diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_init.c b/src/lxc/lxc_init.c
index 05b429735..b0b7ac7c9 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_init.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_init.c
@@ -92,6 +92,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		exit(err);
 	}
 
+	/* no need of other inherited fds but stderr */
+	close(fileno(stdin));
+	close(fileno(stdout));
+
 	err = 0;
 	for (;;) {
 		int status;
diff --git a/src/lxc/start.c b/src/lxc/start.c
index 3b5023c9f..7d5763a75 100644
--- a/src/lxc/start.c
+++ b/src/lxc/start.c
@@ -547,6 +547,10 @@ int lxc_start(const char *name, char *const argv[], struct lxc_conf *conf)
 		goto out_fini;
 	}
 
+	/* no need of other inherited fds but stderr */
+	close(fileno(stdin));
+	close(fileno(stdout));
+
 	err = lxc_poll(name, handler);
 	if (err) {
 		ERROR("mainloop exited with an error");