diff --git a/managemon.c b/managemon.c
index f9d545d..5958e18 100644
--- a/managemon.c
+++ b/managemon.c
@@ -680,6 +680,12 @@ void do_manager(struct supertype *container)
 			read_sock(container);
 
 			if (container->sock < 0 || socket_hup_requested) {
+				/* If this fails, we hope it already exists
+				 * pid file lives in /var/run/mdadm/mdXX.pid
+				 */
+				mkdir("/var", 0600);
+				mkdir("/var/run", 0600);
+				mkdir("/var/run/mdadm", 0600);
 				close(container->sock);
 				container->sock = make_control_sock(container->devname);
 				make_pidfile(container->devname, 0);
diff --git a/mdmon.c b/mdmon.c
index 31994d8..5f87e78 100644
--- a/mdmon.c
+++ b/mdmon.c
@@ -113,6 +113,14 @@ static struct superswitch *find_metadata_methods(char *vers)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+static int test_pidfile(char *devname)
+{
+	char path[100];
+	struct stat st;
+
+	sprintf(path, "/var/run/mdadm/%s.pid", devname);
+	return stat(path, &st);
+}
 
 int make_pidfile(char *devname, int o_excl)
 {
@@ -149,27 +157,30 @@ int is_container_member(struct mdstat_ent *mdstat, char *container)
 	return 1;
 }
 
-void remove_pidfile(char *devname);
-static void try_kill_monitor(char *devname)
+pid_t devname2mdmon(char *devname)
+{
+	char buf[100];
+	pid_t pid = -1;
+	int fd;
+
+	sprintf(buf, "/var/run/mdadm/%s.pid", devname);
+	fd = open(buf, O_RDONLY|O_NOATIME);
+	if (fd < 0)
+		return -1;
+
+	if (read(fd, buf, sizeof(buf)) > 0)
+		sscanf(buf, "%d\n", &pid);
+	close(fd);
+
+	return pid;
+}
+
+static void try_kill_monitor(pid_t pid, char *devname)
 {
 	char buf[100];
 	int fd;
-	pid_t pid;
 	struct mdstat_ent *mdstat;
 
-	sprintf(buf, "/var/run/mdadm/%s.pid", devname);
-	fd = open(buf, O_RDONLY);
-	if (fd < 0)
-		return;
-
-	if (read(fd, buf, sizeof(buf)) < 0) {
-		close(fd);
-		return;
-	}
-
-	close(fd);
-	pid = strtoul(buf, NULL, 10);
-
 	/* first rule of survival... don't off yourself */
 	if (pid == getpid())
 		return;
@@ -197,7 +208,6 @@ static void try_kill_monitor(char *devname)
 			WaitClean(buf, 0);
 		}
 	free_mdstat(mdstat);
-	remove_pidfile(devname);
 }
 
 void remove_pidfile(char *devname)
@@ -355,6 +365,7 @@ int mdmon(char *devname, int devnum, int scan, char *switchroot)
 	int pfd[2];
 	int status;
 	int ignore;
+	pid_t victim = -1;
 
 	dprintf("starting mdmon for %s in %s\n",
 		devname, switchroot ? : "/");
@@ -400,6 +411,7 @@ int mdmon(char *devname, int devnum, int scan, char *switchroot)
 	container->devname = devname;
 	container->arrays = NULL;
 	container->subarray[0] = 0;
+	container->sock = -1;
 
 	if (!container->devname) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "mdmon: failed to allocate container name string\n");
@@ -464,12 +476,9 @@ int mdmon(char *devname, int devnum, int scan, char *switchroot)
 
 	if (switchroot) {
 		/* we assume we assume that /sys /proc /dev are available in
-		 * the new root (see nash:setuproot)
-		 *
-		 * kill any monitors in the current namespace and change
-		 * to the new one
+		 * the new root
 		 */
-		try_kill_monitor(container->devname);
+		victim = devname2mdmon(container->devname);
 		if (chroot(switchroot) != 0) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "mdmon: failed to chroot to '%s': %s\n",
 				switchroot, strerror(errno));
@@ -477,40 +486,15 @@ int mdmon(char *devname, int devnum, int scan, char *switchroot)
 		}
 	}
 
-	/* If this fails, we hope it already exists 
-	 * pid file lives in /var/run/mdadm/mdXX.pid
-	 */
-	mkdir("/var", 0600);
-	mkdir("/var/run", 0600);
-	mkdir("/var/run/mdadm", 0600);
 	ignore = chdir("/");
-	if (make_pidfile(container->devname, O_EXCL) < 0) {
+	if (victim < 0 && test_pidfile(container->devname) == 0) {
 		if (ping_monitor(container->devname) == 0) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "mdmon: %s already managed\n",
 				container->devname);
 			exit(3);
-		} else {
-			int err;
-
-			/* cleanup the old monitor, this one is taking over */
-			try_kill_monitor(container->devname);
-			err = make_pidfile(container->devname, 0);
-			if (err < 0) {
-				fprintf(stderr, "mdmon: %s Cannot create pidfile\n",
-					container->devname);
-				if (err == -EROFS) {
-					/* FIXME implement a mechanism to
-					 * prevent duplicate monitor instances
-					 */
-					fprintf(stderr,
-						"mdmon: continuing on read-only file system\n");
-				} else
-					exit(3);
-			}
-		}
+		} else if (victim < 0)
+			victim = devname2mdmon(container->devname);
 	}
-	container->sock = make_control_sock(container->devname);
-
 	if (container->ss->load_super(container, mdfd, devname)) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "mdmon: Cannot load metadata for %s\n",
 			devname);
@@ -544,6 +528,8 @@ int mdmon(char *devname, int devnum, int scan, char *switchroot)
 		exit(2);
 	}
 
+	if (victim > -1)
+		try_kill_monitor(victim, container->devname);
 	do_manager(container);
 
 	exit(0);