diff --git a/src/config/network/helper.rs b/src/config/network/helper.rs
index e32d3e20..97645c01 100644
--- a/src/config/network/helper.rs
+++ b/src/config/network/helper.rs
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ pub fn compute_file_diff(filename: &str, shadow: &str) -> Result<String, Error>
         .output()
         .map_err(|err| format_err!("failed to execute diff - {}", err))?;
 
-    let diff = crate::tools::command_output(output)
+    let diff = crate::tools::command_output(output, Some(|c| c == 0 || c == 1))
         .map_err(|err| format_err!("diff failed: {}", err))?;
 
     Ok(diff)
@@ -165,17 +165,14 @@ pub fn assert_ifupdown2_installed() -> Result<(), Error> {
 
 pub fn network_reload() -> Result<(), Error> {
 
-    let status = Command::new("/sbin/ifreload")
+    let output = Command::new("/sbin/ifreload")
         .arg("-a")
-        .status()
-        .map_err(|err| format_err!("failed to execute ifreload: - {}", err))?;
+        .output()
+        .map_err(|err| format_err!("failed to execute '/sbin/ifreload' - {}", err))?;
+
+    crate::tools::command_output(output, None)
+        .map_err(|err| format_err!("ifreload failed: {}", err))?;
 
-    if !status.success() {
-        match status.code() {
-            Some(code) => bail!("ifreload failed with status code: {}", code),
-            None => bail!("ifreload terminated by signal")
-        }
-    }
 
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/src/tools.rs b/src/tools.rs
index 06682480..2fedd848 100644
--- a/src/tools.rs
+++ b/src/tools.rs
@@ -475,13 +475,22 @@ pub fn normalize_uri_path(path: &str) -> Result<(String, Vec<&str>), Error> {
 }
 
 /// Helper to check result from std::process::Command output
-pub fn command_output(output: std::process::Output) -> Result<String, Error> {
+///
+/// The exit_code_check() function should return true if the exit code
+/// is considered successful.
+pub fn command_output(
+    output: std::process::Output,
+    exit_code_check: Option<fn(i32) -> bool>
+) -> Result<String, Error> {
 
     if !output.status.success() {
         match output.status.code() {
             Some(code) => {
-                if code == 0 { return Ok(String::new()); }
-                if code != 1 {
+                let is_ok = match exit_code_check {
+                    Some(check_fn) => check_fn(code),
+                    None => code == 0,
+                };
+                if !is_ok {
                     let msg = String::from_utf8(output.stderr)
                         .map(|m| if m.is_empty() { String::from("no error message") } else { m })
                         .unwrap_or_else(|_| String::from("non utf8 error message (suppressed)"));