diff --git a/src/lxc/console.c b/src/lxc/console.c
index ad4a31405..ac7999e4a 100644
--- a/src/lxc/console.c
+++ b/src/lxc/console.c
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ int lxc_console_cb_signal_fd(int fd, uint32_t events, void *cbdata,
 
 	if (siginfo.ssi_signo == SIGTERM) {
 		DEBUG("Received SIGTERM. Detaching from the console");
-		return 1;
+		return LXC_MAINLOOP_CLOSE;
 	}
 
 	if (siginfo.ssi_signo == SIGWINCH)
@@ -204,8 +204,8 @@ void lxc_console_signal_fini(struct lxc_tty_state *ts)
 	free(ts);
 }
 
-static int lxc_console_cb_con(int fd, uint32_t events, void *data,
-			      struct lxc_epoll_descr *descr)
+int lxc_console_cb_con(int fd, uint32_t events, void *data,
+		       struct lxc_epoll_descr *descr)
 {
 	struct lxc_console *console = (struct lxc_console *)data;
 	char buf[LXC_CONSOLE_BUFFER_SIZE];
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ static int lxc_console_cb_con(int fd, uint32_t events, void *data,
 			return 0;
 		}
 		close(fd);
-		return 1;
+		return LXC_MAINLOOP_CLOSE;
 	}
 
 	if (fd == console->peer)
@@ -259,27 +259,36 @@ static int lxc_console_cb_con(int fd, uint32_t events, void *data,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void lxc_console_mainloop_add_peer(struct lxc_console *console)
+static int lxc_console_mainloop_add_peer(struct lxc_console *console)
 {
-	if (console->peer >= 0) {
-		if (lxc_mainloop_add_handler(console->descr, console->peer,
-					     lxc_console_cb_con, console))
-			WARN("Failed to add console peer handler to mainloop");
-	}
+	int ret;
 
-	if (console->tty_state && console->tty_state->sigfd != -1) {
-		if (lxc_mainloop_add_handler(console->descr,
-					     console->tty_state->sigfd,
-					     lxc_console_cb_signal_fd,
-					     console->tty_state)) {
-			WARN("Failed to add signal handler to mainloop");
+	if (console->peer >= 0) {
+		ret = lxc_mainloop_add_handler(console->descr, console->peer,
+					       lxc_console_cb_con, console);
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			WARN("Failed to add console peer handler to mainloop");
+			return -1;
 		}
 	}
+
+	if (!console->tty_state || console->tty_state->sigfd < 0)
+		return 0;
+
+	ret = lxc_mainloop_add_handler(console->descr, console->tty_state->sigfd,
+				       lxc_console_cb_signal_fd, console->tty_state);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		WARN("Failed to add signal handler to mainloop");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 extern int lxc_console_mainloop_add(struct lxc_epoll_descr *descr,
 				    struct lxc_conf *conf)
 {
+	int ret;
 	struct lxc_console *console = &conf->console;
 
 	if (!conf->rootfs.path) {
@@ -303,7 +312,9 @@ extern int lxc_console_mainloop_add(struct lxc_epoll_descr *descr,
 	 * does attach to it in lxc_console_allocate()
 	 */
 	console->descr = descr;
-	lxc_console_mainloop_add_peer(console);
+	ret = lxc_console_mainloop_add_peer(console);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return -1;
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -412,7 +423,9 @@ static int lxc_console_peer_proxy_alloc(struct lxc_console *console, int sockfd)
 	console->tty_state = ts;
 	console->peer = console->peerpty.slave;
 	console->peerpty.busy = sockfd;
-	lxc_console_mainloop_add_peer(console);
+	ret = lxc_console_mainloop_add_peer(console);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		goto err1;
 
 	DEBUG("%d %s peermaster:%d sockfd:%d", lxc_raw_getpid(), __FUNCTION__, console->peerpty.master, sockfd);
 	return 0;
@@ -505,9 +518,9 @@ static int lxc_console_peer_default(struct lxc_console *console)
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	console->peer = lxc_unpriv(open(path, O_CLOEXEC | O_RDWR | O_CREAT | O_APPEND, 0600));
+	console->peer = lxc_unpriv(open(path, O_RDWR | O_CLOEXEC));
 	if (console->peer < 0) {
-		ERROR("failed to open \"%s\": %s", path, strerror(errno));
+		ERROR("Failed to open \"%s\": %s", path, strerror(errno));
 		return -ENOTTY;
 	}
 	DEBUG("using \"%s\" as peer tty device", path);
@@ -794,10 +807,10 @@ int lxc_console_cb_tty_stdin(int fd, uint32_t events, void *cbdata,
 	char c;
 
 	if (fd != ts->stdinfd)
-		return 1;
+		return LXC_MAINLOOP_CLOSE;
 
 	if (lxc_read_nointr(ts->stdinfd, &c, 1) <= 0)
-		return 1;
+		return LXC_MAINLOOP_CLOSE;
 
 	if (ts->escape >= 1) {
 		/* we want to exit the console with Ctrl+a q */
@@ -807,13 +820,13 @@ int lxc_console_cb_tty_stdin(int fd, uint32_t events, void *cbdata,
 		}
 
 		if (c == 'q' && ts->saw_escape)
-			return 1;
+			return LXC_MAINLOOP_CLOSE;
 
 		ts->saw_escape = 0;
 	}
 
 	if (lxc_write_nointr(ts->masterfd, &c, 1) <= 0)
-		return 1;
+		return LXC_MAINLOOP_CLOSE;
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -826,17 +839,17 @@ int lxc_console_cb_tty_master(int fd, uint32_t events, void *cbdata,
 	int r, w;
 
 	if (fd != ts->masterfd)
-		return 1;
+		return LXC_MAINLOOP_CLOSE;
 
 	r = lxc_read_nointr(fd, buf, sizeof(buf));
 	if (r <= 0)
-		return 1;
+		return LXC_MAINLOOP_CLOSE;
 
 	w = lxc_write_nointr(ts->stdoutfd, buf, r);
 	if (w <= 0) {
-		return 1;
+		return LXC_MAINLOOP_CLOSE;
 	} else if (w != r) {
-		SYSERROR("failed to write");
+		SYSERROR("Failed to write");
 		return 1;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/lxc/console.h b/src/lxc/console.h
index 60b299631..375349e02 100644
--- a/src/lxc/console.h
+++ b/src/lxc/console.h
@@ -223,5 +223,7 @@ extern void lxc_console_signal_fini(struct lxc_tty_state *ts);
 
 extern int lxc_console_write_ringbuffer(struct lxc_console *console);
 extern int lxc_console_create_log_file(struct lxc_console *console);
+extern int lxc_console_cb_con(int fd, uint32_t events, void *data,
+			      struct lxc_epoll_descr *descr);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/lxc/mainloop.c b/src/lxc/mainloop.c
index ab9c27dc0..84dfb39e9 100644
--- a/src/lxc/mainloop.c
+++ b/src/lxc/mainloop.c
@@ -20,11 +20,12 @@
  * License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
  * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
  */
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <string.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
+
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <sys/epoll.h>
 
@@ -40,31 +41,32 @@ struct mainloop_handler {
 
 int lxc_mainloop(struct lxc_epoll_descr *descr, int timeout_ms)
 {
-	int i, nfds;
+	int i, nfds, ret;
 	struct mainloop_handler *handler;
 	struct epoll_event events[MAX_EVENTS];
 
 	for (;;) {
-
 		nfds = epoll_wait(descr->epfd, events, MAX_EVENTS, timeout_ms);
 		if (nfds < 0) {
 			if (errno == EINTR)
 				continue;
+
 			return -1;
 		}
 
 		for (i = 0; i < nfds; i++) {
-			handler =
-				(struct mainloop_handler *) events[i].data.ptr;
+			handler = events[i].data.ptr;
 
-			/* If the handler returns a positive value, exit
-			   the mainloop */
-			if (handler->callback(handler->fd, events[i].events,
-					      handler->data, descr) > 0)
+			/* If the handler returns a positive value, exit the
+			 * mainloop.
+			 */
+			ret = handler->callback(handler->fd, events[i].events,
+						handler->data, descr);
+			if (ret == LXC_MAINLOOP_CLOSE)
 				return 0;
 		}
 
-		if (nfds == 0 && timeout_ms != 0)
+		if (nfds == 0)
 			return 0;
 
 		if (lxc_list_empty(&descr->handlers))
@@ -132,15 +134,10 @@ int lxc_mainloop_del_handler(struct lxc_epoll_descr *descr, int fd)
 int lxc_mainloop_open(struct lxc_epoll_descr *descr)
 {
 	/* hint value passed to epoll create */
-	descr->epfd = epoll_create(2);
+	descr->epfd = epoll_create1(EPOLL_CLOEXEC);
 	if (descr->epfd < 0)
 		return -1;
 
-	if (fcntl(descr->epfd, F_SETFD, FD_CLOEXEC)) {
-		close(descr->epfd);
-		return -1;
-	}
-
 	lxc_list_init(&descr->handlers);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -159,5 +156,8 @@ int lxc_mainloop_close(struct lxc_epoll_descr *descr)
 		iterator = next;
 	}
 
-	return close(descr->epfd);
+	if (descr->epfd >= 0)
+		return close(descr->epfd);
+
+	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/lxc/mainloop.h b/src/lxc/mainloop.h
index 46a820c66..ea53a012c 100644
--- a/src/lxc/mainloop.h
+++ b/src/lxc/mainloop.h
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include "list.h"
 
+#define LXC_MAINLOOP_CONTINUE 0
+#define LXC_MAINLOOP_CLOSE 1
+
 struct lxc_epoll_descr {
 	int epfd;
 	struct lxc_list handlers;
diff --git a/src/lxc/start.c b/src/lxc/start.c
index d70764fa1..b57661f8c 100644
--- a/src/lxc/start.c
+++ b/src/lxc/start.c
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@
 #include "confile_utils.h"
 #include "console.h"
 #include "error.h"
+#include "list.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "lxccontainer.h"
 #include "lxclock.h"
@@ -299,11 +300,10 @@ static int setup_signal_fd(sigset_t *oldmask)
 static int signal_handler(int fd, uint32_t events, void *data,
 			  struct lxc_epoll_descr *descr)
 {
-	struct signalfd_siginfo siginfo;
-	siginfo_t info;
 	int ret;
-	pid_t *pid = data;
-	bool init_died = false;
+	siginfo_t info;
+	struct signalfd_siginfo siginfo;
+	struct lxc_handler *hdlr = data;
 
 	ret = read(fd, &siginfo, sizeof(siginfo));
 	if (ret < 0) {
@@ -318,34 +318,34 @@ static int signal_handler(int fd, uint32_t events, void *data,
 
 	/* Check whether init is running. */
 	info.si_pid = 0;
-	ret = waitid(P_PID, *pid, &info, WEXITED | WNOWAIT | WNOHANG);
-	if (ret == 0 && info.si_pid == *pid)
-		init_died = true;
+	ret = waitid(P_PID, hdlr->pid, &info, WEXITED | WNOWAIT | WNOHANG);
+	if (ret == 0 && info.si_pid == hdlr->pid)
+		hdlr->init_died = true;
 
 	if (siginfo.ssi_signo != SIGCHLD) {
-		kill(*pid, siginfo.ssi_signo);
-		INFO("Forwarded signal %d to pid %d.", siginfo.ssi_signo, *pid);
-		return init_died ? 1 : 0;
+		kill(hdlr->pid, siginfo.ssi_signo);
+		INFO("Forwarded signal %d to pid %d.", siginfo.ssi_signo, hdlr->pid);
+		return hdlr->init_died ? LXC_MAINLOOP_CLOSE : 0;
 	}
 
 	if (siginfo.ssi_code == CLD_STOPPED) {
 		INFO("Container init process was stopped.");
-		return init_died ? 1 : 0;
+		return hdlr->init_died ? LXC_MAINLOOP_CLOSE : 0;
 	} else if (siginfo.ssi_code == CLD_CONTINUED) {
 		INFO("Container init process was continued.");
-		return init_died ? 1 : 0;
+		return hdlr->init_died ? LXC_MAINLOOP_CLOSE : 0;
 	}
 
 	/* More robustness, protect ourself from a SIGCHLD sent
 	 * by a process different from the container init.
 	 */
-	if (siginfo.ssi_pid != *pid) {
-		NOTICE("Received SIGCHLD from pid %d instead of container init %d.", siginfo.ssi_pid, *pid);
-		return init_died ? 1 : 0;
+	if (siginfo.ssi_pid != hdlr->pid) {
+		NOTICE("Received SIGCHLD from pid %d instead of container init %d.", siginfo.ssi_pid, hdlr->pid);
+		return hdlr->init_died ? LXC_MAINLOOP_CLOSE : 0;
 	}
 
-	DEBUG("Container init process %d exited.", *pid);
-	return 1;
+	DEBUG("Container init process %d exited.", hdlr->pid);
+	return LXC_MAINLOOP_CLOSE;
 }
 
 static int lxc_serve_state_clients(const char *name,
@@ -467,41 +467,69 @@ int lxc_set_state(const char *name, struct lxc_handler *handler,
 
 int lxc_poll(const char *name, struct lxc_handler *handler)
 {
-	int sigfd = handler->sigfd;
-	int pid = handler->pid;
-	struct lxc_epoll_descr descr;
+	int ret;
+	struct lxc_epoll_descr descr, descr_console;
 
-	if (lxc_mainloop_open(&descr)) {
-		ERROR("Failed to create LXC mainloop.");
+	ret = lxc_mainloop_open(&descr);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		ERROR("Failed to create mainloop");
 		goto out_sigfd;
 	}
 
-	if (lxc_mainloop_add_handler(&descr, sigfd, signal_handler, &pid)) {
-		ERROR("Failed to add signal handler with file descriptor %d to LXC mainloop.", sigfd);
-		goto out_mainloop_open;
+	ret = lxc_mainloop_open(&descr_console);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		ERROR("Failed to create console mainloop");
+		goto out_mainloop;
 	}
 
-	if (lxc_console_mainloop_add(&descr, handler->conf)) {
-		ERROR("Failed to add console handler to LXC mainloop.");
-		goto out_mainloop_open;
+	ret = lxc_mainloop_add_handler(&descr, handler->sigfd, signal_handler, handler);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		ERROR("Failed to add signal handler for %d to mainloop", handler->sigfd);
+		goto out_mainloop_console;
 	}
 
-	if (lxc_cmd_mainloop_add(name, &descr, handler)) {
-		ERROR("Failed to add command handler to LXC mainloop.");
-		goto out_mainloop_open;
+	ret = lxc_console_mainloop_add(&descr, handler->conf);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		ERROR("Failed to add console handlers to mainloop");
+		goto out_mainloop_console;
 	}
 
-	TRACE("lxc mainloop is ready");
+	ret = lxc_console_mainloop_add(&descr_console, handler->conf);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		ERROR("Failed to add console handlers to console mainloop");
+		goto out_mainloop_console;
+	}
 
-	return lxc_mainloop(&descr, -1);
+	ret = lxc_cmd_mainloop_add(name, &descr, handler);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		ERROR("Failed to add command handler to mainloop");
+		goto out_mainloop_console;
+	}
 
-out_mainloop_open:
+	TRACE("Mainloop is ready");
+
+	ret = lxc_mainloop(&descr, -1);
+	close(descr.epfd);
+	descr.epfd = -EBADF;
+	if (ret < 0 || !handler->init_died)
+		goto out_mainloop;
+
+	ret = lxc_mainloop(&descr_console, 0);
+
+out_mainloop:
 	lxc_mainloop_close(&descr);
+	TRACE("Closed mainloop");
+
+out_mainloop_console:
+	lxc_mainloop_close(&descr_console);
+	TRACE("Closed console mainloop");
 
 out_sigfd:
-	close(sigfd);
+	close(handler->sigfd);
+	TRACE("Closed signal file descriptor %d", handler->sigfd);
+	handler->sigfd = -EBADF;
 
-	return -1;
+	return ret;
 }
 
 void lxc_zero_handler(struct lxc_handler *handler)
@@ -529,10 +557,32 @@ void lxc_zero_handler(struct lxc_handler *handler)
 	handler->sync_sock[1] = -1;
 }
 
+static void lxc_put_nsfds(struct lxc_handler *handler)
+{
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < LXC_NS_MAX; i++) {
+		if (handler->nsfd[i] < 0)
+			continue;
+
+		close(handler->nsfd[i]);
+		handler->nsfd[i] = -EBADF;
+	}
+}
+
 void lxc_free_handler(struct lxc_handler *handler)
 {
-	if (handler->conf && handler->conf->maincmd_fd)
-		close(handler->conf->maincmd_fd);
+	if (handler->pinfd >= 0)
+		close(handler->pinfd);
+
+	if (handler->sigfd >= 0)
+		close(handler->sigfd);
+
+	lxc_put_nsfds(handler);
+
+	if (handler->conf && handler->conf->reboot == 0)
+		if (handler->conf->maincmd_fd)
+			close(handler->conf->maincmd_fd);
 
 	if (handler->state_socket_pair[0] >= 0)
 		close(handler->state_socket_pair[0]);
@@ -542,6 +592,7 @@ void lxc_free_handler(struct lxc_handler *handler)
 
 	handler->conf = NULL;
 	free(handler);
+	handler = NULL;
 }
 
 struct lxc_handler *lxc_init_handler(const char *name, struct lxc_conf *conf,
@@ -567,6 +618,8 @@ struct lxc_handler *lxc_init_handler(const char *name, struct lxc_conf *conf,
 	handler->conf = conf;
 	handler->lxcpath = lxcpath;
 	handler->pinfd = -1;
+	handler->sigfd = -EBADF;
+	handler->init_died = false;
 	handler->state_socket_pair[0] = handler->state_socket_pair[1] = -1;
 	if (handler->conf->reboot == 0)
 		lxc_list_init(&handler->conf->state_clients);
@@ -774,14 +827,6 @@ void lxc_fini(const char *name, struct lxc_handler *handler)
 	while (namespace_count--)
 		free(namespaces[namespace_count]);
 
-	for (i = 0; i < LXC_NS_MAX; i++) {
-		if (handler->nsfd[i] < 0)
-			continue;
-
-		close(handler->nsfd[i]);
-		handler->nsfd[i] = -1;
-	}
-
 	cgroup_destroy(handler);
 
 	if (handler->conf->reboot == 0) {
@@ -843,15 +888,10 @@ void lxc_fini(const char *name, struct lxc_handler *handler)
 		free(cur);
 	}
 
-	if (handler->data_sock[0] != -1) {
-		close(handler->data_sock[0]);
-		close(handler->data_sock[1]);
-	}
-
 	if (handler->conf->ephemeral == 1 && handler->conf->reboot != 1)
 		lxc_destroy_container_on_signal(handler, name);
 
-	free(handler);
+	lxc_free_handler(handler);
 }
 
 void lxc_abort(const char *name, struct lxc_handler *handler)
diff --git a/src/lxc/start.h b/src/lxc/start.h
index 498097b89..bfa4c9062 100644
--- a/src/lxc/start.h
+++ b/src/lxc/start.h
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ struct lxc_handler {
 	/* The child's pid. */
 	pid_t pid;
 
+	/* Whether the child has already exited. */
+	bool init_died;
+
 	/* The signal mask prior to setting up the signal file descriptor. */
 	sigset_t oldmask;
 
@@ -138,5 +141,5 @@ extern int __lxc_start(const char *, struct lxc_handler *,
 		       struct lxc_operations *, void *, const char *, bool);
 
 extern int resolve_clone_flags(struct lxc_handler *handler);
-#endif
 
+#endif