diff --git a/cmd/notary-server/config.go b/cmd/notary-server/config.go
index 0177be6a36..2845ec5204 100644
--- a/cmd/notary-server/config.go
+++ b/cmd/notary-server/config.go
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ import (
 	"path"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"os"
+	"os/signal"
+	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -225,6 +228,7 @@ func parseServerConfig(configFilePath string, hRegister healthRegister) (context
 	}
 
 	ctx := context.Background()
+	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "config", config)
 
 	// default is error level
 	lvl, err := utils.ParseLogLevel(config, logrus.ErrorLevel)
@@ -278,3 +282,37 @@ func parseServerConfig(configFilePath string, hRegister healthRegister) (context
 		ConsistentCacheControlConfig: consistentCache,
 	}, nil
 }
+
+func setupConfigReloadTrap(oldConfig *viper.Viper, configFile string, envPrefix string) {
+	c := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
+	signal.Notify(c, notary.NotarySupportedSignals...)
+	go func() {
+		for {
+			reloadConfig(<-c, configFile, oldConfig, envPrefix)
+		}
+	}()
+}
+
+// reloadConfig was designed to do all the dirty work that needed to reload
+// the config for notary-server and make the entrance-ReloadConfiguration()
+// for hot configuration reload do some generic things.
+func reloadConfig(sig os.Signal, configFile string, oldConfig *viper.Viper, envPrefix string) {
+	reload := func(config *viper.Viper) {
+		switch sig {
+		case syscall.SIGUSR1:
+			if err := utils.AdjustLogLevel(true); err != nil {
+				fmt.Println("Increase log level failed, will use the old one, error: ", err)
+				return
+			}
+		case syscall.SIGUSR2:
+			if err := utils.AdjustLogLevel(false); err != nil {
+				fmt.Println("Decrease log level failed, will use the old one, error: ", err)
+				return
+			}
+		}
+
+		fmt.Println("Successfully setting log level to ", logrus.GetLevel())
+	}
+
+	utils.ReloadConfiguration(oldConfig, configFile, envPrefix, reload)
+}
diff --git a/cmd/notary-server/main.go b/cmd/notary-server/main.go
index 62042e4df9..6f7cc22ae9 100644
--- a/cmd/notary-server/main.go
+++ b/cmd/notary-server/main.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/distribution/health"
 	"github.com/docker/notary/server"
 	"github.com/docker/notary/version"
+	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 )
 
 // DebugAddress is the debug server address to listen on
@@ -57,6 +58,12 @@ func main() {
 		logrus.Fatal(err.Error())
 	}
 
+	config, ok := ctx.Value("config").(*viper.Viper)
+	if !ok {
+		logrus.Fatalf("parse config failed")
+	}
+	setupConfigReloadTrap(config, configFile, envPrefix)
+
 	if doBootstrap {
 		err = bootstrap(ctx)
 	} else {
diff --git a/utils/configuration.go b/utils/configuration.go
index f94b73a270..a59d536439 100644
--- a/utils/configuration.go
+++ b/utils/configuration.go
@@ -244,3 +244,31 @@ func AdjustLogLevel(increment bool) error {
 	logrus.SetLevel(lvl)
 	return nil
 }
+
+// ReloadConfiguration reads and parse the configuration in the host and do some verification.
+func ReloadConfiguration(oldConfig *viper.Viper, configFile string, envPrefix string, reload func(*viper.Viper)) error {
+	logrus.Infof("Got signal to reload configuration, reloading from: %s", configFile)
+
+	// parse a viper as the new Config
+	newConfig := viper.New()
+	SetupViper(newConfig, envPrefix)
+	if err := ParseViper(newConfig, configFile); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// To check if there was anything wrong
+	if err := validateConfiguration(oldConfig, newConfig); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	reload(newConfig)
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Reserved for future use, we can use it to validate some specific configs when necessary.
+// For example:
+// - to check if there are conflicts.
+// - to do some sanity check maybe.
+func validateConfiguration(oldConfig, newConfig *viper.Viper) error {
+	return nil
+}