diff --git a/internal/bind/seed.go b/internal/bind/seed.go
index 8176b71..e168a64 100644
--- a/internal/bind/seed.go
+++ b/internal/bind/seed.go
@@ -35,13 +35,19 @@ func (e *Executor) ZoneExists(ctx context.Context, namespace, pod, zone, view st
 func (e *Executor) WriteSeedZone(ctx context.Context, namespace, pod, zone, path, primaryIP string, serial int64) error {
 	origin := dot(zone)
 	ns := "ns1." + origin
+	// Short refresh/retry so a secondary that misses a NOTIFY (e.g. its pod IP
+	// changed and the primary's also-notify was briefly stale) still converges
+	// in minutes, not the hour a 3600s refresh would impose. minimum is the
+	// negative-cache TTL: keep it low so a stale-secondary NXDOMAIN does not
+	// stick in downstream resolvers for long. NOTIFY (also-notify on the
+	// primary) remains the fast path; these are the fallback.
 	content := fmt.Sprintf(`$TTL 3600
 @ IN SOA %s hostmaster.%s (
     %d ; serial
-    3600       ; refresh
-    900        ; retry
+    300        ; refresh
+    60         ; retry
     1209600    ; expire
-    300 )      ; minimum
+    60 )       ; minimum
 @ IN NS %s
 ns1 IN A %s
 `, ns, origin, serial, ns, primaryIP)
diff --git a/internal/controller/bindzone_controller.go b/internal/controller/bindzone_controller.go
index 69bb6f2..1c9a0f6 100644
--- a/internal/controller/bindzone_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controller/bindzone_controller.go
@@ -80,7 +80,15 @@ func (r *BindZoneReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request) (c
 		return r.setPhase(ctx, &zone, "Pending", "PrimaryNotReady", "waiting for cluster primary to be ready")
 	}
 
-	zoneConfig, err := r.buildZoneConfig(ctx, &zone, r.zoneTransferKeyRef(ctx, &zone, cluster))
+	// Primary zones replicated to secondaries (catalog members) get an
+	// also-notify pointing at the secondary pods, so a dynamic update NOTIFYs
+	// them immediately rather than waiting for the SOA refresh.
+	var notifyTargets []string
+	if isPrimaryType(zone.Spec.Type) && catalogEnabled(&zone) {
+		notifyTargets = secondaryPodIPs(ctx, r.Client, cluster)
+	}
+
+	zoneConfig, err := r.buildZoneConfig(ctx, &zone, r.zoneTransferKeyRef(ctx, &zone, cluster), notifyTargets)
 	if err != nil {
 		return r.setPhase(ctx, &zone, "Error", "ConfigError", err.Error())
 	}
@@ -135,7 +143,7 @@ func (r *BindZoneReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request) (c
 // buildZoneConfig renders the inner clause passed to rndc addzone/modzone.
 // transferKey, when set, is the catalog transfer TSIG key name; catalog member
 // primary zones must allow AXFR with it so secondaries can pull them.
-func (r *BindZoneReconciler) buildZoneConfig(ctx context.Context, zone *bindv1alpha1.BindZone, transferKey string) (string, error) {
+func (r *BindZoneReconciler) buildZoneConfig(ctx context.Context, zone *bindv1alpha1.BindZone, transferKey string, notifyTargets []string) (string, error) {
 	zType := zone.Spec.Type
 	if zType == "" {
 		zType = bindv1alpha1.ZonePrimary
@@ -154,6 +162,12 @@ func (r *BindZoneReconciler) buildZoneConfig(ctx context.Context, zone *bindv1al
 			// Catalog member: permit key-authenticated AXFR from secondaries.
 			parts = append(parts, fmt.Sprintf("allow-transfer { key \"%s\"; }", transferKey))
 		}
+		// NOTIFY only the secondaries we know about (their apex NS is the primary
+		// itself, so default `notify yes` would reach no one). `notify explicit`
+		// keeps NOTIFY off the query-serving VIP and scoped to the pod IPs.
+		if len(notifyTargets) > 0 {
+			parts = append(parts, "notify explicit", fmt.Sprintf("also-notify { %s }", terminateInline(notifyTargets)))
+		}
 		if zone.Spec.DNSSECPolicyRef != "" {
 			parts = append(parts, fmt.Sprintf("dnssec-policy \"%s\"", zone.Spec.DNSSECPolicyRef), "inline-signing yes")
 		}
diff --git a/internal/controller/bindzone_notify_test.go b/internal/controller/bindzone_notify_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a5502a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/controller/bindzone_notify_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+package controller
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	bindv1alpha1 "git.unkin.net/unkin/bind-operator/api/v1alpha1"
+)
+
+// A primary zone with known secondaries renders notify explicit + also-notify
+// so a dynamic update NOTIFYs the secondaries immediately.
+func TestBuildZoneConfigPrimaryAlsoNotify(t *testing.T) {
+	r := &BindZoneReconciler{}
+	zone := &bindv1alpha1.BindZone{
+		Spec: bindv1alpha1.BindZoneSpec{
+			ZoneName: "main.unkin.net",
+			Type:     bindv1alpha1.ZonePrimary,
+		},
+	}
+
+	cfg, err := r.buildZoneConfig(context.Background(), zone, "transfer-key", []string{"10.42.2.6", "10.42.1.5"})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("buildZoneConfig: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(cfg, "notify explicit") {
+		t.Errorf("expected notify explicit in %q", cfg)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(cfg, "also-notify { 10.42.2.6; 10.42.1.5; }") {
+		t.Errorf("expected also-notify with the secondary IPs in %q", cfg)
+	}
+}
+
+// With no secondaries, no also-notify is emitted (single-replica cluster).
+func TestBuildZoneConfigPrimaryNoNotifyTargets(t *testing.T) {
+	r := &BindZoneReconciler{}
+	zone := &bindv1alpha1.BindZone{
+		Spec: bindv1alpha1.BindZoneSpec{ZoneName: "main.unkin.net", Type: bindv1alpha1.ZonePrimary},
+	}
+
+	cfg, err := r.buildZoneConfig(context.Background(), zone, "transfer-key", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("buildZoneConfig: %v", err)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(cfg, "also-notify") || strings.Contains(cfg, "notify explicit") {
+		t.Errorf("did not expect notify clauses with no targets: %q", cfg)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/controller/helpers.go b/internal/controller/helpers.go
index 469a1e3..62067db 100644
--- a/internal/controller/helpers.go
+++ b/internal/controller/helpers.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package controller
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"sort"
 	"time"
 
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
@@ -126,6 +127,34 @@ func primaryTransferAddress(ctx context.Context, c client.Client, cluster *bindv
 	return primaryPodIP(ctx, c, cluster)
 }
 
+// secondaryPodIPs returns the pod IPs of a cluster's secondary pods (every pod
+// except the ordinal-0 primary) that currently have an address. The primary
+// uses this list as its zone `also-notify` set, so a change to a primary zone
+// (in particular a dynamic update) triggers an immediate NOTIFY -> IXFR to the
+// secondaries instead of leaving them stale until the next SOA refresh. The
+// list is sorted so the rendered zone config is stable and does not churn
+// modzone on every reconcile. Pod IPs change across restarts, so the caller
+// relies on the zone controller's periodic requeue to refresh the set (a
+// restarted secondary re-transfers the whole zone on load regardless). Returns
+// nil for a single-replica cluster.
+func secondaryPodIPs(ctx context.Context, c client.Client, cluster *bindv1alpha1.BindCluster) []string {
+	var pods corev1.PodList
+	if err := c.List(ctx, &pods, client.InNamespace(cluster.Namespace), client.MatchingLabels(commonLabels(cluster.Name))); err != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	primary := primaryPodName(cluster.Name)
+	var ips []string
+	for i := range pods.Items {
+		p := &pods.Items[i]
+		if p.Name == primary || p.Status.PodIP == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+		ips = append(ips, p.Status.PodIP)
+	}
+	sort.Strings(ips)
+	return ips
+}
+
 // resolveTSIG reads the material of a BindTSIGKey into TSIG credentials.
 func resolveTSIG(ctx context.Context, c client.Client, namespace, keyRef string) (bind.TSIGCreds, error) {
 	var creds bind.TSIGCreds