diff --git a/internal/bind/render.go b/internal/bind/render.go
index 4fe19a2..620f91a 100644
--- a/internal/bind/render.go
+++ b/internal/bind/render.go
@@ -22,6 +22,15 @@ type RenderInput struct {
 	Forwards []bindv1alpha1.BindZone
 	// PrimaryAddress is the in-cluster address secondaries transfer from.
 	PrimaryAddress string
+	// PrimaryPodAddresses are the primary pod's own IP(s). Secondaries transfer
+	// from PrimaryAddress (the stable primary Service ClusterIP) but the primary
+	// pod's NOTIFYs egress with its *pod* IP as the source — k8s Services only
+	// NAT the inbound direction — so BIND, whose implicit allow-notify is the
+	// zone's primaries list (the ClusterIP), REFUSES them as "non-primary" and
+	// replication falls back to the SOA refresh timer. Secondaries render these
+	// into an options-scope allow-notify so intra-cluster NOTIFYs are accepted
+	// immediately. Empty leaves BIND's default behaviour unchanged.
+	PrimaryPodAddresses []string
 }
 
 // RenderNamedConf returns the primary and secondary named.conf contents for a
@@ -86,6 +95,12 @@ func render(in RenderInput, isPrimary bool) string {
 		b.WriteString("    allow-new-zones yes;\n")
 	}
 	b.WriteString("    dnssec-validation auto;\n")
+	// Secondaries accept NOTIFY from the primary's pod IP(s). Catalog member and
+	// plain secondary zones take their implicit allow-notify from their primaries
+	// (the primary Service ClusterIP), but the primary's NOTIFYs are sourced from
+	// its pod IP, so an options-scope allow-notify covering the pod IP(s) is
+	// needed or every NOTIFY is refused and replication waits for the SOA refresh.
+	b.WriteString(allowNotifyClause(in, isPrimary, "    "))
 	for _, o := range c.Spec.ExtraOptions {
 		b.WriteString("    " + strings.TrimRight(o, ";") + ";\n")
 	}
@@ -277,6 +292,39 @@ func transferPrimaries(in RenderInput) []string {
 	return out
 }
 
+// allowNotifyClause renders an options-scope allow-notify on secondaries that
+// permits the primary pod IP(s). Zones (catalog members and plain secondaries)
+// point their primaries at the primary Service ClusterIP for stable AXFR, which
+// also becomes their implicit allow-notify — but NOTIFYs leave the primary pod
+// with its pod IP as source, so without this they are refused as "non-primary".
+// Emitted only on secondaries and only when the primary pod IP(s) are known.
+func allowNotifyClause(in RenderInput, isPrimary bool, indent string) string {
+	if isPrimary {
+		return ""
+	}
+	addrs := make([]string, 0, len(in.PrimaryPodAddresses)+1)
+	seen := map[string]bool{}
+	for _, a := range in.PrimaryPodAddresses {
+		a = strings.TrimSpace(strings.TrimRight(a, ";"))
+		if a == "" || seen[a] {
+			continue
+		}
+		seen[a] = true
+		addrs = append(addrs, a)
+	}
+	// Keep the transfer address (the Service ClusterIP, or the pod IP when no
+	// primary Service exists) in the set: an explicit allow-notify replaces the
+	// implicit primaries-derived default, so it must still cover that source.
+	if a := strings.TrimSpace(strings.TrimRight(in.PrimaryAddress, ";")); a != "" && !seen[a] {
+		addrs = append(addrs, a)
+	}
+	if len(addrs) == 0 {
+		return ""
+	}
+	sort.Strings(addrs)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%sallow-notify { %s };\n", indent, terminate(addrs))
+}
+
 func catalogZonesClause(in RenderInput, isPrimary bool, indent string) string {
 	// Only secondaries consume the catalog to auto-provision member zones.
 	if in.Catalog == nil || isPrimary {
diff --git a/internal/bind/render_test.go b/internal/bind/render_test.go
index 520653f..2418ad8 100644
--- a/internal/bind/render_test.go
+++ b/internal/bind/render_test.go
@@ -98,6 +98,34 @@ func TestRenderCatalogPrimariesCarryTransferKey(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRenderSecondaryAllowNotifyPrimaryPodIP(t *testing.T) {
+	// Secondaries transfer from the primary Service ClusterIP but the primary's
+	// NOTIFYs arrive from its pod IP, so an options allow-notify must cover the
+	// pod IP (and keep the transfer address) or BIND refuses them as non-primary.
+	in := RenderInput{
+		Cluster:             newCluster(bindv1alpha1.ModeAuthoritative),
+		PrimaryAddress:      "10.43.5.5",
+		PrimaryPodAddresses: []string{"10.42.3.197"},
+	}
+	primary, secondary := RenderNamedConf(in)
+	if !strings.Contains(secondary, "allow-notify { 10.42.3.197; 10.43.5.5; };") {
+		t.Fatalf("secondary allow-notify must cover the primary pod IP and transfer address:\n%s", secondary)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(primary, "allow-notify") {
+		t.Fatalf("primary must not render allow-notify (it is the notifier, not a secondary):\n%s", primary)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRenderSecondaryAllowNotifyOmittedWhenPodIPUnknown(t *testing.T) {
+	// With no primary pod IP known there is nothing to add beyond BIND's implicit
+	// primaries-derived default; emit nothing rather than a bare/duplicate clause.
+	in := RenderInput{Cluster: newCluster(bindv1alpha1.ModeAuthoritative)}
+	_, secondary := RenderNamedConf(in)
+	if strings.Contains(secondary, "allow-notify") {
+		t.Fatalf("no allow-notify should be emitted when no primary addresses are known:\n%s", secondary)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRenderForwardZoneInView(t *testing.T) {
 	rec := true
 	in := RenderInput{
diff --git a/internal/controller/bindcluster_controller.go b/internal/controller/bindcluster_controller.go
index e885f4a..9918774 100644
--- a/internal/controller/bindcluster_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controller/bindcluster_controller.go
@@ -176,6 +176,14 @@ func (r *BindClusterReconciler) reconcileConfigMap(ctx context.Context, c *bindv
 	// across primary pod restarts (falls back to the pod IP when no primary
 	// Service exists; the Pod/Service watches re-render when it changes).
 	in := bind.RenderInput{Cluster: c, PrimaryAddress: primaryTransferAddress(ctx, r.Client, c)}
+	// Secondaries transfer from the stable primary Service ClusterIP, but the
+	// primary pod's NOTIFYs are sourced from its pod IP, which BIND refuses as
+	// "non-primary" unless it appears in allow-notify. Render the primary pod IP
+	// so intra-cluster NOTIFYs are accepted immediately (the Pod watch re-renders
+	// the ConfigMap when the pod IP changes across restarts).
+	if ip := primaryPodIP(ctx, r.Client, c); ip != "" {
+		in.PrimaryPodAddresses = []string{ip}
+	}
 
 	var acls bindv1alpha1.BindACLList
 	if err := r.List(ctx, &acls, client.InNamespace(c.Namespace)); err == nil {