diff --git a/icinga-app/icinga.cpp b/icinga-app/icinga.cpp
index 05d359d77..3b023fad8 100644
--- a/icinga-app/icinga.cpp
+++ b/icinga-app/icinga.cpp
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ static void SigHupHandler(int)
 }
 #endif /* _WIN32 */
 
-static bool Daemonize(const String& stderrFile)
+static bool Daemonize(void)
 {
 #ifndef _WIN32
 	pid_t pid = fork();
@@ -170,11 +170,38 @@ static bool Daemonize(const String& stderrFile)
 	}
 
 	if (pid) {
-		// TODO: do a real wait till the pidfile is written by the daemon
-		Utility::Sleep(5);
+		// systemd requires that the pidfile of the daemon is written before the forking
+		// process terminates. So wait till either the forked daemon has written a pidfile or died.
+
+		int status;
+		int ret;
+		pid_t readpid;
+		do {
+			Utility::Sleep(0.1);
+
+			readpid = Application::ReadPidFile(Application::GetPidPath());
+			ret = waitpid(pid, &status, WNOHANG);
+		} while (readpid != pid && ret == 0);
+
+		if (ret == pid) {
+			Log(LogCritical, "icinga-app", "The daemon could not be started. See logfile for details.");
+			exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+		} else if (ret == -1) {
+			BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(posix_error()
+				<< boost::errinfo_api_function("waitpid")
+				<< boost::errinfo_errno(errno));
+		}
+
 		exit(0);
 	}
+#endif /* _WIN32 */
 
+	return true;
+}
+
+static bool SetDaemonIO(const String& stderrFile)
+{
+#ifndef _WIN32
 	int fdnull = open("/dev/null", O_RDWR);
 	if (fdnull >= 0) {
 		if (fdnull != 0)
@@ -486,13 +513,17 @@ int Main(void)
 		Log(LogInformation, "icinga-app", "Previous instance has ended, taking over now.");
 	}
 
-	if (g_AppParams.count("daemonize") && !g_AppParams.count("reload-internal")) {
-		String errorLog;
+	if (g_AppParams.count("daemonize")) {
+		if (!g_AppParams.count("reload-internal")) {
+			// no additional fork neccessary on reload
+			Daemonize();
+		}
 
+		String errorLog;
 		if (g_AppParams.count("errorlog"))
 			errorLog = g_AppParams["errorlog"].as<std::string>();
 
-		Daemonize(errorLog);
+		SetDaemonIO(errorLog);
 		Logger::DisableConsoleLog();
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/base/application.cpp b/lib/base/application.cpp
index 4dca02028..9de7f7d4d 100644
--- a/lib/base/application.cpp
+++ b/lib/base/application.cpp
@@ -96,10 +96,11 @@ void Application::Stop(void)
 	// means that the restart succeeded and the new process wants to take
 	// over. Write the PID of the new process to the pidfile before this
 	// process exits to keep systemd happy.
-	if (l_Restarting)
-		UpdatePidFile(GetPidPath(),m_ReloadProcess);
-
-	ClosePidFile();
+	if (l_Restarting) {
+		UpdatePidFile(GetPidPath(), m_ReloadProcess);
+		ClosePidFile(false);
+	} else
+		ClosePidFile(true);
 
 	DynamicObject::Stop();
 }
@@ -681,13 +682,20 @@ void Application::UpdatePidFile(const String& filename, pid_t pid)
 /**
  * Closes the PID file. Does nothing if the PID file is not currently open.
  */
-void Application::ClosePidFile(void)
+void Application::ClosePidFile(bool unlink)
 {
 	ASSERT(!OwnsLock());
 	ObjectLock olock(this);
 
 	if (m_PidFile != NULL)
+	{
+		if (unlink) {
+			String pidpath = GetPidPath();
+			::unlink(pidpath.CStr());
+		}
+
 		fclose(m_PidFile);
+	}
 
 	m_PidFile = NULL;
 }
diff --git a/lib/base/application.h b/lib/base/application.h
index 28e589d96..490937d07 100644
--- a/lib/base/application.h
+++ b/lib/base/application.h
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ public:
 	static bool IsDebugging(void);
 
 	void UpdatePidFile(const String& filename, pid_t pid = Utility::GetPid());
-	void ClosePidFile(void);
+	void ClosePidFile(bool unlink);
 	static pid_t ReadPidFile(const String& filename);
 
 	static String GetExePath(const String& argv0);