base.TestCase):
                          self.member_id4_v6: constants.MAINT}}}
         self.assertEqual(expected, res)
 
+    @mock.patch('os.stat')
+    @mock.patch('subprocess.check_output')
+    def test_get_udp_listener_pool_status_restarting(self, mock_check_output,
+                                                     mock_os_stat):
+        mock_os_stat.side_effect = (
+            mock.Mock(st_mtime=1234),  # config file
+            mock.Mock(st_mtime=1220),  # pid file
+        )
+
+        # test with ipv4 and ipv6
+        mock_check_output.return_value = KERNAL_FILE_SAMPLE_V4
+        res = lvs_query.get_udp_listener_pool_status(self.listener_id_v4)
+        expected = {
+            'lvs':
+            {'uuid': self.pool_id_v4,
+             'status': constants.UP,
+             'members': {self.member_id1_v4: constants.UP,
+                         self.member_id2_v4: constants.UP,
+                         self.member_id3_v4: constants.RESTARTING,
+                         self.member_id4_v4: constants.MAINT}}}
+        self.assertEqual(expected, res)
+
     @mock.patch('octavia.amphorae.backends.utils.keepalivedlvs_query.'
                 'get_udp_listener_resource_ipports_nsname')
     def test_get_udp_listener_pool_status_when_no_pool(
@@ -366,14 +400,19 @@ class LvsQueryTestCase(base.TestCase):
         }}
         self.assertEqual(expected, res)
 
+    @mock.patch('os.stat')
     @mock.patch('octavia.amphorae.backends.utils.keepalivedlvs_query.'
                 'get_listener_realserver_mapping')
     def test_get_udp_listener_pool_status_when_not_get_realserver_result(
-            self, mock_get_mapping):
+            self, mock_get_mapping, mock_os_stat):
         # This will hit if the kernel lvs file (/proc/net/ip_vs)
         # lose its content. So at this moment, eventhough we configure the
         # pool and member into udp keepalived config file, we have to set
         # ths status of pool and its members to DOWN.
+        mock_os_stat.side_effect = (
+            mock.Mock(st_mtime=1234),
+            mock.Mock(st_mtime=1234),
+        )
         mock_get_mapping.return_value = (False, {})
         res = lvs_query.get_udp_listener_pool_status(self.listener_id_v4)
         expected = {
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/fixed-unstable-UDP-health-status-ba32690b83a9641b.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/fixed-unstable-UDP-health-status-ba32690b83a9641b.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b93fedc52f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/fixed-unstable-UDP-health-status-ba32690b83a9641b.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    Fix a potential invalid DOWN operating status for members of a UDP pool.
+    A race condition could have occured when building the first heartbeat
+    message after adding a new member in a pool, this recently added member
+    could have been seen as DOWN.