>  >>> Synopsis: apache ignores 'reload' from rc.d script as well as 'graceful' 
>  >> >from apachectl(8)
>  >>> State-Changed-From-To: open->feedback
>  >>> State-Changed-By: tron@netbsd.org
>  >>> State-Changed-When: Wed, 31 May 2006 02:18:17 +0000
>  >>> State-Changed-Why:
>  >>> Which Apache package are you talking about? It works fine for me with
>  >>> the "apache2" package.
>  >> apache-2.0.55nb7    Apache HTTP (Web) server, version 2
>  > 
>  > Please try version 2.0.58 of the "apache2" package.
>  > 
>  > 	Kind regards
>  
>  not easy within minutes on a production system! i'll report within the 
>  next hours...

just tried on a customers intranet machine:

NetBSD server.dv-art.com 2.1.0_STABLE NetBSD 2.1.0_STABLE (NETFINITY) 
#0: Mon May 15 07:25:27 CEST 2006 
root@server.dv-art.com:/usr/obj/sys/arch/i386/compile/NETFINITY i386

apache-2.0.58       Apache HTTP (Web) server, version 2

and there i have the same problem as described; reload via rc script 
does *not* work as well as 'apachectl graceful' does *not* work. 
stopping and starting via rc script *works*.