diff --git a/cmd/spiffe-helper/config/config.go b/cmd/spiffe-helper/config/config.go
index f3f1b5c..29aa14a 100644
--- a/cmd/spiffe-helper/config/config.go
+++ b/cmd/spiffe-helper/config/config.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	AgentAddressDeprecated             string `hcl:"agentAddress"`
 	Cmd                                string `hcl:"cmd"`
 	CmdArgs                            string `hcl:"cmd_args"`
+	PidFileName                        string `hcl:"pid_file_name"`
 	CmdArgsDeprecated                  string `hcl:"cmdArgs"`
 	CertDir                            string `hcl:"cert_dir"`
 	CertDirDeprecated                  string `hcl:"certDir"`
@@ -203,6 +204,7 @@ func NewSidecarConfig(config *Config, log logrus.FieldLogger) *sidecar.Config {
 		AgentAddress:             config.AgentAddress,
 		Cmd:                      config.Cmd,
 		CmdArgs:                  config.CmdArgs,
+		PidFileName:              config.PidFileName,
 		CertDir:                  config.CertDir,
 		CertFileMode:             fs.FileMode(config.CertFileMode),      //nolint:gosec,G115
 		KeyFileMode:              fs.FileMode(config.KeyFileMode),       //nolint:gosec,G115
diff --git a/pkg/sidecar/config.go b/pkg/sidecar/config.go
index c269486..1000716 100644
--- a/pkg/sidecar/config.go
+++ b/pkg/sidecar/config.go
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ type Config struct {
 	// The arguments of the process to launch.
 	CmdArgs string
 
+	// Signal external process via PID file
+	PidFileName string
+
 	// The directory name to store the x509s and/or JWTs.
 	CertDir string
 
diff --git a/pkg/sidecar/sidecar.go b/pkg/sidecar/sidecar.go
index 45deefa..1159cfd 100644
--- a/pkg/sidecar/sidecar.go
+++ b/pkg/sidecar/sidecar.go
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 package sidecar
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/csv"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
@@ -170,10 +172,8 @@ func (s *Sidecar) updateCertificates(svidResponse *workloadapi.X509Context) {
 	}
 	s.config.Log.Info("X.509 certificates updated")
 
-	if s.config.Cmd != "" {
-		if err := s.signalProcess(); err != nil {
-			s.config.Log.WithError(err).Error("Unable to signal process")
-		}
+	if err := s.signalProcess(); err != nil {
+		s.config.Log.WithError(err).Error("Unable to signal process")
 	}
 
 	select {
@@ -185,27 +185,46 @@ func (s *Sidecar) updateCertificates(svidResponse *workloadapi.X509Context) {
 // signalProcess sends the configured Renew signal to the process running the proxy
 // to reload itself so that the proxy uses the new SVID
 func (s *Sidecar) signalProcess() (err error) {
+	if s.config.PidFileName != "" {
+		byts, err := os.ReadFile(s.config.PidFileName)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to read pid file: %s\n%w", s.config.PidFileName, err)
+		}
+		pid, err := strconv.Atoi(string(bytes.TrimSpace(byts)))
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse pid file: %s\n%w", s.config.PidFileName, err)
+		}
+		s.process, err = os.FindProcess(pid)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to find process: %d\n%w", pid, err)
+		}
+		if err := s.SignalProcess(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
 	// TODO: is ReloadExternalProcess still used?
 	switch s.config.ReloadExternalProcess {
 	case nil:
-		if atomic.LoadInt32(&s.processRunning) == 0 {
-			cmdArgs, err := getCmdArgs(s.config.CmdArgs)
-			if err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("error parsing cmd arguments: %w", err)
-			}
-
-			cmd := exec.Command(s.config.Cmd, cmdArgs...) // #nosec
-			cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
-			cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
-			err = cmd.Start()
-			if err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("error executing process: %v\n%w", s.config.Cmd, err)
-			}
-			s.process = cmd.Process
-			go s.checkProcessExit()
-		} else {
-			if err := s.SignalProcess(); err != nil {
-				return err
+		if s.config.Cmd != "" {
+			if atomic.LoadInt32(&s.processRunning) == 0 {
+				cmdArgs, err := getCmdArgs(s.config.CmdArgs)
+				if err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("error parsing cmd arguments: %w", err)
+				}
+
+				cmd := exec.Command(s.config.Cmd, cmdArgs...) // #nosec
+				cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
+				cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
+				err = cmd.Start()
+				if err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("error executing process: %v\n%w", s.config.Cmd, err)
+				}
+				s.process = cmd.Process
+				go s.checkProcessExit()
+			} else {
+				if err := s.SignalProcess(); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 			}
 		}