diff --git a/dashboard/pkg/epinio/components/application/AppInfo.vue b/dashboard/pkg/epinio/components/application/AppInfo.vue
index 61b74836..c2b27220 100644
--- a/dashboard/pkg/epinio/components/application/AppInfo.vue
+++ b/dashboard/pkg/epinio/components/application/AppInfo.vue
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ onMounted(() => {
     chart: moveBooleansToFront(props.application.chart?.settings) || {},
     configuration: {
       configurations: props.application.configuration?.configurations || [],
-      instances: props.application.configuration?.instances || 1,
+      instances: props.application.configuration?.instances ?? 1,
       environment: props.application.configuration?.environment || {},
       settings: props.application.configuration?.settings || {},
       routes: props.application.configuration?.routes || [],
diff --git a/dashboard/pkg/epinio/components/application/AppSource.vue b/dashboard/pkg/epinio/components/application/AppSource.vue
index 35e06a5e..0eb7c20a 100644
--- a/dashboard/pkg/epinio/components/application/AppSource.vue
+++ b/dashboard/pkg/epinio/components/application/AppSource.vue
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ function onManifestFileSelected(file: string) {
       },
       configuration: {
         configurations: parsed.configuration?.configurations || [],
-        instances: parsed.configuration.instances || 1,
+        instances: parsed.configuration.instances ?? 1,
         environment: parsed.configuration.environment || {},
         settings: parsed.configuration?.settings || {},
         routes: parsed.configuration.routes || []
diff --git a/dashboard/pkg/epinio/edit/applications.vue b/dashboard/pkg/epinio/edit/applications.vue
index c3fdb3b9..06cec00f 100644
--- a/dashboard/pkg/epinio/edit/applications.vue
+++ b/dashboard/pkg/epinio/edit/applications.vue
@@ -100,7 +100,18 @@ const canEditConfig = computed(() => {
 // If the user lacks config write perms, never show the primary "Edit Config" footer button,
 // regardless of how this dialog was opened (view or edit route).
 const hideEditConfigButton = computed(() => !canEditConfig.value);
-const validationPassed = computed(() => !Object.values(tabErrors).find((error) => error));
+const validationPassed = computed(() => {
+  const tabsValid = !Object.values(tabErrors).find((error) => error);
+  return tabsValid;
+});
+
+const shouldRestartOnSave = computed(() => {
+  const previousInstances = Number(props.initialValue?.configuration?.instances ?? props.initialValue?.desiredInstances ?? 0);
+  const nextInstances = Number(props.value?.configuration?.instances ?? props.value?.desiredInstances ?? 0);
+  const instancesChanged = previousInstances !== nextInstances;
+
+  return props.value?.canRestartAfterConfigSave || instancesChanged;
+});
 
 const done = () => {
   if (!doneRoute) {
@@ -117,7 +128,7 @@ const done = () => {
 async function save(saveCb: (success: boolean) => void) {
   errors.value = [];
   try {
-    await props.value.update();
+    await props.value.update({ restart: shouldRestartOnSave.value });
 
     await props.value.updateConfigurations(
       props.initialValue.baseConfigurationsNames || [],
diff --git a/dashboard/pkg/epinio/models/applications.js b/dashboard/pkg/epinio/models/applications.js
index 3cd47197..6a48578f 100644
--- a/dashboard/pkg/epinio/models/applications.js
+++ b/dashboard/pkg/epinio/models/applications.js
@@ -117,6 +117,10 @@ export default class EpinioApplicationModel extends EpinioNamespacedResource {
     return !!(base && canEditConfig);
   }
 
+  get canRestartAfterConfigSave() {
+    return this.status === STATES.RUNNING && !!this.image_url;
+  }
+
   get details() {
     const res = [];
 
diff --git a/dashboard/pkg/epinio/utils/errors.ts b/dashboard/pkg/epinio/utils/errors.ts
index 03fc78c9..f11d09d3 100644
--- a/dashboard/pkg/epinio/utils/errors.ts
+++ b/dashboard/pkg/epinio/utils/errors.ts
@@ -1,26 +1,47 @@
 import { isArray } from '@shell/utils/array';
 
 export function epinioExceptionToErrorsArray(err: any): any {
-  if (err?.errors?.length === 1) {
-    return epinioExceptionToErrorsArray(err?.errors[0]);
-  }
+  const formatError = (item: any) => {
+    if (!item) {
+      return '';
+    }
+
+    if (typeof item === 'string') {
+      return item;
+    }
 
-  if ( err?.response?.data ) {
-    const body = err.response.data;
+    const status = item.status ? `[${ item.status }] ` : '';
+    const title = item.title || item.message || '';
+    const details = item.details || item.detail || '';
 
-    if ( body && body.message ) {
-      return [body.message];
-    } else {
-      return [err];
+    return `${ status }${ title }${ details ? ` - ${ details }` : '' }`.trim();
+  };
+
+  const normalize = (input: any): string[] => {
+    if (!input) {
+      return ['Unknown error'];
+    }
+
+    if (isArray(input)) {
+      return input.map(formatError).filter(Boolean);
     }
-  } else if (err.status && err.title) {
-    const title = err.title;
-    const detail = err.detail ? ` - ${ err.detail }` : '';
-
-    return [`${ title }${ detail }`];
-  } else if ( isArray(err) ) {
-    return err;
-  } else {
-    return [err];
+
+    if (input?.errors && isArray(input.errors)) {
+      return input.errors.map(formatError).filter(Boolean);
+    }
+
+    if (input?.message) {
+      return [input.message];
+    }
+
+    const formatted = formatError(input);
+
+    return formatted ? [formatted] : ['Unknown error'];
+  };
+
+  if (err?.response?.data) {
+    return normalize(err.response.data);
   }
+
+  return normalize(err);
 }