diff --git a/src/services.js b/src/services.js
index 5b527f0e6..6d1d43350 100644
--- a/src/services.js
+++ b/src/services.js
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@ function rebuildService(id, callback) {
         if (id === 'mongodb') return startMongodb({ version: 'none' }, callback);
         if (id === 'postgresql') return startPostgresql({ version: 'none' }, callback);
         if (id === 'mysql') return startMysql({ version: 'none' }, callback);
-        if (id === 'sftp') return sftp.start({ version: 'none' }, serviceConfig, callback);
+        if (id === 'sftp') return sftp.rebuild(serviceConfig, { /* options */ }, callback);
         if (id === 'graphite') return graphite.start({ version: 'none' }, serviceConfig, callback);
 
         // nothing to rebuild for now.
diff --git a/src/sftp.js b/src/sftp.js
index 9c2b7305f..b1303c4ef 100644
--- a/src/sftp.js
+++ b/src/sftp.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 exports = module.exports = {
     start,
+    rebuild,
 
     DEFAULT_MEMORY_LIMIT: 256 * 1024 * 1024
 };
@@ -21,13 +22,14 @@ var apps = require('./apps.js'),
     _ = require('underscore');
 
 var gRebuildInProgress = false;
-function rebuild(serviceConfig, callback) {
+function rebuild(serviceConfig, options, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof serviceConfig, 'object');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof options, 'object');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
     if (gRebuildInProgress) {
         debug('waiting for other rebuild to finish');
-        return setTimeout(function () { rebuild(serviceConfig, callback); }, 5000);
+        return setTimeout(function () { rebuild(serviceConfig, options, callback); }, 5000);
     }
 
     gRebuildInProgress = true;
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@ function rebuild(serviceConfig, callback) {
 
     debug('rebuilding container');
 
+    const force = !!options.force;
     const tag = infra.images.sftp.tag;
     const memoryLimit = serviceConfig.memoryLimit || exports.DEFAULT_MEMORY_LIMIT;
     const memory = system.getMemoryAllocation(memoryLimit);
@@ -84,7 +87,7 @@ function rebuild(serviceConfig, callback) {
                         currentDataDirs.sort(function (a, b) { return a.hostDir < b.hostDir ? -1 : 1; });
                         dataDirs.sort(function (a, b) { return a.hostDir < b.hostDir ? -1 : 1; });
 
-                        if (_.isEqual(currentDataDirs, dataDirs)) {
+                        if (!force && _.isEqual(currentDataDirs, dataDirs)) {
                             debug('Skipping rebuild, no changes');
                             return done();
                         }
@@ -127,5 +130,5 @@ function start(existingInfra, serviceConfig, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof serviceConfig, 'object');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    rebuild(serviceConfig, callback);
+    rebuild(serviceConfig, { force: true }, callback); // force rebuild when infra changed
 }