diff --git a/libmultipath/log_pthread.c b/libmultipath/log_pthread.c
index d701ba1..9e92a70 100644
--- a/libmultipath/log_pthread.c
+++ b/libmultipath/log_pthread.c
@@ -13,20 +13,41 @@
 #include "log.h"
 #include "lock.h"
 
+pthread_t log_thr;
+
+pthread_mutex_t logq_lock;
+pthread_mutex_t logev_lock;
+pthread_cond_t logev_cond;
+
+int logq_running;
+
+static void
+sigusr1 (int sig)
+{
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&logq_lock);
+	log_reset("multipathd");
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&logq_lock);
+}
+
 void log_safe (int prio, const char * fmt, va_list ap)
 {
 	sigset_t old;
 
+	if (log_thr == (pthread_t)0) {
+		syslog(prio, fmt, ap);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	block_signal(SIGUSR1, &old);
 	block_signal(SIGHUP, NULL);
 
-	pthread_mutex_lock(logq_lock);
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&logq_lock);
 	log_enqueue(prio, fmt, ap);
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(logq_lock);
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&logq_lock);
 
-	pthread_mutex_lock(logev_lock);
-	pthread_cond_signal(logev_cond);
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(logev_lock);
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&logev_lock);
+	pthread_cond_signal(&logev_cond);
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&logev_lock);
 
 	pthread_sigmask(SIG_SETMASK, &old, NULL);
 }
@@ -36,9 +57,9 @@ static void flush_logqueue (void)
 	int empty;
 
 	do {
-		pthread_mutex_lock(logq_lock);
+		pthread_mutex_lock(&logq_lock);
 		empty = log_dequeue(la->buff);
-		pthread_mutex_unlock(logq_lock);
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&logq_lock);
 		if (!empty)
 			log_syslog(la->buff);
 	} while (empty == 0);
@@ -46,15 +67,30 @@ static void flush_logqueue (void)
 
 static void * log_thread (void * et)
 {
+	struct sigaction sig;
+	int running;
+
+	sig.sa_handler = sigusr1;
+	sigemptyset(&sig.sa_mask);
+	sig.sa_flags = 0;
+	if (sigaction(SIGUSR1, &sig, NULL) < 0)
+		logdbg(stderr, "Cannot set signal handler");
+
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&logev_lock);
+	logq_running = 1;
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&logev_lock);
+
 	mlockall(MCL_CURRENT | MCL_FUTURE);
 	logdbg(stderr,"enter log_thread\n");
 
 	while (1) {
-		pthread_mutex_lock(logev_lock);
-		pthread_cond_wait(logev_cond, logev_lock);
-		pthread_mutex_unlock(logev_lock);
-
-		flush_logqueue();
+		pthread_mutex_lock(&logev_lock);
+		pthread_cond_wait(&logev_cond, &logev_lock);
+		running = logq_running;
+		pthread_mutex_unlock(&logev_lock);
+		if (!running)
+			break;
+		log_thread_flush();
 	}
 	return NULL;
 }
@@ -63,19 +99,18 @@ void log_thread_start (pthread_attr_t *attr)
 {
 	logdbg(stderr,"enter log_thread_start\n");
 
-	logq_lock = (pthread_mutex_t *) malloc(sizeof(pthread_mutex_t));
-	logev_lock = (pthread_mutex_t *) malloc(sizeof(pthread_mutex_t));
-	logev_cond = (pthread_cond_t *) malloc(sizeof(pthread_cond_t));
-
-	pthread_mutex_init(logq_lock, NULL);
-	pthread_mutex_init(logev_lock, NULL);
-	pthread_cond_init(logev_cond, NULL);
+	pthread_mutex_init(&logq_lock, NULL);
+	pthread_mutex_init(&logev_lock, NULL);
+	pthread_cond_init(&logev_cond, NULL);
 
 	if (log_init("multipathd", 0)) {
 		fprintf(stderr,"can't initialize log buffer\n");
 		exit(1);
 	}
-	pthread_create(&log_thr, attr, log_thread, NULL);
+	if (pthread_create(&log_thr, attr, log_thread, NULL)) {
+		fprintf(stderr,"can't start log thread\n");
+		exit(1);
+	}
 
 	return;
 }
@@ -84,22 +119,22 @@ void log_thread_stop (void)
 {
 	logdbg(stderr,"enter log_thread_stop\n");
 
-	pthread_mutex_lock(logq_lock);
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&logev_lock);
+	logq_running = 0;
+	pthread_cond_signal(&logev_cond);
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&logev_lock);
+
+	pthread_mutex_lock(&logq_lock);
 	pthread_cancel(log_thr);
-	pthread_mutex_unlock(logq_lock);
+	pthread_mutex_unlock(&logq_lock);
 	pthread_join(log_thr, NULL);
+	log_thr = (pthread_t)0;
 
 	flush_logqueue();
 
-	pthread_mutex_destroy(logq_lock);
-	pthread_mutex_destroy(logev_lock);
-	pthread_cond_destroy(logev_cond);
-
-	free(logq_lock);
-	logq_lock = NULL;
-	free(logev_lock);
-	logev_lock = NULL;
-	free(logev_cond);
-	logev_cond = NULL;
-	free_logarea();
+	pthread_mutex_destroy(&logq_lock);
+	pthread_mutex_destroy(&logev_lock);
+	pthread_cond_destroy(&logev_cond);
+
+	log_close();
 }
diff --git a/libmultipath/log_pthread.h b/libmultipath/log_pthread.h
index 77780d8..f3b70ea 100644
--- a/libmultipath/log_pthread.h
+++ b/libmultipath/log_pthread.h
@@ -3,11 +3,13 @@
 
 #include <pthread.h>
 
-pthread_t log_thr;
+extern pthread_t log_thr;
 
-pthread_mutex_t *logq_lock;
-pthread_mutex_t *logev_lock;
-pthread_cond_t *logev_cond;
+extern pthread_mutex_t logq_lock;
+extern pthread_mutex_t logev_lock;
+extern pthread_cond_t logev_cond;
+
+extern int logq_running;
 
 void log_safe(int prio, const char * fmt, va_list ap);
 void log_thread_start(pthread_attr_t *attr);
