diff --git a/cmds/portmaster-core/main.go b/cmds/portmaster-core/main.go
index 01d71402..630f5827 100644
--- a/cmds/portmaster-core/main.go
+++ b/cmds/portmaster-core/main.go
@@ -55,10 +55,7 @@ func initialize() *service.Instance {
 
 	// Create instance.
 	var execCmdLine bool
-	instance, err := service.New(&service.ServiceConfig{
-		IsRunningAsService:    isRunningAsService(),
-		DefaultRestartCommand: defaultRestartCommand,
-	})
+	instance, err := service.New(&service.ServiceConfig{})
 	switch {
 	case err == nil:
 		// Continue
diff --git a/cmds/portmaster-core/main_linux.go b/cmds/portmaster-core/main_linux.go
index e8268dd7..e0145822 100644
--- a/cmds/portmaster-core/main_linux.go
+++ b/cmds/portmaster-core/main_linux.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"os/signal"
+	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
@@ -15,8 +16,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/safing/portmaster/service"
 )
 
-var defaultRestartCommand = exec.Command("systemctl", "restart", "portmaster")
-
 func run(instance *service.Instance) {
 	// Set default log level.
 	log.SetLogLevel(log.WarningLevel)
@@ -101,9 +100,34 @@ func run(instance *service.Instance) {
 		printStackTo(os.Stdout, "PRINTING STACK ON EXIT")
 	}
 
+	// Check if restart was trigger and send start service command if true.
+	if isRunningAsService() && instance.ShouldRestart {
+		_ = runServiceRestart()
+	}
+
 	os.Exit(instance.ExitCode())
 }
 
+func runServiceRestart() error {
+	// Check if user defined custom command for restarting the service.
+	restartCommand, exists := os.LookupEnv("PORTMASTER_RESTART_COMMAND")
+
+	// Run the service restart
+	if exists && restartCommand != "" {
+		log.Debugf(`instance: running custom restart command: "%s"`, restartCommand)
+		commandSplit := strings.Split(restartCommand, " ")
+		cmd := exec.Command(commandSplit[0], commandSplit[1:]...)
+		_ = cmd.Run()
+	} else {
+		cmd := exec.Command("systemctl", "restart", "portmaster")
+		if err := cmd.Start(); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed run restart command: %w", err)
+		}
+
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func isRunningAsService() bool {
 	// Get the current process ID
 	pid := os.Getpid()
diff --git a/cmds/portmaster-core/main_windows.go b/cmds/portmaster-core/main_windows.go
index cf47760e..7cd1c5bf 100644
--- a/cmds/portmaster-core/main_windows.go
+++ b/cmds/portmaster-core/main_windows.go
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"os/signal"
-	"sync"
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
@@ -21,14 +20,6 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/sys/windows/svc/debug"
 )
 
-var (
-	// wait groups
-	runWg    sync.WaitGroup
-	finishWg sync.WaitGroup
-
-	defaultRestartCommand = exec.Command("sc.exe", "restart", "PortmasterCore")
-)
-
 const serviceName = "PortmasterCore"
 
 type windowsService struct {
@@ -45,13 +36,15 @@ service:
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-ws.instance.Stopped():
-			changes <- svc.Status{State: svc.StopPending}
+			log.Infof("instance stopped")
 			break service
 		case c := <-changeRequests:
 			switch c.Cmd {
 			case svc.Interrogate:
 				changes <- c.CurrentStatus
 			case svc.Stop, svc.Shutdown:
+				log.Debugf("received shutdown command")
+				changes <- svc.Status{State: svc.StopPending}
 				ws.instance.Shutdown()
 			default:
 				log.Errorf("unexpected control request: #%d", c)
@@ -59,9 +52,6 @@ service:
 		}
 	}
 
-	// wait until everything else is finished
-	// finishWg.Wait()
-
 	log.Shutdown()
 
 	// send stopped status
@@ -75,11 +65,13 @@ service:
 func run(instance *service.Instance) error {
 	log.SetLogLevel(log.WarningLevel)
 	_ = log.Start()
+
 	// check if we are running interactively
 	isService, err := svc.IsWindowsService()
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("could not determine if running interactively: %s", err)
 	}
+
 	// select service run type
 	svcRun := svc.Run
 	if !isService {
@@ -88,41 +80,20 @@ func run(instance *service.Instance) error {
 		go registerSignalHandler(instance)
 	}
 
-	runWg.Add(1)
-
 	// run service client
-	go func() {
-		sErr := svcRun(serviceName, &windowsService{
-			instance: instance,
-		})
-		if sErr != nil {
-			log.Infof("shuting down service with error: %s", sErr)
-		} else {
-			log.Infof("shuting down service")
-		}
-		runWg.Done()
-	}()
+	sErr := svcRun(serviceName, &windowsService{
+		instance: instance,
+	})
+	if sErr != nil {
+		fmt.Printf("shuting down service with error: %s", sErr)
+	} else {
+		fmt.Printf("shuting down service")
+	}
 
-	// finishWg.Add(1)
-	// run service
-	// go func() {
-	// 	// run slightly delayed
-	// 	time.Sleep(250 * time.Millisecond)
-
-	// 	if err != nil {
-	// 		fmt.Printf("instance start failed: %s\n", err)
-
-	// 		// Print stack on start failure, if enabled.
-	// 		if printStackOnExit {
-	// 			printStackTo(os.Stdout, "PRINTING STACK ON START FAILURE")
-	// 		}
-
-	// 	}
-	// 	runWg.Done()
-	// 	finishWg.Done()
-	// }()
-
-	runWg.Wait()
+	// Check if restart was trigger and send start service command if true.
+	if isRunningAsService() && instance.ShouldRestart {
+		_ = runServiceRestart()
+	}
 
 	return err
 }
@@ -179,3 +150,24 @@ func isRunningAsService() bool {
 	}
 	return isService
 }
+
+func runServiceRestart() error {
+	// Script that wait for portmaster service status to change to stop
+	// and then sends a start command for the same service.
+	command := `
+$serviceName = "PortmasterCore"
+while ((Get-Service -Name $serviceName).Status -ne 'Stopped') {
+    Start-Sleep -Seconds 1
+}
+sc.exe start $serviceName`
+
+	// Create the command to execute the PowerShell script
+	cmd := exec.Command("powershell.exe", "-Command", command)
+	// Start the command. The script will continue even after the parent process exits.
+	err := cmd.Start()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/service/config.go b/service/config.go
index 8823ba5a..85a98603 100644
--- a/service/config.go
+++ b/service/config.go
@@ -1,8 +1,3 @@
 package service
 
-import "os/exec"
-
-type ServiceConfig struct {
-	IsRunningAsService    bool
-	DefaultRestartCommand *exec.Cmd
-}
+type ServiceConfig struct{}
diff --git a/service/instance.go b/service/instance.go
index 7887b0ef..67682f1b 100644
--- a/service/instance.go
+++ b/service/instance.go
@@ -4,17 +4,14 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
-	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	go_runtime "runtime"
-	"strings"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/safing/portmaster/base/api"
 	"github.com/safing/portmaster/base/config"
 	"github.com/safing/portmaster/base/database/dbmodule"
-	"github.com/safing/portmaster/base/log"
 	"github.com/safing/portmaster/base/metrics"
 	"github.com/safing/portmaster/base/notifications"
 	"github.com/safing/portmaster/base/rng"
@@ -104,9 +101,8 @@ type Instance struct {
 	sluice    *sluice.SluiceModule
 	terminal  *terminal.TerminalModule
 
-	CommandLineOperation  func() error
-	isRunningAsService    bool
-	defaultRestartCommand *exec.Cmd
+	CommandLineOperation func() error
+	ShouldRestart        bool
 }
 
 func getCurrentBinaryFolder() (string, error) {
@@ -183,8 +179,6 @@ func New(svcCfg *ServiceConfig) (*Instance, error) { //nolint:maintidx
 	// Create instance to pass it to modules.
 	instance := &Instance{}
 	instance.ctx, instance.cancelCtx = context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-	instance.isRunningAsService = svcCfg.IsRunningAsService
-	instance.defaultRestartCommand = svcCfg.DefaultRestartCommand
 
 	var err error
 
@@ -275,6 +269,7 @@ func New(svcCfg *ServiceConfig) (*Instance, error) { //nolint:maintidx
 	if err != nil {
 		return instance, fmt.Errorf("create customlist module: %w", err)
 	}
+
 	instance.status, err = status.New(instance)
 	if err != nil {
 		return instance, fmt.Errorf("create status module: %w", err)
@@ -678,7 +673,9 @@ func (i *Instance) Restart() {
 	i.core.EventRestart.Submit(struct{}{})
 	time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
 
-	i.serviceRestart()
+	// Set the restart flag and shutdown.
+	i.ShouldRestart = true
+	i.shutdown(RestartExitCode)
 }
 
 // Shutdown asynchronously stops the instance.
@@ -707,25 +704,6 @@ func (i *Instance) shutdown(exitCode int) {
 	})
 }
 
-func (i *Instance) serviceRestart() {
-	if !i.isRunningAsService {
-		i.shutdown(RestartExitCode)
-		return
-	}
-	cmd := i.defaultRestartCommand
-
-	// Check if user defined custom command for restarting the service.
-	restartCommand, exists := os.LookupEnv("PORTMASTER_RESTART_COMMAND")
-
-	log.Debugf(`instance: running command "%s", %v`, restartCommand, exists)
-	if exists && restartCommand != "" {
-		commandSplit := strings.Split(restartCommand, " ")
-		cmd = exec.Command(commandSplit[0], commandSplit[1:]...)
-	}
-	log.Debugf("instance: running command %s", cmd.String())
-	_ = cmd.Run()
-}
-
 // Stopping returns whether the instance is shutting down.
 func (i *Instance) Stopping() bool {
 	return i.ctx.Err() != nil