diff --git a/src/runsv.c b/src/runsv.c
index ecf4677..991e211 100644
--- a/src/runsv.c
+++ b/src/runsv.c
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ struct svdir svd[2];
 int sigterm =0;
 int haslog =0;
 int pidchanged =1;
-int logpipe[2];
+int logpipe[2] = {0,0};
 char *dir;
 
 void usage () { strerr_die4x(1, "usage: ", progname, USAGE, "\n"); }
@@ -89,6 +89,15 @@ void s_term() {
   write(selfpipe[1], "", 1); /* XXX */
 }
 
+void setup_logpipe(void) {
+  if(logpipe[0])
+    return;
+  if (pipe(logpipe) == -1)
+    fatal("unable to create log pipe");
+  coe(logpipe[0]);
+  coe(logpipe[1]);
+}
+
 void update_status(struct svdir *s) {
   unsigned long l;
   int fd;
@@ -280,6 +289,7 @@ void startservice(struct svdir *s) {
   }
 
   if (s->pid != 0) stopservice(s); /* should never happen */
+  if (haslog) setup_logpipe();
   while ((p =fork()) == -1) {
     warn("unable to fork, sleeping");
     sleep(5);
@@ -428,10 +438,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
       taia_now(&svd[1].start);
       if (stat("log/down", &s) != -1)
         svd[1].want =W_DOWN;
-      if (pipe(logpipe) == -1)
-        fatal("unable to create log pipe");
-      coe(logpipe[0]);
-      coe(logpipe[1]);
+      setup_logpipe();
     }
   }
 
@@ -599,7 +606,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         /* stopservice(&svd[1]); */
         update_status(&svd[1]);
         if (close(logpipe[1]) == -1) warn("unable to close logpipe[1]");
+        logpipe[1] = 0;
         if (close(logpipe[0]) == -1) warn("unable to close logpipe[0]");
+        logpipe[0] = 0;
       }
     }
   }