diff --git a/common/daemon.cpp b/common/daemon.cpp
index ba82d2d3..a61d3277 100644
--- a/common/daemon.cpp
+++ b/common/daemon.cpp
@@ -114,10 +114,6 @@ void Daemon::daemonize()
     if (user_uid != (uid_t)-1 && user_uid != getuid() && setuid(user_uid) == -1)
         throw SnapException("Failed to set user " + user_);
 
-    /// Try to lock file
-    if (lockf(pidFilehandle_, F_TLOCK, 0) == -1)
-        throw SnapException("Could not lock PID lock file \"" + pidfile_ + "\"");
-
     /// Our process ID and Session ID
     pid_t pid, sid;
 
@@ -126,20 +122,9 @@ void Daemon::daemonize()
     if (pid < 0)
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 
-    /// If we got a good PID, then the parent process should only exit after
-    /// writing the pid else systemd is confused.
+    /// If we got a good PID, then we can exit the parent process.
     if (pid > 0)
-    {
-        char str[10];
-        /// Get and format PID
-        sprintf(str, "%d\n", pid);
-
-        /// write pid to lockfile
-        if (write(pidFilehandle_, str, strlen(str)) != (int)strlen(str))
-            throw SnapException("Could not write PID to lock file \"" + pidfile_ + "\"");
-
         exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
-    }
 
     /// Change the file mode mask
     umask(0);
@@ -161,6 +146,18 @@ void Daemon::daemonize()
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
     }
 
+    /// Try to lock file
+    if (lockf(pidFilehandle_, F_TLOCK, 0) == -1)
+        throw SnapException("Could not lock PID lock file \"" + pidfile_ + "\". Is the daemon already running?");
+
+    char str[10];
+    /// Get and format PID
+    sprintf(str, "%d\n", getpid());
+
+    /// write pid to lockfile
+    if (write(pidFilehandle_, str, strlen(str)) != (int)strlen(str))
+        throw SnapException("Could not write PID to lock file \"" + pidfile_ + "\"");
+
     /// Close out the standard file descriptors
     close(STDIN_FILENO);
     close(STDOUT_FILENO);