diff --git a/daemon/unbound.c b/daemon/unbound.c
index 1a76fb2af..1083aed13 100644
--- a/daemon/unbound.c
+++ b/daemon/unbound.c
@@ -345,8 +345,6 @@ perform_setup(struct daemon* daemon, struct config_file* cfg, int debug_mode,
 	 * a fork error could not be printed since daemonize closed stderr.*/
 	if(cfg->use_syslog) {
 		log_init(cfg->logfile, cfg->use_syslog, cfg->chrootdir);
-		/* but syslog is not really opened by glibc until first msg */
-		log_info("open syslog, startup in progress");
 	}
 	/* if using a logfile, we cannot open it because the logfile would
 	 * be created with the wrong permissions, we cannot chown it because
diff --git a/doc/Changelog b/doc/Changelog
index aed6138f0..9266a3be0 100644
--- a/doc/Changelog
+++ b/doc/Changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+11 December 2008: Wouter
+	- better fix for bug #219: use LOG_NDELAY with openlog() call.
+	  Thanks to Tamas Tevesz.
+
 9 December 2008: Wouter
 	- bug #221 fixed: unbound checkconf checks if key files exist if
 	  remote control is enabled. Also fixed NULL printf when not chrooted.
diff --git a/util/log.c b/util/log.c
index 9474504a0..429610e09 100644
--- a/util/log.c
+++ b/util/log.c
@@ -95,7 +95,9 @@ log_init(const char* filename, int use_syslog, const char* chrootdir)
 		logging_to_syslog = 0;
 	}
 	if(use_syslog) {
-		openlog(ident, 0, LOG_DAEMON);
+		/* do not delay opening until first write, because we may
+		 * chroot and no longer be able to access dev/log and so on */
+		openlog(ident, LOG_NDELAY, LOG_DAEMON);
 		logging_to_syslog = 1;
 		return;
 	}