--- a/os/utils.c	
+++ a/os/utils.c	
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ LockServer(void)
     FatalError("Could not create lock file in %s\n", tmp);
   (void) sprintf(pid_str, "%10ld\n", (long)getpid());
   (void) write(lfd, pid_str, 11);
-  (void) chmod(tmp, 0444);
+  (void) fchmod(lfd, 0444);
   (void) close(lfd);
   /*
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ LockServer(void)
       /*
        * Read the pid from the existing file
        */
-      lfd = open(LockFile, O_RDONLY);
+      lfd = open(LockFile, O_RDONLY|O_NOFOLLOW);
       if (lfd < 0) {
         unlink(tmp);
         FatalError("Can't read lock file %s\n", LockFile);