diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index ff29c61..7b363e0 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ go 1.12
 require (
 	github.com/asaskevich/govalidator v0.0.0-20190424111038-f61b66f89f4a // indirect
 	github.com/criteo/haproxy-spoe-go v0.0.0-20190925130734-97891c13d324
+	github.com/d4l3k/messagediff v1.2.1 // indirect
 	github.com/docker/go-units v0.4.0 // indirect
 	github.com/facebookgo/freeport v0.0.0-20150612182905-d4adf43b75b9
 	github.com/go-openapi/analysis v0.19.0 // indirect
@@ -25,5 +26,6 @@ require (
 	golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20190607181551-461777fb6f67 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20190528012530-adf421d2caf4 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/text v0.3.2 // indirect
+	gopkg.in/d4l3k/messagediff.v1 v1.2.1
 	gopkg.in/mcuadros/go-syslog.v2 v2.2.1
 )
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 3d70b2c..0fb868e 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ github.com/coredns/coredns v1.1.2 h1:bAFHrSsBeTeRG5W3Nf2su3lUGw7Npw2UKeCJm/3A638
 github.com/coredns/coredns v1.1.2/go.mod h1:zASH/MVDgR6XZTbxvOnsZfffS+31vg6Ackf/wo1+AM0=
 github.com/criteo/haproxy-spoe-go v0.0.0-20190925130734-97891c13d324 h1:EG4AakHHowlW2TkSX6URMubHsmRjd0HWl4LtI4pD7WA=
 github.com/criteo/haproxy-spoe-go v0.0.0-20190925130734-97891c13d324/go.mod h1:3h7I0HgdYy7SIlcSLEUVLpFTfHA0V4qK6QsQEKNLRkI=
+github.com/d4l3k/messagediff v1.2.1 h1:ZcAIMYsUg0EAp9X+tt8/enBE/Q8Yd5kzPynLyKptt9U=
+github.com/d4l3k/messagediff v1.2.1/go.mod h1:Oozbb1TVXFac9FtSIxHBMnBCq2qeH/2KkEQxENCrlLo=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.0/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 h1:vj9j/u1bqnvCEfJOwUhtlOARqs3+rkHYY13jYWTU97c=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
@@ -467,6 +469,8 @@ gopkg.in/asn1-ber.v1 v1.0.0-20181015200546-f715ec2f112d/go.mod h1:cuepJuh7vyXfUy
 gopkg.in/check.v1 v0.0.0-20161208181325-20d25e280405/go.mod h1:Co6ibVJAznAaIkqp8huTwlJQCZ016jof/cbN4VW5Yz0=
 gopkg.in/check.v1 v1.0.0-20180628173108-788fd7840127 h1:qIbj1fsPNlZgppZ+VLlY7N33q108Sa+fhmuc+sWQYwY=
 gopkg.in/check.v1 v1.0.0-20180628173108-788fd7840127/go.mod h1:Co6ibVJAznAaIkqp8huTwlJQCZ016jof/cbN4VW5Yz0=
+gopkg.in/d4l3k/messagediff.v1 v1.2.1 h1:70AthpjunwzUiarMHyED52mj9UwtAnE89l1Gmrt3EU0=
+gopkg.in/d4l3k/messagediff.v1 v1.2.1/go.mod h1:EUzikiKadqXWcD1AzJLagx0j/BeeWGtn++04Xniyg44=
 gopkg.in/fsnotify.v1 v1.4.7/go.mod h1:Tz8NjZHkW78fSQdbUxIjBTcgA1z1m8ZHf0WmKUhAMys=
 gopkg.in/gemnasium/logrus-airbrake-hook.v2 v2.1.2/go.mod h1:Xk6kEKp8OKb+X14hQBKWaSkCsqBpgog8nAV2xsGOxlo=
 gopkg.in/inf.v0 v0.9.1 h1:73M5CoZyi3ZLMOyDlQh031Cx6N9NDJ2Vvfl76EDAgDc=
diff --git a/haproxy/haproxy.go b/haproxy/haproxy.go
index 36c136c..cdda754 100644
--- a/haproxy/haproxy.go
+++ b/haproxy/haproxy.go
@@ -23,14 +23,15 @@ type HAProxy struct {
 	opts            Options
 	dataplaneClient *dataplane.Dataplane
 	consulClient    *api.Client
-	cfgC            chan consul.Config
-	currentCfg      *consul.Config
 
-	oldState state.State
+	cfgC chan consul.Config
+
+	currentConsulConfig *consul.Config
+	currentHAProxyState state.State
 
 	haConfig *haConfig
 
-	Ready chan (struct{})
+	Ready chan struct{}
 }
 
 func New(consulClient *api.Client, cfg chan consul.Config, opts Options) *HAProxy {
@@ -49,34 +50,7 @@ func New(consulClient *api.Client, cfg chan consul.Config, opts Options) *HAProx
 }
 
 func (h *HAProxy) Run(sd *lib.Shutdown) error {
-	init := false
-	statsStarted := false
-	for {
-		select {
-		case c := <-h.cfgC:
-			if !init {
-				err := h.start(sd)
-				if err != nil {
-					return err
-				}
-				init = true
-				close(h.Ready)
-			}
-			err := h.handleChange(c)
-			if err != nil {
-				log.Error(err)
-			}
-			if !statsStarted {
-				err = h.startStats()
-				if err != nil {
-					log.Error(err)
-				}
-				statsStarted = true
-			}
-		case <-sd.Stop:
-			return nil
-		}
-	}
+	return h.watch(sd)
 }
 
 func (h *HAProxy) start(sd *lib.Shutdown) error {
@@ -114,6 +88,11 @@ func (h *HAProxy) start(sd *lib.Shutdown) error {
 	}
 	h.dataplaneClient = dpc
 
+	err = h.startStats()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Error(err)
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -138,7 +117,7 @@ func (h *HAProxy) startLogger() error {
 
 func (h *HAProxy) startSPOA() error {
 	spoeAgent := spoe.New(NewSPOEHandler(h.consulClient, func() consul.Config {
-		return *h.currentCfg
+		return *h.currentConsulConfig
 	}).Handler)
 
 	lis, err := net.Listen("unix", h.haConfig.SPOESock)
@@ -173,8 +152,8 @@ func (h *HAProxy) startStats() error {
 
 		reg := func() {
 			err = h.consulClient.Agent().ServiceRegister(&api.AgentServiceRegistration{
-				ID:   fmt.Sprintf("%s-connect-stats", h.currentCfg.ServiceID),
-				Name: fmt.Sprintf("%s-connect-stats", h.currentCfg.ServiceName),
+				ID:   fmt.Sprintf("%s-connect-stats", h.currentConsulConfig.ServiceID),
+				Name: fmt.Sprintf("%s-connect-stats", h.currentConsulConfig.ServiceName),
 				Port: port,
 				Checks: api.AgentServiceChecks{
 					&api.AgentServiceCheck{
@@ -198,7 +177,7 @@ func (h *HAProxy) startStats() error {
 	}()
 	go (&Stats{
 		dpapi:   h.dataplaneClient,
-		service: h.currentCfg.ServiceName,
+		service: h.currentConsulConfig.ServiceName,
 	}).Run()
 	go func() {
 		http.Handle("/metrics", promhttp.Handler())
diff --git a/haproxy/state.go b/haproxy/state.go
index fad7bb8..841e6ea 100644
--- a/haproxy/state.go
+++ b/haproxy/state.go
@@ -1,43 +1,139 @@
 package haproxy
 
 import (
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"time"
+
 	"github.com/criteo/haproxy-consul-connect/consul"
 	"github.com/criteo/haproxy-consul-connect/haproxy/state"
+	"github.com/criteo/haproxy-consul-connect/lib"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	"gopkg.in/d4l3k/messagediff.v1"
 )
 
-func (h *HAProxy) handleChange(cfg consul.Config) error {
-	log.Info("handling new configuration")
-
-	newState, err := state.Generate(state.Options{
-		EnableIntentions: h.opts.EnableIntentions,
-		LogRequests:      h.opts.LogRequests,
-		LogSocket:        h.haConfig.LogsSock,
-		SPOEConfigPath:   h.haConfig.SPOE,
-		SPOESocket:       h.haConfig.SPOESock,
-	}, h.haConfig, h.oldState, cfg)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+func (h *HAProxy) watch(sd *lib.Shutdown) error {
+	throttle := time.Tick(50 * time.Millisecond)
+	currentState := state.State{}
+	nextState := &atomic.Value{}
+	next := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+	dirty := false
 
-	tx := h.dataplaneClient.Tnx()
+	go func() {
+		for c := range h.cfgC {
+			select {
+			case <-sd.Stop:
+				return
+			default:
+			}
 
-	log.Debugf("applying new state: %+v", newState)
+			log.Info("received consul config update")
+			nextState.Store(c)
+			h.currentConsulConfig = &c
+			select {
+			case next <- struct{}{}:
+			default:
+			}
+		}
+	}()
 
-	err = state.Apply(tx, h.oldState, newState)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+	go func() {
+		for range time.Tick(5 * time.Minute) {
+			select {
+			case <-sd.Stop:
+				return
+			default:
+			}
+
+			dirty = true
+		}
+	}()
 
-	err = tx.Commit()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+	retry := func() {
+		time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
+		select {
+		case next <- struct{}{}:
+		default:
+		}
 	}
 
-	h.oldState = newState
-	h.currentCfg = &cfg
+	started := false
+	for {
+		for {
+			select {
+			case <-sd.Stop:
+				return nil
+			case <-next:
+			}
+
+			<-throttle
+
+			log.Info("handling new configuration")
+			if !started {
+				err := h.start(sd)
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+				started = true
+				close(h.Ready)
+			}
+
+			if dirty {
+				log.Info("refreshing haproxy state")
+				fromHa, err := state.FromHAProxy(h.dataplaneClient)
+				if err != nil {
+					log.Errorf("error retrieving haproxy conf: %s", err)
+					retry()
+					continue
+				}
+				diff, equal := messagediff.PrettyDiff(currentState, fromHa)
+				if !equal {
+					log.Errorf("diff found between expected state and haproxy state: %s", diff)
+				}
+				currentState = fromHa
+				dirty = false
+			}
+
+			newConsulCfg := nextState.Load().(consul.Config)
 
-	log.Info("state successfully applied")
+			newState, err := state.Generate(state.Options{
+				EnableIntentions: h.opts.EnableIntentions,
+				LogRequests:      h.opts.LogRequests,
+				LogSocket:        h.haConfig.LogsSock,
+				SPOEConfigPath:   h.haConfig.SPOE,
+				SPOESocket:       h.haConfig.SPOESock,
+			}, h.haConfig, currentState, newConsulCfg)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Error(err)
+				retry()
+				continue
+			}
 
-	return nil
+			if currentState.Equal(newState) {
+				log.Info("no change to apply to haproxy")
+				continue
+			}
+
+			tx := h.dataplaneClient.Tnx()
+
+			log.Debugf("applying new state: %+v", newState)
+
+			err = state.Apply(tx, currentState, newState)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Error(err)
+				retry()
+				continue
+			}
+
+			err = tx.Commit()
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Error(err)
+				retry()
+				continue
+			}
+
+			currentState = newState
+
+			log.Info("state applied")
+		}
+	}
 }
diff --git a/haproxy/state/state.go b/haproxy/state/state.go
index f357739..c60ae6d 100644
--- a/haproxy/state/state.go
+++ b/haproxy/state/state.go
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 package state
 
-import "github.com/haproxytech/models"
+import (
+	"reflect"
+
+	"github.com/haproxytech/models"
+)
 
 type FrontendFilter struct {
 	Filter models.Filter
@@ -25,6 +29,10 @@ type State struct {
 	Backends  []Backend
 }
 
+func (s State) Equal(o State) bool {
+	return reflect.DeepEqual(s, o)
+}
+
 func (s State) findBackend(name string) (Backend, bool) {
 	for _, b := range s.Backends {
 		if b.Backend.Name == name {