diff --git a/src/rc/start-stop-daemon.c b/src/rc/start-stop-daemon.c
index bfa8852..9e484d9 100644
--- a/src/rc/start-stop-daemon.c
+++ b/src/rc/start-stop-daemon.c
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ expand_home(const char *home, const char *path)
 }

 #include "_usage.h"
-#define getoptstring "I:KN:PR:Sa:bc:d:e:g:ik:mn:op:s:tu:r:w:x:1:2:" getoptstring_COMMON
+#define getoptstring "I:KN:PR:Sa:bc:d:e:g:ik:mn:op:s:tu:r:w:x:1:2:lL" getoptstring_COMMON
 static const struct option longopts[] = {
        { "ionice",       1, NULL, 'I'},
        { "stop",         0, NULL, 'K'},
@@ -624,6 +624,8 @@ static const struct option longopts[] = {
        { "stdout",       1, NULL, '1'},
        { "stderr",       1, NULL, '2'},
        { "progress",     0, NULL, 'P'},
+       { "userlog",      0, NULL, 'l'},
+       { "rootlog",      0, NULL, 'L'},
        longopts_COMMON
 };
 static const char * const longopts_help[] = {
@@ -653,6 +655,8 @@ static const char * const longopts_help[] = {
        "Redirect stdout to file",
        "Redirect stderr to file",
        "Print dots each second while waiting",
+       "Opens log redirect file after chuid (default)",
+       "Opens log redirect file before chuid (root owns log files)",
        longopts_help_COMMON
 };
 #include "_usage.c"
@@ -693,6 +697,7 @@ start_stop_daemon(int argc, char **argv)
        gid_t gid = 0;
        char *home = NULL;
        int tid = 0;
+       bool user_log = true;
        char *redirect_stderr = NULL;
        char *redirect_stdout = NULL;
        int stdout_fd;
@@ -900,6 +905,12 @@ start_stop_daemon(int argc, char **argv)
                        exec = optarg;
                        break;

+               case 'l':
+                       user_log = true;
+                       break;
+               case 'L':
+                       user_log = false;
+                       break;
                case '1':   /* --stdout /path/to/stdout.lgfile */
                        redirect_stdout = optarg;
                        break;
@@ -1168,6 +1179,26 @@ start_stop_daemon(int argc, char **argv)
                        fprintf(fp, "%d\n", mypid);
                        fclose(fp);
                }
+               stdout_fd = devnull_fd;
+               stderr_fd = devnull_fd;
+               if (!user_log) {
+                       if (redirect_stdout) {
+                               if ((stdout_fd = open(redirect_stdout,
+                                           O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_APPEND,
+                                           S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR)) == -1)
+                                       eerrorx("%s: unable to open the logfile"
+                                           " for stdout `%s': %s",
+                                           applet, redirect_stdout, strerror(errno));
+                       }
+                       if (redirect_stderr) {
+                               if ((stderr_fd = open(redirect_stderr,
+                                           O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_APPEND,
+                                           S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR)) == -1)
+                                       eerrorx("%s: unable to open the logfile"
+                                           " for stderr `%s': %s",
+                                           applet, redirect_stderr, strerror(errno));
+                       }
+               }

 #ifdef HAVE_PAM
                if (changeuser != NULL) {
@@ -1265,8 +1296,7 @@ start_stop_daemon(int argc, char **argv)
                        setenv("PATH", newpath, 1);
                }

-               stdout_fd = devnull_fd;
-               stderr_fd = devnull_fd;
+               if (user_log) {
                if (redirect_stdout) {
                        if ((stdout_fd = open(redirect_stdout,
                                    O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_APPEND,
@@ -1283,6 +1313,7 @@ start_stop_daemon(int argc, char **argv)
                                    " for stderr `%s': %s",
                                    applet, redirect_stderr, strerror(errno));
                }
+               }

                /* We don't redirect stdin as some daemons may need it */
                if (background || quiet || redirect_stdout)