diff --git a/plugins/pidfile.c b/plugins/pidfile.c
index d25a76f0..fee45573 100644
--- a/plugins/pidfile.c
+++ b/plugins/pidfile.c
@@ -44,13 +44,20 @@ static void pidfile_callback(void *UNUSED(arg), int fd, int UNUSED(events))
 		
 		_d("%s: match %s", basename, svc->cmd);
 		snprintf(cond, sizeof(cond), "svc%s", svc->cmd);
-		if (ev->mask & (IN_CREATE | IN_ATTRIB))
+		if (ev->mask & (IN_CREATE | IN_ATTRIB)) {
+			svc_started(svc);
 			cond_set(cond);
-		else if (ev->mask & IN_DELETE)
+		} else if (ev->mask & IN_DELETE)
 			cond_clear(cond);
 	}
 }
 
+/*
+ * Assert condition only if the service is running, but not if it's
+ * recently been changed or while it's starting up.
+ *
+ * We must wait for the service to create/touch its pidfile.
+ */
 static void pidfile_reconf(void *_null)
 {
 	static char name[MAX_ARG_LEN];
@@ -59,14 +66,14 @@ static void pidfile_reconf(void *_null)
 	(void)(_null);
 
 	for (svc = svc_iterator(1); svc; svc = svc_iterator(0)) {
-		if (svc->state == SVC_RUNNING_STATE && !svc_is_changed(svc)) {
+		if (svc->state == SVC_RUNNING_STATE && !svc_is_changed(svc) && !svc_is_starting(svc)) {
 			snprintf(name, MAX_ARG_LEN, "svc%s", svc->cmd);
 			cond_set_path(cond_path(name), COND_ON);
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-static void pidfile_init (void *arg)
+static void pidfile_init(void *arg)
 {
 	struct context *ctx = arg;
 
diff --git a/service.c b/service.c
index 36482a77..5794b0b2 100644
--- a/service.c
+++ b/service.c
@@ -151,6 +151,9 @@ static int service_start(svc_t *svc)
 		return result;
 	}
 
+	/* Declare we're waiting for svc to create its pidfile */
+	svc_starting(svc);
+
 	/* Block sigchild while forking.  */
 	sigemptyset(&nmask);
 	sigaddset(&nmask, SIGCHLD);
@@ -329,6 +332,9 @@ static int service_restart(svc_t *svc)
 	if (verbose)
 		print_desc("Restarting ", svc->desc);
 
+	/* Declare we're waiting for svc to re-assert/touch its pidfile */
+	svc_starting(svc);
+
 	_d("Sending SIGHUP to PID %d", svc->pid);
 	err = kill(svc->pid, SIGHUP);
 
diff --git a/svc.h b/svc.h
index 678f60fd..44172de7 100644
--- a/svc.h
+++ b/svc.h
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ typedef struct svc {
 	time_t	       mtime;	       /* Modification time for .conf from /etc/finit.d/ */
 	const int      dirty;	       /* Set if old mtime != new mtime  => reloaded,
 					* or -1 when marked for removal */
+	int            starting;       /* ... waiting for pidfile to be re-asserted */
 	int	       runlevels;
 	int            sighup;	       /* This service supports SIGHUP :) */
 	svc_block_t    block;	       /* Reason that this service is currently blocked */
@@ -168,6 +169,10 @@ int       svc_is_unique        (svc_t *svc);
 static inline int svc_in_runlevel(svc_t *svc, int runlevel) { return svc && ISSET(svc->runlevels, runlevel); }
 static inline int svc_has_sighup(svc_t *svc) { return svc &&  0 != svc->sighup; }
 
+static inline void svc_starting   (svc_t *svc) { svc->starting = 1;  }
+static inline void svc_started    (svc_t *svc) { svc->starting = 0;  }
+static inline int  svc_is_starting(svc_t *svc) { 0 != svc->starting; }
+
 static inline int svc_is_dynamic(svc_t *svc) { return svc &&  0 != svc->mtime; }
 static inline int svc_is_removed(svc_t *svc) { return svc && -1 == svc->dirty; }
 static inline int svc_is_changed(svc_t *svc) { return svc &&  0 != svc->dirty; }