diff --git a/data/core/commands/core.lua b/data/core/commands/core.lua
index c6ef6743..701ffd0b 100644
--- a/data/core/commands/core.lua
+++ b/data/core/commands/core.lua
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ command.add(nil, {
     core.quit()
   end,
 
+  ["core:restart"] = function()
+    core.restart()
+  end,
+
   ["core:force-quit"] = function()
     core.quit(true)
   end,
diff --git a/data/core/init.lua b/data/core/init.lua
index 43ee47f9..c3e40e53 100644
--- a/data/core/init.lua
+++ b/data/core/init.lua
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ function core.init()
   core.project_files = {}
   core.redraw = true
   core.visited_files = {}
+  core.restart_request = false
 
   core.root_view = RootView()
   core.command_view = CommandView()
@@ -289,6 +290,13 @@ function core.quit(force)
 end
 
 
+function core.restart()
+  if core.confirm_close_all() then
+    core.restart_request = true
+  end
+end
+
+
 function core.load_plugins()
   local no_errors = true
   local files = system.list_dir(DATADIR .. "/plugins")
@@ -590,6 +598,7 @@ function core.run()
     core.frame_start = system.get_time()
     local did_redraw = core.step()
     local need_more_work = run_threads()
+    if core.restart_request then break end
     if not did_redraw and not need_more_work then
       idle_iterations = idle_iterations + 1
       -- do not wait of events at idle_iterations = 1 to give a chance at core.step to run
diff --git a/doc/usage.md b/doc/usage.md
index 3b536cc5..6878a8e4 100644
--- a/doc/usage.md
+++ b/doc/usage.md
@@ -132,6 +132,13 @@ then be loaded manually as needed by using the `require` function.
 Plugins can be downloaded from the [plugins repository](https://github.com/rxi/lite-plugins).
 
 
+## Restarting the editor
+
+If you modifies the user configuration file or some of the Lua implementation files you may
+restart the editor using the command "Core: Restart".
+All the application will be restarting by keeping the window that is already used.
+
+
 ## Color Themes
 Colors themes in lite are lua modules which overwrite the color fields of lite's
 `core.style` module. Color themes should be placed in the `data/user/colors`
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 1704a6f1..010f16a5 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -89,8 +89,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
   init_window_icon();
   ren_init(window);
 
-
-  lua_State *L = luaL_newstate();
+  lua_State *L;
+init_lua:
+  L = luaL_newstate();
   luaL_openlibs(L);
   api_load_libs(L);
 
@@ -117,7 +118,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
   lua_setglobal(L, "EXEFILE");
 
 
-  (void) luaL_dostring(L,
+  const char *init_lite_code = \
     "local core\n"
     "xpcall(function()\n"
     "  SCALE = tonumber(os.getenv(\"LITE_SCALE\")) or SCALE\n"
@@ -153,8 +154,18 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     "    pcall(core.on_error, err)\n"
     "  end\n"
     "  os.exit(1)\n"
-    "end)");
+    "end)\n"
+    "return core and core.restart_request\n";
 
+  if (luaL_loadstring(L, init_lite_code)) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "internal error when starting the application\n");
+    exit(1);
+  }
+  lua_pcall(L, 0, 1, 0);
+  if (lua_toboolean(L, -1)) {
+    lua_close(L);
+    goto init_lua;
+  }
 
   lua_close(L);
   SDL_DestroyWindow(window);