diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e.yml b/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
index 7cc51004..b0c736b7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
@@ -95,6 +95,28 @@ jobs:
         env:
           BASE_URL: http://127.0.0.1:8730
 
+      - name: Stop and restart the container
+        run: |
+          before=$(sha256sum "$RUNNER_TEMP/data/apps.json")
+          docker stop -t 30 stackyard-e2e
+          code=$(docker inspect -f '{{.State.ExitCode}}' stackyard-e2e)
+          echo "stopped with exit code ${code}"
+          if [ "$code" = 137 ]; then
+            echo "::error::the container ignored SIGTERM and was killed"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          docker start stackyard-e2e
+          for i in $(seq 1 60); do
+            if curl -fsS http://127.0.0.1:8730/health >/dev/null 2>&1; then echo "up again after ${i}s"; break; fi
+            if [ "$i" = 60 ]; then echo "::error::the container never became healthy after a restart"; exit 1; fi
+            sleep 1
+          done
+          after=$(sha256sum "$RUNNER_TEMP/data/apps.json")
+          if [ "$before" != "$after" ]; then
+            echo "::error::the restart changed the saved config"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
       - name: Container logs on failure
         if: failure()
         run: docker logs stackyard-e2e
diff --git a/test/repo/release-workflow.test.js b/test/repo/release-workflow.test.js
index 5018c391..b2761da6 100644
--- a/test/repo/release-workflow.test.js
+++ b/test/repo/release-workflow.test.js
@@ -191,6 +191,21 @@ test('the e2e workflow can be called, and still runs on its own', () => {
   );
 });
 
+test('the e2e workflow stops and restarts the built image after the specs', () => {
+  const e2e = yaml.load(fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, '.github/workflows/e2e.yml'), 'utf8'));
+  const e2eSteps = Object.values(e2e.jobs)[0].steps;
+  const at = e2eSteps.findIndex(s => s.name === 'Stop and restart the container');
+  assert.ok(
+    at > e2eSteps.findIndex(s => s.name === 'Run the specs'),
+    'the restart must run on the config the specs saved',
+  );
+  const run = e2eSteps[at].run;
+  assert.match(run, /docker stop -t \d+ stackyard-e2e/);
+  assert.match(run, /"\$code" = 137/, 'a container killed after the stop timeout must fail the job');
+  assert.match(run, /docker start stackyard-e2e/);
+  assert.match(run, /"\$before" != "\$after"/, 'the restart must leave the saved config as it was');
+});
+
 /* Every other gate reads a locally built copy. These pin the checks that read
    the published image, and that nothing announces a release before they pass. */