--- db.c
+++ db.c
@@ -373,7 +373,13 @@
 			} else if (strcmp("timeout_connect", obuf) == 0) {
 				config.to_con = atoi(abuf);
 				continue;
-			} else if (!config.first) {
+			} 
+			else if (strcmp("pid_dir", obuf) == 0) {
+				(void) strncpy(config.piddir, abuf, sizeof(config.piddir) - 1);
+				config.piddir[sizeof(config.piddir) - 1] = 0;
+				continue;
+			}
+			else if (!config.first) {
 				continue;
 			} else if (*obuf != '#') {
 				warn("unknown option in config file %s:  %s", config.file, obuf);
--- main.c
+++ main.c
@@ -20,19 +20,12 @@
  */
 
 #include "configure.h"
-#ifdef HAVE_SYS_TYPES_H
-# include <sys/types.h>
-#endif
-
 #include <stdio.h>
-
-#ifdef HAVE_STDLIB_H
-# include <stdlib.h>
-#endif
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
-#ifdef HAVE_UNISTD_H
-# include <unistd.h>
-#endif
+#include <unistd.h>
 #include <time.h>
 #include <pwd.h>
 #include <grp.h>
@@ -44,34 +37,9 @@
 #include "dns.h"
 #include "signals.h"
 
-#if !defined(HAVE_DAEMON) || defined(NEED_DAEMON) || defined(__sun__)
-#ifdef HAVE_SYS_TYPES_H
-# include <sys/types.h>
-#endif
-#ifdef HAVE_SYS_STAT_H
-# include <sys/stat.h>
-#endif
-#ifdef HAVE_FCNTL_H
-# include <fcntl.h>
-#endif
-
-static int daemon(int, int);
-int
-daemon(int nochdir, int noclose)
-{
-	int f;
-	f = open("/dev/null", O_RDWR);
-	(void) dup2(STDIN_FILENO, f);
-	(void) dup2(STDERR_FILENO, f);
-	(void) dup2(STDOUT_FILENO, f);
-	if (fork())
-		_exit(0);
-	return 0;
-}
-#endif
-
 static void     usage(void);
 static void     drop_privileges(void);
+static void     write_pid(char*, pid_t);
 
 static const char version[] = "1.6";
 static const char rcsid[] = "$Id: main.c,v 2.2 2005/01/05 15:12:49 niklas Exp niklas $";
@@ -84,6 +52,7 @@
 {
 	int             c, nowarn;
 	char		*prgname;
+	pid_t           pid;
 
 	prgname = argv[0];
 	nowarn = 0;
@@ -119,8 +88,9 @@
 	config.unr_con = 0;
 	config.to_con = 5;
 	config.first = 1;
+	(void) strncpy(config.piddir, "/var/run", sizeof(config.piddir) - 1);
 
-	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "vdbBc:C:p:x:X:l:u:g:r:D:F:f:s4a:A:h")) != -1) {
+	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "vdbBc:C:p:x:X:l:u:g:r:D:F:f:s4a:A:n:h")) != -1) {
 		switch (c) {
 		case 'v':
 			(void) printf("ffproxy version %s, %s\n",
@@ -240,6 +210,14 @@
 			usage();
 			/* NOTREACHED */
 			break;
+		case 'n':
+		    if (strlen(optarg) > sizeof(config.piddir) - 1 ) {
+			(void) fprintf(stderr, "piddir directory too long\n");
+			exit(1);
+		    }
+		    (void) strncpy(config.piddir, optarg, sizeof(config.piddir) - 1);
+		    config.piddir[sizeof(config.piddir) - 1] = '\0';
+		    break;
 		default:
 			(void) fprintf(stderr, "Error, type `%s -h' for help on usage\n", prgname);
 			exit(1);
@@ -258,26 +236,30 @@
 	info("started, initializing");
 	load_databases();
 	(void) resolve("localhost");
-	drop_privileges();
-
+	
+	pid = getpid();
 	if (config.daemon) {
-		FILE           *fp;
-
-		if (daemon(1, 0) != 0)
-			fatal("daemon() failed");
+	    pid = fork();
+	    if (pid == -1)
+		fatal("daemonize() failed");
+	    
+	    if (pid > 0) {
+		write_pid(config.piddir, pid);
+		_exit (0);
+	    }
+	    else {
 		(void) close(0);
 		(void) close(1);
 		(void) close(2);
+	    }
+	}
+	else
+	    write_pid(config.piddir, pid);
 
-		(void) chdir(config.dbdir);
-		if ((fp = fopen("ffproxy.pid", "w")) == NULL)
-			fatal("cannot create pid file ffproxy.pid in %s", config.dbdir);
+	drop_privileges();
 
-		(void) fprintf(fp, "%ld", (long) getpid());
-		(void) fclose(fp);
-	}
 	(void) snprintf(loop_header, sizeof(loop_header), "X-Loop-%d-%d: true", getpid(), (int) time(NULL));
-
+	
 	init_sighandlers();
 	open_socket();
 
@@ -312,8 +294,9 @@
 		       " -D dir       databases are in dir (default is %s)\n"
 		       " -f file      use config file (default is %s; *overwrites*)\n"
 		       " -a host|ip   auxiliary forward server to use\n"
-		       " -A port      auxiliary forward server port (default is 80)\n",
-			DATADIR, CFGFILE);
+		       " -A port      auxiliary forward server port (default is 80)\n"
+		       " -n dir       pid file (ffproxy.pid) will be written in dir\n",
+		       DATADIR, CFGFILE);
 	exit(1);
 }
 
@@ -348,3 +331,23 @@
 
 	info("=> UID(%d), EUID(%d), GID(%d), EGID(%d)", getuid(), geteuid(), getgid(), getegid());
 }
+
+static void
+write_pid(char *dir, pid_t p)
+{
+    FILE *fp;
+    
+    if (*dir != '\0') {
+	if (chdir(dir) == 0) {
+	    if ((fp = fopen("ffproxy.pid", "w")) == NULL)
+		fatal("cannot create pid file ffproxy.pid in %s", dir);
+	    else {
+		info("writing pid in %s/ffproxy.pid", dir);
+		(void) fprintf(fp, "%ld", (long) p);
+		(void) fclose(fp);
+	    }
+	}
+	else
+	    fatal("cannot change directory for %s to write pid file", dir);
+    }
+}