diff --git a/src/pages/docs/administration/high-availability/polling-tentacles-with-ha.mdx b/src/pages/docs/administration/high-availability/polling-tentacles-with-ha.mdx
index b1d1fc4c44..3c017d8567 100644
--- a/src/pages/docs/administration/high-availability/polling-tentacles-with-ha.mdx
+++ b/src/pages/docs/administration/high-availability/polling-tentacles-with-ha.mdx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 layout: src/layouts/Default.astro
 pubDate: 2023-01-01
-modDate: 2023-01-01
+modDate: 2026-08-20
 title: Polling Tentacles with HA
 description: With Octopus High Availability, Polling Tentacles must poll all Octopus Server nodes in your configuration.
 navOrder: 50
@@ -68,21 +68,29 @@ The important thing to remember is that each node should be using the **same add
 
 ## Registering Polling Tentacles
 
-There are two options to add Octopus Servers to a Polling Tentacle, via the command-line or via editing the Tentacle.config file directly.
+There are two options to add Octopus Servers to a Polling Tentacle: the command line, or editing the Tentacle.config file directly.
+
+Both methods need the Tentacle service restarted afterwards. A running Tentacle doesn't pick up a new server address until it restarts.
 
 **Command line:**
 
-Configuring a Polling Tentacle via the command-line is the preferred option with the command executed once per server; an example command using the default instance can be seen below:
+The command line is the preferred option. Run the command once per server; an example command using the default instance can be seen below:
 
 ```text
 C:\Program Files\Octopus Deploy\Tentacle>Tentacle poll-server --server=https://your-octopus-url --apikey=API-YOUR-KEY
 ```
 
-For more information on this command please refer to the [Tentacle Poll Server command line options](/docs/octopus-rest-api/tentacle.exe-command-line/poll-server).
+Once you've added every node in your cluster, restart the Tentacle service:
+
+```text
+C:\Program Files\Octopus Deploy\Tentacle>Tentacle service --restart
+```
+
+For more information on these commands, see the [Tentacle poll-server](/docs/octopus-rest-api/tentacle.exe-command-line/poll-server) and [Tentacle service](/docs/octopus-rest-api/tentacle.exe-command-line/service) command line options.
 
 **Tentacle.config:**
 
-Alternatively you can edit Tentacle.config directly to add each Octopus Server (this is interpreted as a JSON array of servers). This method is not recommended as the Tentacle service for each server will need to be restarted to accept incoming connections via this method.
+Alternatively you can edit Tentacle.config directly to add each Octopus Server (this is interpreted as a JSON array of servers). This method isn't recommended, as editing the JSON array by hand is error-prone. Restart the Tentacle service after you've saved your changes.
 
 ```xml
 <set key="Tentacle.Communication.TrustedOctopusServers">
diff --git a/src/pages/docs/octopus-rest-api/tentacle.exe-command-line/poll-server.md b/src/pages/docs/octopus-rest-api/tentacle.exe-command-line/poll-server.md
index 5456a3b8f2..1fb9827dc6 100644
--- a/src/pages/docs/octopus-rest-api/tentacle.exe-command-line/poll-server.md
+++ b/src/pages/docs/octopus-rest-api/tentacle.exe-command-line/poll-server.md
@@ -1,13 +1,17 @@
 ---
 layout: src/layouts/Default.astro
 pubDate: 2023-01-01
-modDate: 2024-06-25
+modDate: 2026-08-20
 title: Poll server
 description: Using the Tentacle.exe command line executable to configure the Octopus Server this Tentacle will poll.
 ---
 
 Configures an Octopus Server that this Tentacle will poll.
 
+:::div{.warning}
+A running Tentacle doesn't pick up this change. Restart the Tentacle service with the [service](/docs/octopus-rest-api/tentacle.exe-command-line/service) command after you run `poll-server`, or the Tentacle won't connect to the server you just added.
+:::
+
 **Poll server options**
 
 ```text
@@ -45,8 +49,11 @@ Or one of the common options:
 
 ## Basic example
 
-This example configures the Octopus Server that the polling Tentacle polls:
+This example configures the Octopus Server that the polling Tentacle polls, then restarts the Tentacle service so the change takes effect:
 
 ```text
 tentacle poll-server --server="https://your-octopus-url" --apiKey="API-YOUR-KEY"
+tentacle service --restart
 ```
+
+Both commands act on the default instance. To configure a named instance, pass `--instance` to each command.