diff --git a/crowdsec/crowdsec.go b/crowdsec/crowdsec.go
index d845706c..dc3b0450 100644
--- a/crowdsec/crowdsec.go
+++ b/crowdsec/crowdsec.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"net"
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/caddyserver/caddy/v2"
 	"github.com/caddyserver/caddy/v2/caddyconfig/httpcaddyfile"
@@ -30,7 +31,9 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	cfg *config
+	cfg             *config
+	latestBouncerMu sync.RWMutex
+	latestBouncer   *bouncer.Bouncer
 )
 
 const (
@@ -186,6 +189,12 @@ func (c *CrowdSec) Validate() error {
 // Start starts the CrowdSec Caddy app
 func (c *CrowdSec) Start() error {
 	c.bouncer.Run()
+
+	// TODO(hs): before setting the global latest bouncer, ensure the new bouncer is healthy (enough)?
+	latestBouncerMu.Lock()
+	latestBouncer = c.bouncer
+	latestBouncerMu.Unlock()
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -194,11 +203,29 @@ func (c *CrowdSec) Stop() error {
 	return c.bouncer.Shutdown()
 }
 
-// IsAllowed is used by the CrowdSec HTTP handler to check if
-// an IP is allowed to perform a request
+// IsAllowed is used by the CrowdSec HTTP Handler and L4 Matcher to check
+// if an IP is allowed to perform a request. It will try the latest (global)
+// bouncer instance first and will fallback to this CrowdSec instance's
+// bouncer in case it's missing. This is because Caddy may be in the process
+// of (re)starting with a new configuration and the latest bouncer may not
+// be available (yet) or may have been set to nil in the process. Using
+// the global instance does make the overal logic depend on some global
+// logic, but some construction like this seems to be the only way to make
+// Caddy always use the correct bouncer instance when checking IPs.
 func (c *CrowdSec) IsAllowed(ip net.IP) (bool, *models.Decision, error) {
-	// TODO: check if running? fully loaded, etc?
-	return c.bouncer.IsAllowed(ip)
+	switch {
+	case latestBouncer != nil:
+		// try the latest bouncer instance first
+		latestBouncerMu.RLock()
+		defer latestBouncerMu.RUnlock()
+		return latestBouncer.IsAllowed(ip)
+	case c.bouncer != nil:
+		// fallback to this crowdsec instance bouncer
+		return c.bouncer.IsAllowed(ip)
+	default:
+		// fail closed
+		return false, nil, errors.New("bouncer not available")
+	}
 }
 
 func (c *CrowdSec) isStreamingEnabled() bool {
diff --git a/http/http.go b/http/http.go
index 39c8f431..639aae9e 100644
--- a/http/http.go
+++ b/http/http.go
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ func (Handler) CaddyModule() caddy.ModuleInfo {
 
 // Provision sets up the CrowdSec handler.
 func (h *Handler) Provision(ctx caddy.Context) error {
-
 	crowdsecAppIface, err := ctx.App("crowdsec")
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("getting crowdsec app: %v", err)
@@ -65,7 +64,6 @@ func (h *Handler) Provision(ctx caddy.Context) error {
 
 // Validate ensures the app's configuration is valid.
 func (h *Handler) Validate() error {
-
 	if h.crowdsec == nil {
 		return errors.New("crowdsec app not available")
 	}
@@ -75,7 +73,6 @@ func (h *Handler) Validate() error {
 
 // ServeHTTP is the Caddy handler for serving HTTP requests
 func (h Handler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, next caddyhttp.Handler) error {
-
 	ipToCheck, err := determineIPFromRequest(r)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err // TODO: return error here? Or just log it and continue serving
@@ -132,7 +129,6 @@ func writeCaptchaResponse(w http.ResponseWriter) error {
 
 // writeThrottleResponse writes 429 status as response
 func writeThrottleResponse(w http.ResponseWriter, duration string) error {
-
 	d, err := time.ParseDuration(duration)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/internal/bouncer/bouncer.go b/internal/bouncer/bouncer.go
index 635ac3ba..d2621224 100644
--- a/internal/bouncer/bouncer.go
+++ b/internal/bouncer/bouncer.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"sync"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/models"
 	csbouncer "github.com/crowdsecurity/go-cs-bouncer"
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ import (
 	"go.uber.org/zap/zapcore"
 )
 
-const version = "v0.5.4"
+const version = "v0.5.5"
 const maxNumberOfDecisionsToLog = 10
 
 // Bouncer is a custom CrowdSec bouncer backed by an immutable radix tree
@@ -39,14 +40,17 @@ type Bouncer struct {
 	useStreamingBouncer bool
 	shouldFailHard      bool
 
-	ctx    context.Context
-	cancel context.CancelFunc
-	wg     *sync.WaitGroup
+	// bouncer runtime management
+	ctx            context.Context
+	cancel         context.CancelFunc
+	wg             *sync.WaitGroup
+	instantiatedAt time.Time
 }
 
 // New creates a new (streaming) Bouncer with a storage based on immutable radix tree
 // TODO: take a configuration struct instead, because more options will be added.
 func New(apiKey, apiURL, tickerInterval string, logger *zap.Logger) (*Bouncer, error) {
+	instantiatedAt := time.Now()
 	userAgent := fmt.Sprintf("caddy-cs-bouncer/%s", version)
 	insecureSkipVerify := false
 	return &Bouncer{
@@ -64,8 +68,9 @@ func New(apiKey, apiURL, tickerInterval string, logger *zap.Logger) (*Bouncer, e
 			InsecureSkipVerify: &insecureSkipVerify,
 			UserAgent:          userAgent,
 		},
-		store:  newStore(),
-		logger: logger,
+		store:          newStore(),
+		logger:         logger,
+		instantiatedAt: instantiatedAt,
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -86,13 +91,13 @@ func (b *Bouncer) Init() error {
 	// override CrowdSec's default logrus logging
 	b.overrideLogrusLogger()
 
-	// initialize the CrowdSec streaming bouncer
-	if b.useStreamingBouncer {
-		return b.streamingBouncer.Init()
+	// initialize the CrowdSec live bouncer
+	if !b.useStreamingBouncer {
+		return b.liveBouncer.Init()
 	}
 
-	// initialize the CrowdSec live bouncer
-	return b.liveBouncer.Init()
+	// initialize the CrowdSec streaming bouncer
+	return b.streamingBouncer.Init()
 }
 
 // Run starts the Bouncer processes
@@ -178,7 +183,7 @@ func (b *Bouncer) Shutdown() error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	b.cancel()
+	b.cancel() // TODO(hs): move these to Cleanup() instead?
 	b.wg.Wait()
 
 	// TODO: clean shutdown of the streaming bouncer channel reading
@@ -207,7 +212,6 @@ func (b *Bouncer) delete(decision *models.Decision) error {
 
 // IsAllowed checks if an IP is allowed or not
 func (b *Bouncer) IsAllowed(ip net.IP) (bool, *models.Decision, error) {
-
 	// TODO: perform lookup in explicit allowlist as a kind of quick lookup in front of the CrowdSec lookup list?
 	isAllowed := false
 	decision, err := b.retrieveDecision(ip)
diff --git a/internal/bouncer/store.go b/internal/bouncer/store.go
index d4c8e612..89d45d91 100644
--- a/internal/bouncer/store.go
+++ b/internal/bouncer/store.go
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ func (s *crowdSecStore) delete(decision *models.Decision) error {
 }
 
 func (s *crowdSecStore) get(key net.IP) (*models.Decision, error) {
-
 	r, err := s.store.Get(key)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err