diff --git a/daemon/daemon.c b/daemon/daemon.c
index 7461a26e2..3219d3095 100644
--- a/daemon/daemon.c
+++ b/daemon/daemon.c
@@ -575,6 +575,7 @@ void
 daemon_fork(struct daemon* daemon)
 {
 	int have_view_respip_cfg = 0;
+	int ret;
 
 	log_assert(daemon);
 	if(!(daemon->views = views_create()))
@@ -660,7 +661,12 @@ daemon_fork(struct daemon* daemon)
 
 	/* Start resolver service on main thread. */
 #ifdef HAVE_SYSTEMD
-	sd_notify(0, "READY=1");
+	ret = sd_notify(0, "READY=1");
+	if(ret <= 0 && getenv("NOTIFY_SOCKET"))
+		fatal_exit("sd_notify failed %s: %s. Make sure that unbound has "
+				"access/permission to use the socket presented by systemd.",
+				getenv("NOTIFY_SOCKET"),
+				(ret==0?"no $NOTIFY_SOCKET": strerror(-ret)));
 #endif
 	log_info("start of service (%s).", PACKAGE_STRING);
 	worker_work(daemon->workers[0]);
diff --git a/doc/Changelog b/doc/Changelog
index 3b6ed46f7..36909725a 100644
--- a/doc/Changelog
+++ b/doc/Changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+14 August 2019: George
+	- Fix #59, when compiled with systemd support check that we can properly
+	  communicate with systemd through the `NOTIFY_SOCKET`.
+
 14 August 2019: Wouter
 	- Generate configlexer with newer flex.