Port Upgrade vs Loaded Startupitems

[Ryan Stonecipher-Fisher]

A port I co-maintain (mpd) includes a startupitem section which I keep
loaded using 'launchctl load -w'.
Upon updating the port, the old binary is still running in launchd
limbo; 'launchctl unload -w' doesn't work properly, so in turn
'launchctl load -w' doesn't work properly either.
Are startupitems unloaded during port deactivation?
If not, could that step be added to deactivation for ports which do
contain startupitems?

Ryan Stonecipher-Fisher
573.489.2848