diff --git a/overlay/etc/sv/rsyslog/run b/overlay/etc/sv/rsyslog/run
index 4428d6a..97d2f1d 100755
--- a/overlay/etc/sv/rsyslog/run
+++ b/overlay/etc/sv/rsyslog/run
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+set -eu
+
+echo -n "Removing rsyslogd PID file before starting it ..."
+(rm -f /var/run/rsyslogd.pid || true)
+echo "OK"
+
 exec rsyslogd -n -f /etc/rsyslog.conf