diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_start.c b/src/lxc/lxc_start.c
index e6ca35558..d5379daf7 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_start.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_start.c
@@ -325,8 +325,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		conf->inherit_ns_fd[i] = fd;
 	}
 
-	if (my_args.daemonize) {
-		c->want_daemonize(c, true);
+	if (!my_args.daemonize) {
+		c->want_daemonize(c, false);
 	}
 
 	if (pid_fp != NULL) {
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxccontainer.c b/src/lxc/lxccontainer.c
index e5534158e..8462ba581 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxccontainer.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxccontainer.c
@@ -3052,6 +3052,7 @@ struct lxc_container *lxc_container_new(const char *name, const char *configpath
 		lxcapi_destroy(c);
 		lxcapi_clear_config(c);
 	}
+	c->daemonize = true;
 
 	// assign the member functions
 	c->is_defined = lxcapi_is_defined;
diff --git a/src/tests/startone.c b/src/tests/startone.c
index 678f62e6b..93992c1fc 100644
--- a/src/tests/startone.c
+++ b/src/tests/startone.c
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		fprintf(stderr, "%d: failed to get extra ref to container\n", __LINE__);
 		exit(1);
 	}
+	c->want_daemonize(false);
 	pid_t pid = fork();
 	if (pid < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "%d: fork failed\n", __LINE__);