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
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@
 static int	sigpipe[2];	/* Pipe to catch a signal during select(). */
 static bool	RFC3164OutputFormat = true; /* Use legacy format by default. */
 
-static volatile sig_atomic_t MarkSet, WantDie, WantInitialize, WantReapchild;
+static volatile sig_atomic_t MarkSet, WantDie, WantInitialize;
 
 struct iovlist;
 
@@ -420,7 +420,6 @@
 static const char *cvthname(struct sockaddr *);
 static void	deadq_enter(pid_t, const char *);
 static int	deadq_remove(struct deadq_entry *);
-static int	deadq_removebypid(pid_t);
 static int	decode(const char *, const CODE *);
 static void	die(int) __dead2;
 static void	dodie(int);
@@ -449,7 +448,6 @@
 static void	parsemsg(const char *, char *);
 static void	printsys(char *);
 static int	p_open(const char *, pid_t *);
-static void	reapchild(int);
 static const char *ttymsg_check(struct iovec *, int, char *, int);
 static void	usage(void);
 static int	validate(struct sockaddr *, const char *);
@@ -528,6 +526,7 @@
 int
 main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
+	struct sigaction act = { };
 	int ch, i, s, fdsrmax = 0;
 	bool bflag = false, pflag = false, Sflag = false;
 	fd_set *fdsr = NULL;
@@ -769,11 +768,16 @@
 	(void)strlcpy(consfile.fu_fname, ctty + sizeof _PATH_DEV - 1,
 	    sizeof(consfile.fu_fname));
 	(void)strlcpy(bootfile, getbootfile(), sizeof(bootfile));
+
+	/* Do not create zombie processes. */
+	act.sa_flags = SA_NOCLDWAIT;
+	if (sigaction(SIGCHLD, &act, NULL) == -1)
+		err(1, "failed to apply signal handler");
+
 	(void)signal(SIGTERM, dodie);
 	(void)signal(SIGINT, Debug ? dodie : SIG_IGN);
 	(void)signal(SIGQUIT, Debug ? dodie : SIG_IGN);
 	(void)signal(SIGHUP, sighandler);
-	(void)signal(SIGCHLD, sighandler);
 	(void)signal(SIGALRM, domark);
 	(void)signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN);	/* We'll catch EPIPE instead. */
 	(void)alarm(TIMERINTVL);
@@ -800,8 +804,6 @@
 			init(0);
 		else if (WantInitialize)
 			init(WantInitialize);
-		if (WantReapchild)
-			reapchild(WantReapchild);
 		if (MarkSet)
 			markit();
 		if (WantDie) {
@@ -865,9 +867,6 @@
 		case SIGHUP:
 			WantInitialize = 1;
 			break;
-		case SIGCHLD:
-			WantReapchild = 1;
-			break;
 		}
 	}
 	return (0);
@@ -2239,31 +2238,6 @@
 	return ttymsg(iov, iovcnt, line, tmout);
 }
 
-static void
-reapchild(int signo __unused)
-{
-	int status;
-	pid_t pid;
-	struct filed *f;
-
-	while ((pid = wait3(&status, WNOHANG, (struct rusage *)NULL)) > 0) {
-		/* First, look if it's a process from the dead queue. */
-		if (deadq_removebypid(pid))
-			continue;
-
-		/* Now, look in list of active processes. */
-		STAILQ_FOREACH(f, &fhead, next) {
-			if (f->f_type == F_PIPE &&
-			    f->fu_pipe_pid == pid) {
-				close_filed(f);
-				log_deadchild(pid, status, f->fu_pipe_pname);
-				break;
-			}
-		}
-	}
-	WantReapchild = 0;
-}
-
 /*
  * Return a printable representation of a host address.
  */
@@ -3226,19 +3200,11 @@
 		switch (dq->dq_timeout) {
 		case 0:
 			/* Already signalled once, try harder now. */
-			if (kill(dq->dq_pid, SIGKILL) != 0)
-				(void)deadq_remove(dq);
+			(void)kill(dq->dq_pid, SIGKILL);
+			(void)deadq_remove(dq);
 			break;
 
 		case 1:
-			/*
-			 * Timed out on dead queue, send terminate
-			 * signal.  Note that we leave the removal
-			 * from the dead queue to reapchild(), which
-			 * will also log the event (unless the process
-			 * didn't even really exist, in case we simply
-			 * drop it from the dead queue).
-			 */
 			if (kill(dq->dq_pid, SIGTERM) != 0)
 				(void)deadq_remove(dq);
 			else
@@ -3732,18 +3698,6 @@
 	return (0);
 }
 
-static int
-deadq_removebypid(pid_t pid)
-{
-	struct deadq_entry *dq;
-
-	TAILQ_FOREACH(dq, &deadq_head, dq_entries) {
-		if (dq->dq_pid == pid)
-			break;
-	}
-	return (deadq_remove(dq));
-}
-
 static void
 log_deadchild(pid_t pid, int status, const char *name)
 {