diff --git a/doc/11-cli-commands.md b/doc/11-cli-commands.md
index 012fe72f3..a6a625e5f 100644
--- a/doc/11-cli-commands.md
+++ b/doc/11-cli-commands.md
@@ -388,8 +388,10 @@ Command options:
   -z [ --no-config ]        start without a configuration file
   -C [ --validate ]         exit after validating the configuration
   -e [ --errorlog ] arg     log fatal errors to the specified log file (only
-                            works in combination with --daemonize)
+                            works in combination with --daemonize or
+                            --close-stdio)
   -d [ --daemonize ]        detach from the controlling terminal
+  --close-stdio             do not log to stdout (or stderr) after startup
 
 Report bugs at <https://github.com/Icinga/icinga2>
 Icinga home page: <https://www.icinga.com/>
diff --git a/etc/initsystem/icinga2.service.cmake b/etc/initsystem/icinga2.service.cmake
index 94b7dcd2f..9c7d81748 100644
--- a/etc/initsystem/icinga2.service.cmake
+++ b/etc/initsystem/icinga2.service.cmake
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ After=syslog.target network-online.target postgresql.service mariadb.service car
 Type=notify
 EnvironmentFile=@ICINGA2_SYSCONFIGFILE@
 ExecStartPre=@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/lib/icinga2/prepare-dirs @ICINGA2_SYSCONFIGFILE@
-ExecStart=@CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_SBINDIR@/icinga2 daemon -e ${ICINGA2_ERROR_LOG}
+ExecStart=@CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_SBINDIR@/icinga2 daemon --close-stdio -e ${ICINGA2_ERROR_LOG}
 PIDFile=@ICINGA2_INITRUNDIR@/icinga2.pid
 ExecReload=@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/lib/icinga2/safe-reload @ICINGA2_SYSCONFIGFILE@
 TimeoutStartSec=30m
diff --git a/lib/cli/daemoncommand.cpp b/lib/cli/daemoncommand.cpp
index 02d8b1ea1..d744d0dc1 100644
--- a/lib/cli/daemoncommand.cpp
+++ b/lib/cli/daemoncommand.cpp
@@ -105,6 +105,14 @@ static void Daemonize() noexcept
 	Log(LogDebug, "Daemonize()")
 		<< "Child process with PID " << Utility::GetPid() << " continues; re-initializing base.";
 
+	// Detach from controlling terminal
+	pid_t sid = setsid();
+	if (sid == -1) {
+		Log(LogCritical, "cli")
+			<< "setsid() failed with error code " << errno << ", \"" << Utility::FormatErrorNumber(errno) << "\"";
+		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+	}
+
 	try {
 		Application::InitializeBase();
 	} catch (const std::exception& ex) {
@@ -115,7 +123,7 @@ static void Daemonize() noexcept
 #endif /* _WIN32 */
 }
 
-static bool SetDaemonIO(const String& stderrFile)
+static void CloseStdIO(const String& stderrFile)
 {
 #ifndef _WIN32
 	int fdnull = open("/dev/null", O_RDWR);
@@ -147,14 +155,7 @@ static bool SetDaemonIO(const String& stderrFile)
 		if (fderr > 2)
 			close(fderr);
 	}
-
-	pid_t sid = setsid();
-	if (sid == -1) {
-		return false;
-	}
 #endif
-
-	return true;
 }
 
 String DaemonCommand::GetDescription() const
@@ -174,9 +175,10 @@ void DaemonCommand::InitParameters(boost::program_options::options_description&
 		("config,c", po::value<std::vector<std::string> >(), "parse a configuration file")
 		("no-config,z", "start without a configuration file")
 		("validate,C", "exit after validating the configuration")
-		("errorlog,e", po::value<std::string>(), "log fatal errors to the specified log file (only works in combination with --daemonize)")
+		("errorlog,e", po::value<std::string>(), "log fatal errors to the specified log file (only works in combination with --daemonize or --close-stdio)")
 #ifndef _WIN32
 		("daemonize,d", "detach from the controlling terminal")
+		("close-stdio", "do not log to stdout (or stderr) after startup")
 #endif /* _WIN32 */
 	;
 
@@ -290,12 +292,16 @@ int DaemonCommand::Run(const po::variables_map& vm, const std::vector<std::strin
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (vm.count("daemonize")) {
+	if (vm.count("daemonize") || vm.count("close-stdio")) {
+		// After disabling the console log, any further errors will go to the configured log only.
+		// Let's try to make this clear and say good bye.
+		Log(LogInformation, "cli", "Closing console log.");
+
 		String errorLog;
 		if (vm.count("errorlog"))
 			errorLog = vm["errorlog"].as<std::string>();
 
-		SetDaemonIO(errorLog);
+		CloseStdIO(errorLog);
 		Logger::DisableConsoleLog();
 	}