diff --git a/src/shared/helpers.h b/src/shared/helpers.h
index 00150d117..ba95b916a 100644
--- a/src/shared/helpers.h
+++ b/src/shared/helpers.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <dirent.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 
 #define ERRX do { fprintf (stderr, "out of memory\n"); exit (1); } while (0)
 
@@ -284,4 +285,16 @@ RC_UNUSED static char *env_findvar(const char *name, char **envp)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+RC_UNUSED static int xopen_nonblock(const char *filename, int flags, mode_t mode)
+{
+	int fd = open(filename, flags | O_NONBLOCK, mode);
+	if (fd >= 0 && fcntl(F_SETFL, fd, flags & ~O_NONBLOCK) < 0) {
+		int saved_errno = errno;
+		close(fd);
+		fd = -1;
+		errno = saved_errno;
+	}
+	return fd;
+}
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/start-stop-daemon/start-stop-daemon.c b/src/start-stop-daemon/start-stop-daemon.c
index fdcd90326..ca846657e 100644
--- a/src/start-stop-daemon/start-stop-daemon.c
+++ b/src/start-stop-daemon/start-stop-daemon.c
@@ -1086,17 +1086,17 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		stdout_fd = devnull_fd;
 		stderr_fd = devnull_fd;
 		if (redirect_stdin) {
-			if ((stdin_fd = open(redirect_stdin,
-				    O_RDONLY)) == -1)
-				eerrorx("%s: unable to open the input file"
+			if ((stdin_fd = xopen_nonblock(redirect_stdin,
+				    O_RDONLY, 0)) == -1)
+				eerrorx("%s: unable to redirect the input file"
 				    " for stdin `%s': %s",
 				    applet, redirect_stdin, strerror(errno));
 		}
 		if (redirect_stdout) {
-			if ((stdout_fd = open(redirect_stdout,
+			if ((stdout_fd = xopen_nonblock(redirect_stdout,
 				    O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_APPEND,
 				    S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR | S_IRGRP | S_IWGRP)) == -1)
-				eerrorx("%s: unable to open the logfile"
+				eerrorx("%s: unable to redirect the logfile"
 				    " for stdout `%s': %s",
 				    applet, redirect_stdout, strerror(errno));
 		}else if (stdout_process) {
@@ -1107,10 +1107,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 				    applet, stdout_process, strerror(errno));
 		}
 		if (redirect_stderr) {
-			if ((stderr_fd = open(redirect_stderr,
+			if ((stderr_fd = xopen_nonblock(redirect_stderr,
 				    O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_APPEND,
 				    S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR | S_IRGRP | S_IWGRP)) == -1)
-				eerrorx("%s: unable to open the logfile"
+				eerrorx("%s: unable to redirect the logfile"
 				    " for stderr `%s': %s",
 				    applet, redirect_stderr, strerror(errno));
 		}else if (stderr_process) {
diff --git a/src/supervise-daemon/supervise-daemon.c b/src/supervise-daemon/supervise-daemon.c
index d896a6953..15b18930b 100644
--- a/src/supervise-daemon/supervise-daemon.c
+++ b/src/supervise-daemon/supervise-daemon.c
@@ -567,17 +567,16 @@ RC_NORETURN static void child_process(char *exec, char **argv)
 	stdout_fd = devnull_fd;
 	stderr_fd = devnull_fd;
 	if (redirect_stdin) {
-		if ((stdin_fd = open(redirect_stdin,
-			    O_RDONLY)) == -1)
-			eerrorx("%s: unable to open the input file"
+		if ((stdin_fd = xopen_nonblock(redirect_stdin, O_RDONLY, 0)) == -1)
+			eerrorx("%s: unable to redirect the input file"
 			    " for stdin `%s': %s",
 			    applet, redirect_stdin, strerror(errno));
 	}
 	if (redirect_stdout) {
-		if ((stdout_fd = open(redirect_stdout,
+		if ((stdout_fd = xopen_nonblock(redirect_stdout,
 			    O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_APPEND,
 			    S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR)) == -1)
-			eerrorx("%s: unable to open the logfile"
+			eerrorx("%s: unable to redirect the logfile"
 				    " for stdout `%s': %s",
 				    applet, redirect_stdout, strerror(errno));
 	} else if (stdout_process) {
@@ -588,10 +587,10 @@ RC_NORETURN static void child_process(char *exec, char **argv)
 			    applet, stdout_process, strerror(errno));
 	}
 	if (redirect_stderr) {
-		if ((stderr_fd = open(redirect_stderr,
+		if ((stderr_fd = xopen_nonblock(redirect_stderr,
 			    O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_APPEND,
 			    S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR)) == -1)
-			eerrorx("%s: unable to open the logfile"
+			eerrorx("%s: unable to redirect the logfile"
 			    " for stderr `%s': %s",
 			    applet, redirect_stderr, strerror(errno));
 	} else if (stderr_process) {