diff --git a/plugins/Makefile.am b/plugins/Makefile.am
index d4b878c5..45affcab 100644
--- a/plugins/Makefile.am
+++ b/plugins/Makefile.am
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ AM_LDFLAGS          = -module -avoid-version -shared
 AM_CFLAGS           = -W -Wall -Wextra -Wno-unused-parameter -std=gnu99
 AM_CPPFLAGS         = -I$(top_srcdir)/src -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE
 AM_CPPFLAGS        += -D_XOPEN_SOURCE=600 -D_BSD_SOURCE -D_GNU_SOURCE -D_DEFAULT_SOURCE
-AM_CPPFLAGS        += $(lite_CFLAGS) $(uev_CFLAGS)
+AM_CPPFLAGS        += -D__FINIT__ $(lite_CFLAGS) $(uev_CFLAGS)
 
 if STATIC
 noinst_LTLIBRARIES  = libplug.la
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 0bae8480..1d3fb29c 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ endif
 pkginclude_HEADERS = cgroup.h cond.h conf.h finit.h helpers.h log.h \
 		     plugin.h svc.h service.h
 
+finit_CPPFLAGS     = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) -D__FINIT__
 finit_CFLAGS       = -W -Wall -Wextra -Wno-unused-parameter -std=gnu99
 finit_CFLAGS      += $(lite_CFLAGS) $(uev_CFLAGS)
 finit_LDADD        = $(lite_LIBS) $(uev_LIBS)
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ endif
 
 initctl_SOURCES    = initctl.c initctl.h cgutil.c cgutil.h		\
 		     client.c client.h cond.c cond.h reboot.c		\
-		     serv.c serv.h svc.h util.c util.h
+		     serv.c serv.h svc.h util.c util.h log.h
 initctl_CFLAGS     = -W -Wall -Wextra -Wno-unused-parameter -std=gnu99
 initctl_CFLAGS    += $(lite_CFLAGS) $(uev_CFLAGS)
 initctl_LDADD      = $(lite_LIBS) $(uev_LIBS)
diff --git a/src/cgutil.c b/src/cgutil.c
index b2d366b9..ddceca7b 100644
--- a/src/cgutil.c
+++ b/src/cgutil.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 
 #include "cgutil.h"
 #include "initctl.h"
+#include "log.h"
 
 #define CDIM plain ? "" : "\e[2m"
 #define CRST plain ? "" : "\e[0m"
diff --git a/src/client.c b/src/client.c
index c5d5a1b8..2956dc80 100644
--- a/src/client.c
+++ b/src/client.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #include <sys/un.h>
 
 #include "client.h"
-#include "initctl.h"
+#include "log.h"
 
 static int sd = -1;
 
@@ -40,13 +40,13 @@ int client_connect(void)
 
 	sd = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_SEQPACKET, 0);
 	if (-1 == sd) {
-		WARN("Failed creating UNIX domain socket");
+		warn("Failed creating UNIX domain socket");
 		return -1;
 	}
 
 	if (connect(sd, (struct sockaddr*)&sun, sizeof(sun)) == -1) {
 		if (errno != ENOENT)
-			WARNX("Failed connecting to finit");
+			warnx("Failed connecting to finit");
 		close(sd);
 		return -1;
 	}
@@ -81,13 +81,13 @@ int client_send(struct init_request *rq, ssize_t len)
 	pfd.fd     = sd;
 	pfd.events = POLLOUT;
 	if (poll(&pfd, 1, 2000) <= 0) {
-		WARN("Timed out waiting for Finit, errno %d", errno);
-		goto exit;
+		warn("Timed out waiting for Finit, errno %d", errno);
+		return -1;
 	}
 
 	if (write(sd, rq, len) != len) {
-		WARN("Failed communicating with Finit, errno %d", errno);
-		goto exit;
+		warn("Failed communicating with Finit, errno %d", errno);
+		return -1;
 	}
 
 	pfd.fd = sd;
@@ -95,16 +95,16 @@ int client_send(struct init_request *rq, ssize_t len)
 	if ((rc = poll(&pfd, 1, 2000)) <= 0) {
 		if (rc) {
 			if (errno == EINTR) /* shutdown/reboot */
-				goto exit;
-			WARN("poll(), errno %d", errno);
+				return -1;
+			warn("poll(), errno %d", errno);
 		} else
-			WARNX("Timed out waiting for reply from Finit.");
-		goto exit;
+			warnx("Timed out waiting for reply from Finit.");
+		return -1;
 	}
 
 	if (read(sd, rq, len) != len) {
-		WARN("Failed reading reply from Finit, errno %d", errno);
-		goto exit;
+		warn("Failed reading reply from Finit, errno %d", errno);
+		return -1;
 	}
 
 	if (rq->cmd == INIT_CMD_NACK)
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ svc_t *client_svc_iterator(int first)
 
 	return &svc;
 error:
-	WARN("Failed communicating with finit, error %d", errno);
+	warn("Failed communicating with finit, error %d", errno);
 	client_disconnect();
 	sd = -1;
 
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ static svc_t *do_cmd(int cmd, const char *arg)
 	return &svc;
 error:
 	client_disconnect();
-	WARN("Failed communicating with finit, error %d", errno);
+	warn("Failed communicating with finit, error %d", errno);
 
 	return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/src/helpers.h b/src/helpers.h
index c8deb2f9..53bfcf81 100644
--- a/src/helpers.h
+++ b/src/helpers.h
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ int     run_parts       (char *dir, char *cmd);
 static inline int create(char *path, mode_t mode, uid_t uid, gid_t gid)
 {
 	if (touch(path) || chmod(path, mode) || chown(path, uid, gid)) {
-		_w("Failed creating %s properly.", path);
+		warnx("Failed creating %s properly.", path);
 		return -1;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/initctl.c b/src/initctl.c
index 6cdb904f..841e5e07 100644
--- a/src/initctl.c
+++ b/src/initctl.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <paths.h>
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <syslog.h>
 #include <time.h>
 #include <utmp.h>
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
diff --git a/src/log.h b/src/log.h
index 989dba8b..c4f6ada4 100644
--- a/src/log.h
+++ b/src/log.h
@@ -31,6 +31,35 @@
 #define LOG_CONSOLE  (14<<3)
 #endif
 
+#ifndef __FINIT__
+#include <err.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+extern int debug;
+
+static __attribute__ ((format (printf, 1, 2))) inline void dbg(char *fmt, ...)
+{
+	va_list ap;
+
+	if (!debug)
+		return;
+
+	va_start(ap, fmt);
+	vfprintf(stderr, fmt, ap);
+	va_end(ap);
+}
+#else
+/*
+ * General log macros, similar to those used by initctl.  Initially intended
+ * only for bridging client.c in Finit and initctl.
+ */
+#define dbg(fmt, args...)      logit(LOG_DEBUG,   fmt, ##args)
+#define warnx(fmt, args...)    logit(LOG_WARNING, fmt, ##args)
+#define warn(fmt, args...)     logit(LOG_WARNING, fmt ": %s", ##args, strerror(errno))
+#define errx(rc, fmt, args...) logit(LOG_ERR,     fmt, ##args)
+#define err(rc, fmt, args...)  logit(LOG_ERR,     fmt ": %s", ##args, strerror(errno))
+
 /*
  * Developer error and debug messages, otherwise --> use logit() <--
  *                                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~
@@ -52,5 +81,6 @@ void    log_debug       (void);
 
 void    logit           (int prio, const char *fmt, ...)   __attribute__ ((format (printf, 2, 3)));
 void    flog            (char *file, const char *fmt, ...) __attribute__ ((format (printf, 2, 3)));
+#endif
 
 #endif /* FINIT_LOG_H_ */
diff --git a/src/pid.h b/src/pid.h
index 94fe2d10..3a1bb32f 100644
--- a/src/pid.h
+++ b/src/pid.h
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ static inline char *pid_runpath(const char *file, char *path, size_t len)
 
 	rc = paste(path, len, prefix, file);
 	if (rc < 0 || (size_t)rc >= len)
-		_e("File path '%s' truncated, should end with '%s'", path, file);
+		err(1, "File path '%s' truncated, should end with '%s'", path, file);
 
 	return path;
 }
diff --git a/src/util.c b/src/util.c
index 22bd6493..d03fffc6 100644
--- a/src/util.c
+++ b/src/util.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #endif
 #include <regex.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #ifdef HAVE_TERMIOS_H
 # include <termios.h>
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
index 3444e90c..7eb894be 100644
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_TERMIOS_H
 #include <poll.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
-#include <stdarg.h>
 #include <sys/reboot.h>
 #include <termios.h>
 #endif
@@ -87,18 +86,6 @@ int     ttcooked   (void);
 #define ttcooked() 0
 #endif
 
-static __attribute__ ((format (printf, 1, 2))) inline void dbg(char *fmt, ...)
-{
-	va_list ap;
-
-	if (!debug)
-		return;
-
-	va_start(ap, fmt);
-	vfprintf(stderr, fmt, ap);
-	va_end(ap);
-}
-
 static inline char *strterm(char *str, size_t len)
 {
 	str[len - 1] = 0;