diff --git a/src/compton.c b/src/compton.c
index 9fdeb8ff..822eee6b 100644
--- a/src/compton.c
+++ b/src/compton.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
  *
  */
 
+#include <fcntl.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
@@ -2028,49 +2029,6 @@ register_cm(session_t *ps) {
   return true;
 }
 
-/**
- * Fork program to background and disable all I/O streams.
- */
-static inline bool
-fork_after(session_t *ps) {
-  if (getppid() == 1)
-    return true;
-
-#ifdef CONFIG_OPENGL
-  // GLX context must be released and reattached on fork
-  if (glx_has_context(ps) && !glXMakeCurrent(ps->dpy, XCB_NONE, NULL)) {
-    log_fatal("Failed to detach GLX context.");
-    return false;
-  }
-#endif
-
-  int pid = fork();
-
-  if (-1 == pid) {
-    log_fatal("fork() failed.");
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  if (pid > 0) _exit(0);
-
-  setsid();
-
-#ifdef CONFIG_OPENGL
-  if (glx_has_context(ps)
-      && !glXMakeCurrent(ps->dpy, get_tgt_window(ps), ps->psglx->context)) {
-    log_fatal("Failed to make GLX context current.");
-    return false;
-  }
-#endif
-
-  if (!freopen("/dev/null", "r", stdin)) {
-    log_fatal("freopen() failed.");
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  return true;
-}
-
 /**
  * Write PID to a file.
  */
@@ -2485,14 +2443,16 @@ reset_enable(EV_P_ ev_signal *w, int revents) {
 /**
  * Initialize a session.
  *
- * @param ps_old old session, from which the function will take the X
- *    connection, then free it
  * @param argc number of commandline arguments
  * @param argv commandline arguments
+ * @param dpy  the X Display
+ * @param config_file the path to the config file
+ * @param all_xerros whether we should report all X errors
+ * @param fork whether we will fork after initialization
  */
 static session_t *
-session_init(int argc, char **argv, Display *dpy, bool all_xerrors,
-             const char *config_file) {
+session_init(int argc, char **argv, Display *dpy, const char *config_file,
+             bool all_xerrors, bool fork) {
   static const session_t s_def = {
     .backend_data = NULL,
     .dpy = NULL,
@@ -2518,7 +2478,6 @@ session_init(int argc, char **argv, Display *dpy, bool all_xerrors,
       .glx_no_stencil = false,
       .mark_wmwin_focused = false,
       .mark_ovredir_focused = false,
-      .fork_after_register = false,
       .detect_rounded_corners = false,
       .resize_damage = 0,
       .unredir_if_possible = false,
@@ -2779,6 +2738,7 @@ session_init(int argc, char **argv, Display *dpy, bool all_xerrors,
       log_info("Switching to log file: %s", ps->o.logpath);
       log_remove_target_tls(stderr_logger);
       log_add_target_tls(l);
+      stderr_logger = NULL;
     } else {
       log_error("Failed to setup log file %s, I will keep using stderr", ps->o.logpath);
     }
@@ -3023,23 +2983,12 @@ session_init(int argc, char **argv, Display *dpy, bool all_xerrors,
     free(e);
   }
 
-  // Fork to background, if asked
-  if (ps->o.fork_after_register) {
-    if (!fork_after(ps)) {
-      session_destroy(ps);
-      return NULL;
-    }
-  }
-
-  // Redirect output stream
-  if (ps->o.fork_after_register) {
-    if (!freopen("/dev/null", "w", stdout) || !freopen("/dev/null", "w", stderr)) {
-      log_fatal("Failed to redirect stdout/stderr to /dev/null");
-      exit(1);
-    }
-  }
-
   write_pid(ps);
+
+  if (fork && stderr_logger) {
+    // Remove the stderr logger if we will fork
+    log_remove_target_tls(stderr_logger);
+  }
   return ps;
 }
 
@@ -3232,11 +3181,41 @@ main(int argc, char **argv) {
 
   int exit_code;
   char *config_file = NULL;
-  bool all_xerrors = 0;
-  if (get_early_config(argc, argv, &config_file, &all_xerrors, &exit_code)) {
+  bool all_xerrors = false, need_fork = false;
+  if (get_early_config(argc, argv, &config_file, &all_xerrors, &need_fork, &exit_code)) {
     return exit_code;
   }
 
+  int pfds[2];
+  if (need_fork) {
+    if (pipe2(pfds, O_CLOEXEC)) {
+      perror("pipe2");
+      return 1;
+    }
+    auto pid = fork();
+    if (pid < 0) {
+      perror("fork");
+      return 1;
+    }
+    if (pid > 0) {
+      // We are the parent
+      close(pfds[1]);
+      // We wait for the child to tell us it has finished initialization
+      // by sending us something via the pipe.
+      int tmp;
+      if (read(pfds[0], &tmp, sizeof tmp) <= 0) {
+        // Failed to read, the child has most likely died
+        // We can probably waitpid() here.
+        return 1;
+      } else {
+        // We are done
+        return 0;
+      }
+    }
+    // We are the child
+    close(pfds[0]);
+  }
+
   sigset_t sigmask;
   sigemptyset(&sigmask);
   const struct sigaction int_action = {
@@ -3256,11 +3235,29 @@ main(int argc, char **argv) {
   XSetEventQueueOwner(dpy, XCBOwnsEventQueue);
 
   do {
-    ps_g = session_init(argc, argv, dpy, all_xerrors, config_file);
+    ps_g = session_init(argc, argv, dpy, config_file, all_xerrors, need_fork);
     if (!ps_g) {
       log_fatal("Failed to create new compton session.");
       return 1;
     }
+    if (need_fork) {
+      // Finishing up daemonization
+      // Close files
+      if (fclose(stdout) || fclose(stderr) || fclose(stdin)) {
+        log_fatal("Failed to close standard input/output");
+        return 1;
+      }
+      // Make us the session and process group leader so we don't get killed when
+      // our parent die.
+      setsid();
+      // Notify the parent that we are done. This might cause the parent to quit,
+      // so only do this after setsid()
+      int tmp = 1;
+      write(pfds[1], &tmp, sizeof tmp);
+      close(pfds[1]);
+      // We only do this once
+      need_fork = false;
+    }
     session_run(ps_g);
     quit = ps_g->quit;
     session_destroy(ps_g);
diff --git a/src/config.h b/src/config.h
index d87a1b5e..785d1531 100644
--- a/src/config.h
+++ b/src/config.h
@@ -96,8 +96,6 @@ typedef struct options_t {
 	bool glx_use_gpushader4;
 	/// Custom fragment shader for painting windows, as a string.
 	char *glx_fshader_win_str;
-	/// Whether to fork to background.
-	bool fork_after_register;
 	/// Whether to detect rounded corners.
 	bool detect_rounded_corners;
 	/// Force painting of window content with blending.
diff --git a/src/dbus.c b/src/dbus.c
index 6df73158..f5ea6149 100644
--- a/src/dbus.c
+++ b/src/dbus.c
@@ -1029,7 +1029,6 @@ cdbus_process_opts_get(session_t *ps, DBusMessage *msg) {
   cdbus_m_opts_get_do(write_pid_path, cdbus_reply_string);
   cdbus_m_opts_get_do(mark_wmwin_focused, cdbus_reply_bool);
   cdbus_m_opts_get_do(mark_ovredir_focused, cdbus_reply_bool);
-  cdbus_m_opts_get_do(fork_after_register, cdbus_reply_bool);
   cdbus_m_opts_get_do(detect_rounded_corners, cdbus_reply_bool);
   cdbus_m_opts_get_stub(paint_on_overlay, cdbus_reply_bool, ps->overlay != XCB_NONE);
   // paint_on_overlay_id: Get ID of the X composite overlay window
diff --git a/src/options.c b/src/options.c
index d1925e33..d1b03786 100644
--- a/src/options.c
+++ b/src/options.c
@@ -470,7 +470,8 @@ static const struct option longopts[] = {
 
 /// Get config options that are needed to parse the rest of the options
 /// Return true if we should quit
-bool get_early_config(int argc, char *const *argv, char **config_file, bool *all_xerrors, int *exit_code) {
+bool get_early_config(int argc, char *const *argv, char **config_file, bool *all_xerrors,
+                      bool *fork, int *exit_code) {
 	int o = 0, longopt_idx = -1;
 
 	// Pre-parse the commandline arguments to check for --config and invalid
@@ -486,6 +487,9 @@ bool get_early_config(int argc, char *const *argv, char **config_file, bool *all
 		} else if (o == 'h') {
 			usage(0);
 			return true;
+
+		} else if (o == 'b') {
+			*fork = true;
 		} else if (o == 'd') {
 			log_warn("-d will be ignored, please use the DISPLAY "
 			         "environment variable");
@@ -548,12 +552,19 @@ void get_cfg(options_t *opt, int argc, char *const *argv, bool shadow_enable,
 
 		// clang-format off
 		// Short options
-		case 'h': usage(0); break;
+		case 318:
+		case 'h':
+			// These options should cause compton to exit early,
+			// so assert(false) here
+			assert(false);
+			break;
 		case 'd':
+		case 'b':
 		case 'S':
 		case 314:
-		case 318:
-		case 320: break;
+		case 320:
+			// These options are handled by get_early_config()
+			break;
 		P_CASELONG('D', fade_delta);
 		case 'I': opt->fade_in_step = normalize_d(atof(optarg)) * OPAQUE; break;
 		case 'O': opt->fade_out_step = normalize_d(atof(optarg)) * OPAQUE; break;
@@ -599,7 +610,6 @@ void get_cfg(options_t *opt, int argc, char *const *argv, bool shadow_enable,
 		case 's':
 			log_error("-n, -a, and -s have been removed.");
 			break;
-		P_CASEBOOL('b', fork_after_register);
 		// Long options
 		case 256:
 			// --config
diff --git a/src/options.h b/src/options.h
index 732837a8..144820e3 100644
--- a/src/options.h
+++ b/src/options.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ typedef struct session session_t;
 /// Get config options that are needed to parse the rest of the options
 /// Return true if we should quit
 bool get_early_config(int argc, char *const *argv, char **config_file, bool *all_xerrors,
-                      int *exit_code);
+                      bool *fork, int *exit_code);
 
 /**
  * Process arguments and configuration files.