diff --git a/nucleus/common/glassfish-api/src/main/java/org/glassfish/api/deployment/DeployCommandParameters.java b/nucleus/common/glassfish-api/src/main/java/org/glassfish/api/deployment/DeployCommandParameters.java
index a4d451ef92d..4b6d296adfe 100644
--- a/nucleus/common/glassfish-api/src/main/java/org/glassfish/api/deployment/DeployCommandParameters.java
+++ b/nucleus/common/glassfish-api/src/main/java/org/glassfish/api/deployment/DeployCommandParameters.java
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
  * only if the new code is made subject to such option by the copyright
  * holder.
  */
-// Portions Copyright [2016-2020] [Payara Foundation and/or its affiliates]
+// Portions Copyright [2016-2024] [Payara Foundation and/or its affiliates]
 
 package org.glassfish.api.deployment;
 
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ public static class ParameterNames {
         public static final String DEPLOYMENT_ORDER = "deploymentorder";
         public static final String ALT_DD = "altdd";
         public static final String RUNTIME_ALT_DD = "runtimealtdd";
+        public static final String KEEP_STATE = "keepState";
         public static final String HOT_DEPLOY = "hotdeploy";
         public static final String SOURCES_CHANGED = "sourceschanged";
         public static final String METADATA_CHANGED = "metadatachanged";
diff --git a/nucleus/core/kernel/src/main/java/com/sun/enterprise/v3/server/DynamicReloader.java b/nucleus/core/kernel/src/main/java/com/sun/enterprise/v3/server/DynamicReloader.java
index 777ff6b5734..a04671a5c94 100644
--- a/nucleus/core/kernel/src/main/java/com/sun/enterprise/v3/server/DynamicReloader.java
+++ b/nucleus/core/kernel/src/main/java/com/sun/enterprise/v3/server/DynamicReloader.java
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
  * only if the new code is made subject to such option by the copyright
  * holder.
  */
-// Portions Copyright [2016-2021] [Payara Foundation and/or its affiliates]
+// Portions Copyright [2016-2024] [Payara Foundation and/or its affiliates]
 
 package com.sun.enterprise.v3.server;
 
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@
 import com.sun.enterprise.admin.report.XMLActionReporter;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.FileInputStream;
-import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.net.URI;
@@ -61,7 +60,6 @@
 import java.util.Properties;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
-import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 import javax.security.auth.Subject;
 import org.glassfish.api.admin.ParameterMap;
@@ -251,6 +249,7 @@ private void reloadApp(AppReloadInfo appInfo) throws IOException {
         deployParam.set(DeploymentProperties.KEEP_REPOSITORY_DIRECTORY, "true");
 
         Properties reloadFile = appInfo.readReloadFile();
+        boolean keepState = Boolean.parseBoolean(reloadFile.getProperty(DeployCommandParameters.ParameterNames.KEEP_STATE));
         boolean hotDeploy = Boolean.parseBoolean(reloadFile.getProperty(DeployCommandParameters.ParameterNames.HOT_DEPLOY));
         if (hotDeploy) {
             deployParam.set(DeployCommandParameters.ParameterNames.HOT_DEPLOY, "true");
@@ -263,6 +262,9 @@ private void reloadApp(AppReloadInfo appInfo) throws IOException {
                 deployParam.set(DeployCommandParameters.ParameterNames.SOURCES_CHANGED, sourcesChanged);
             }
         }
+        if(keepState) {
+            deployParam.set(DeployCommandParameters.ParameterNames.KEEP_STATE, "true");
+        }
         commandRunner.getCommandInvocation("deploy", new XMLActionReporter(), kernelSubject).parameters(deployParam).execute();
 
         appInfo.recordLoad();