diff --git a/usr.sbin/syslogd/syslogd.c b/usr.sbin/syslogd/syslogd.c
--- a/usr.sbin/syslogd/syslogd.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/syslogd/syslogd.c
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@
 static int sigcatch[] = { SIGHUP, SIGINT, SIGQUIT, SIGALRM, SIGTERM, SIGCHLD };
 
 static struct filed consfile;	/* Console */
+static int	nulldesc;	/* /dev/null descriptor */
 
 static bool	Debug;		/* debug flag */
 static bool	Foreground = false; /* Run in foreground, instead of daemonizing */
@@ -667,8 +668,6 @@
 	} else if (Debug)
 		setlinebuf(stdout);
 
-	(void)strlcpy(bootfile, getbootfile(), sizeof(bootfile));
-
 	kq = kqueue();
 	if (kq == -1) {
 		pidfile_remove(pfh);
@@ -688,13 +687,6 @@
 		err(1, "failed to apply signal mask");
 	}
 
-	(void)alarm(TIMERINTVL);
-
-	/* tuck my process id away */
-	pidfile_write(pfh);
-
-	dprintf("off & running....\n");
-
 	STAILQ_FOREACH(sl, &shead, next) {
 		EV_SET(&ev, sl->sl_socket, EVFILT_READ, EV_ADD | EV_CLEAR,
 		    0, 0, sl);
@@ -715,6 +707,18 @@
 	(void)strlcpy(consfile.fu_fname, _PATH_CONSOLE + sizeof(_PATH_DEV) - 1,
 	    sizeof(consfile.fu_fname));
 
+	nulldesc = open(_PATH_DEVNULL, O_RDWR);
+	if (nulldesc < 0)
+		dprintf("can't open %s (%d)\n", _PATH_DEVNULL, errno);
+
+	(void)strlcpy(bootfile, getbootfile(), sizeof(bootfile));
+	(void)alarm(TIMERINTVL);
+
+	/* tuck my process id away */
+	pidfile_write(pfh);
+
+	dprintf("off & running....\n");
+
 	init(false);
 	for (;;) {
 		switch (kevent(kq, NULL, 0, &ev, 1, needdofsync ? &ts : tsp)) {
@@ -758,7 +762,6 @@
 				reapchild(ev.ident);
 			continue;
 		}
-
 	}
 }
 
@@ -2225,6 +2228,8 @@
 			close(sl->sl_dirfd);
 		}
 	}
+	if (nulldesc >= 0)
+		close(nulldesc);
 	pidfile_remove(pfh);
 
 	exit(1);
@@ -3126,7 +3131,6 @@
 static int
 waitdaemon(int maxwait)
 {
-	int fd;
 	int status;
 	pid_t pid, childpid;
 
@@ -3157,12 +3161,10 @@
 		return (-1);
 
 	(void)chdir("/");
-	if ((fd = open(_PATH_DEVNULL, O_RDWR, 0)) != -1) {
-		(void)dup2(fd, STDIN_FILENO);
-		(void)dup2(fd, STDOUT_FILENO);
-		(void)dup2(fd, STDERR_FILENO);
-		if (fd > STDERR_FILENO)
-			(void)close(fd);
+	if (nulldesc >= 0) {
+		(void)dup2(nulldesc, STDIN_FILENO);
+		(void)dup2(nulldesc, STDOUT_FILENO);
+		(void)dup2(nulldesc, STDERR_FILENO);
 	}
 	return (getppid());
 }
@@ -3455,7 +3457,7 @@
 static int
 p_open(const char *prog, int *rpd)
 {
-	int nulldesc, pfd[2], pd;
+	int pfd[2], pd;
 	pid_t pid;
 	sigset_t sigset = { };
 	char *argv[4]; /* sh -c cmd NULL */
@@ -3463,13 +3465,9 @@
 
 	if (pipe(pfd) == -1)
 		return (-1);
-	if ((nulldesc = open(_PATH_DEVNULL, O_RDWR)) == -1)
-		/* we are royally screwed anyway */
-		return (-1);
 
 	switch ((pid = pdfork(&pd, PD_CLOEXEC))) {
 	case -1:
-		close(nulldesc);
 		return (-1);
 
 	case 0:
@@ -3493,14 +3491,15 @@
 		}
 
 		dup2(pfd[0], STDIN_FILENO);
-		dup2(nulldesc, STDOUT_FILENO);
-		dup2(nulldesc, STDERR_FILENO);
+		if (nulldesc >= 0) {
+			dup2(nulldesc, STDOUT_FILENO);
+			dup2(nulldesc, STDERR_FILENO);
+		}
 		closefrom(STDERR_FILENO + 1);
 
 		(void)execvp(_PATH_BSHELL, argv);
 		_exit(255);
 	}
-	close(nulldesc);
 	close(pfd[0]);
 	/*
 	 * Avoid blocking on a hung pipe.  With O_NONBLOCK, we are