diff -up rsyslog-5.8.11/runtime/debug.c.orig rsyslog-5.8.11/runtime/debug.c
--- rsyslog-5.8.11/runtime/debug.c.orig	2012-05-23 17:41:49.442845286 +0200
+++ rsyslog-5.8.11/runtime/debug.c	2012-05-23 17:42:34.202282641 +0200
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ static int bPrintAllDebugOnExit = 0;
 static int bAbortTrace = 1;	/* print a trace after SIGABRT or SIGSEGV */
 static char *pszAltDbgFileName = NULL; /* if set, debug output is *also* sent to here */
 static int altdbg = -1;	/* and the handle for alternate debug output */
-static int stddbg;
+int stddbg = 1; /* the handle for regular debug output, set to stdout if not forking, -1 otherwise */
 
 /* list of files/objects that should be printed */
 typedef struct dbgPrintName_s {
@@ -1297,8 +1297,6 @@ dbgGetRuntimeOptions(void)
 	uchar *optname;
 
 	/* set some defaults */
-	stddbg = 1;
-
 	if((pszOpts = (uchar*) getenv("RSYSLOG_DEBUG")) != NULL) {
 		/* we have options set, so let's process them */
 		while(dbgGetRTOptNamVal(&pszOpts, &optname, &optval)) {
diff -up rsyslog-5.8.11/runtime/debug.h.orig rsyslog-5.8.11/runtime/debug.h
--- rsyslog-5.8.11/runtime/debug.h.orig	2012-05-23 17:41:53.392795633 +0200
+++ rsyslog-5.8.11/runtime/debug.h	2012-05-23 17:42:34.203282628 +0200
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 /* external static data elements (some time to be replaced) */
 extern int Debug;		/* debug flag  - read-only after startup */
 extern int debugging_on;	 /* read-only, except on sig USR1 */
+extern int stddbg; /* the handle for regular debug output, set to stdout if not forking, -1 otherwise */
 
 /* data types */
 
diff -up rsyslog-5.8.11/tools/syslogd.c.orig rsyslog-5.8.11/tools/syslogd.c
--- rsyslog-5.8.11/tools/syslogd.c.orig	2012-05-03 13:52:27.000000000 +0200
+++ rsyslog-5.8.11/tools/syslogd.c	2012-05-23 17:42:34.210282540 +0200
@@ -2514,6 +2514,9 @@ doGlblProcessInit(void)
 			sigAct.sa_handler = doexit;
 			sigaction(SIGTERM, &sigAct, NULL);
 
+			/* stop writing debug messages to stdout (if debugging is on) */
+			stddbg = -1;
+
 			if (fork()) {
 				/* Parent process
 				 */