diff --git a/src/api.c b/src/api.c
index c6ac7254..bd6b5a34 100644
--- a/src/api.c
+++ b/src/api.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include "service.h"
 #include "util.h"
 
+extern svc_t *wdog;
 static uev_t api_watcher;
 
 static int call(int (*action)(svc_t *), char *buf, size_t len)
@@ -340,13 +341,23 @@ static void api_cb(uev_t *w, void *arg, int events)
 				break;
 			}
 
-			if (wdogpid > 0 && wdogpid != rq.runlevel) {
-				_d("Sending SIGTERM to %d", wdogpid);
-				kill(wdogpid, SIGTERM);
-				do_sleep(1);
+			_e("Request to hand-over wdog ... to PID %d", rq.runlevel);
+			svc = svc_find_by_pid(rq.runlevel);
+			if (!svc) {
+				logit(LOG_ERR, "Cannot find PID %d, not registered.", rq.runlevel);
+				break;
 			}
-			_d("wdog was %d, now %d is in charge", wdogpid, rq.runlevel);
-			wdogpid = rq.runlevel;
+
+			/* Disable and allow Finit to collect bundled watchdog */
+			if (wdog) {
+				logit(LOG_NOTICE, "Stopping and removing %s (PID:%d)", wdog->cmd, wdog->pid);
+				stop(wdog);
+				if (wdog->protected) {
+					wdog->protected = 0;
+					wdog->runlevels = 0;
+				}
+			}
+			wdog = svc;
 			break;
 
 		case INIT_CMD_SVC_ITER:
diff --git a/src/finit.c b/src/finit.c
index 5ab8891f..2d02b369 100644
--- a/src/finit.c
+++ b/src/finit.c
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@
 #include "util.h"
 #include "utmp-api.h"
 
-int   wdogpid   = 0;		/* No watchdog by default */
 int   runlevel  = 0;		/* Bootstrap 'S' */
 int   cfglevel  = RUNLEVEL;	/* Fallback if no configured runlevel */
 int   prevlevel = -1;
@@ -62,6 +61,7 @@ char *rcsd      = FINIT_RCSD;
 char *runparts  = NULL;
 
 uev_ctx_t *ctx  = NULL;		/* Main loop context */
+svc_t *wdog     = NULL;		/* No watchdog by default */
 
 /*
  * Show user configured banner before service bootstrap progress
@@ -215,16 +215,19 @@ static void finalize(void)
 {
 	svc_t *svc;
 
+	/*
+	 * Track bundled watchdogd in case a better one turns up
+	 */
+	svc = svc_find(FINIT_LIBPATH_ "/watchdogd", 1);
+	if (svc)
+		wdog = svc;
+
 	/*
 	 * Run startup scripts in the runparts directory, if any.
 	 */
 	if (runparts && fisdir(runparts) && !rescue)
 		run_parts(runparts, NULL);
 
-	svc = svc_find(FINIT_LIBPATH_ "watchdogd", 1);
-	if (svc && !wdogpid)
-		wdogpid = svc->pid;
-
 	/*
 	 * Start all tasks/services in the configured runlevel
 	 */
diff --git a/src/finit.h b/src/finit.h
index 95b02493..57b34c4b 100644
--- a/src/finit.h
+++ b/src/finit.h
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@ struct init_request {
 	char	data[368];
 };
 
-extern int    wdogpid;
 extern int    runlevel;
 extern int    cfglevel;
 extern int    prevlevel;
diff --git a/src/sig.c b/src/sig.c
index d0d279e8..96a67ba5 100644
--- a/src/sig.c
+++ b/src/sig.c
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@
 #include "util.h"
 #include "utmp-api.h"
 
+extern svc_t *wdog;
+
 /*
  * Old-style SysV shutdown sends a setenv cmd INIT_HALT with "=HALT",
  * "=POWERDOWN", or "" to cancel shutdown, before requesting change to
@@ -185,8 +187,8 @@ void do_shutdown(shutop_t op)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (wdogpid) {
-		print(kill(wdogpid, SIGPWR) == 1, "Advising watchdog, system going down");
+	if (wdog) {
+		print(kill(wdog->pid, SIGPWR) == 1, "Advising watchdog, system going down");
 		do_sleep(2);
 	}
 
@@ -208,11 +210,11 @@ void do_shutdown(shutop_t op)
 
 	/* Reboot via watchdog or kernel, or shutdown? */
 	if (op == SHUT_REBOOT) {
-		if (wdogpid) {
+		if (wdog) {
 			int timeout = 10;
 
 			/* Wait here until the WDT reboots, or timeout with fallback */
-			print(kill(wdogpid, SIGTERM) == 1, "Pending watchdog reboot");
+			print(kill(wdog->pid, SIGTERM) == 1, "Pending watchdog reboot");
 			while (timeout--)
 				do_sleep(1);
 		}