diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_monitord.c b/src/lxc/lxc_monitord.c
index 2fbb3574fd..62e2121126 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_monitord.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_monitord.c
@@ -348,6 +348,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	char logpath[PATH_MAX];
 	sigset_t mask;
 	char *lxcpath = argv[1];
+	bool mainloop_opened = false;
+	bool monitord_created = false;
 
 	if (argc != 3) {
 		fprintf(stderr,
@@ -395,10 +397,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		ERROR("Failed to create mainloop.");
 		goto on_error;
 	}
+	mainloop_opened = true;
 
-	if (lxc_monitord_create(&mon)) {
+	if (lxc_monitord_create(&mon))
 		goto on_error;
-	}
+	monitord_created = true;
 
 	/* sync with parent, we're ignoring the return from write
 	 * because regardless if it works or not, the following
@@ -425,14 +428,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		}
 	}
 
-	lxc_mainloop_close(&mon.descr);
-	lxc_monitord_cleanup();
+on_signal:
 	ret = EXIT_SUCCESS;
-
 on_error:
-	exit(ret);
+	if (monitord_created)
+		lxc_monitord_cleanup();
+	if (mainloop_opened)
+		lxc_mainloop_close(&mon.descr);
 
-on_signal:
-	lxc_monitord_cleanup();
-	exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
+	exit(ret);
 }
diff --git a/src/lxc/mainloop.c b/src/lxc/mainloop.c
index 85b3ab979b..ab9c27dc04 100644
--- a/src/lxc/mainloop.c
+++ b/src/lxc/mainloop.c
@@ -161,4 +161,3 @@ int lxc_mainloop_close(struct lxc_epoll_descr *descr)
 
 	return close(descr->epfd);
 }
-
diff --git a/src/lxc/monitor.c b/src/lxc/monitor.c
index 793fbde098..dbded0500a 100644
--- a/src/lxc/monitor.c
+++ b/src/lxc/monitor.c
@@ -326,6 +326,7 @@ int lxc_monitord_spawn(const char *lxcpath)
 	}
 
 	if (pid2) {
+		DEBUG("Trying to sync with child process.");
 		char c;
 		/* Wait for daemon to create socket. */
 		close(pipefd[1]);
@@ -340,6 +341,7 @@ int lxc_monitord_spawn(const char *lxcpath)
 
 		close(pipefd[0]);
 
+		DEBUG("Sucessfully synced with child process.");
 		exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
 	}