diff --git a/src/basic/process-util.c b/src/basic/process-util.c
index 700fba5cba..0a87c5ec77 100644
--- a/src/basic/process-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/process-util.c
@@ -1901,14 +1901,21 @@ int namespace_fork_full(
 
         /* This is much like safe_fork(), but forks twice, and joins the specified namespaces in the middle
          * process. This ensures that we are fully a member of the destination namespace, with pidns an all, so that
-         * /proc/self/fd works correctly. */
+         * /proc/self/fd works correctly.
+         *
+         * TODO: once we can rely on PIDFD_INFO_EXIT, do not keep the middle process around and instead
+         * return the pidfd of the inner process for direct tracking. */
+
+        /* Insist on PDEATHSIG being enabled, as the pid returned is the one of the middle man, and otherwise
+         * killing of it won't be propagated to the inner child. */
+        assert((flags & (FORK_DEATHSIG_SIGKILL|FORK_DEATHSIG_SIGTERM|FORK_DEATHSIG_SIGINT)) != 0);
+        assert((flags & (FORK_DETACH|FORK_FREEZE)) == 0);
         assert(!FLAGS_SET(flags, FORK_ALLOW_DLOPEN)); /* never allow loading shared library from another ns */
 
         r = pidref_safe_fork_full(
                         outer_name,
-                        NULL,
-                        except_fds, n_except_fds,
-                        (flags|FORK_DEATHSIG_SIGINT|FORK_DEATHSIG_SIGTERM|FORK_DEATHSIG_SIGKILL) & ~(FORK_REOPEN_LOG|FORK_NEW_MOUNTNS|FORK_MOUNTNS_SLAVE),
+                        /* stdio_fds = */ NULL, /* except_fds = */ NULL, /* n_except_fds = */ 0,
+                        (flags|FORK_DEATHSIG_SIGKILL) & ~(FORK_DEATHSIG_SIGTERM|FORK_DEATHSIG_SIGINT|FORK_REOPEN_LOG|FORK_NEW_MOUNTNS|FORK_MOUNTNS_SLAVE|FORK_NEW_USERNS|FORK_NEW_NETNS|FORK_NEW_PIDNS|FORK_CLOSE_ALL_FDS|FORK_PACK_FDS|FORK_CLOEXEC_OFF|FORK_RLIMIT_NOFILE_SAFE),
                         ret);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
@@ -1928,7 +1935,7 @@ int namespace_fork_full(
                                 inner_name,
                                 NULL,
                                 except_fds, n_except_fds,
-                                flags & ~(FORK_WAIT|FORK_RESET_SIGNALS|FORK_CLOSE_ALL_FDS|FORK_REARRANGE_STDIO),
+                                flags & ~(FORK_WAIT|FORK_RESET_SIGNALS|FORK_REARRANGE_STDIO|FORK_FLUSH_STDIO|FORK_STDOUT_TO_STDERR),
                                 &pidref_inner);
                 if (r < 0)
                         _exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
@@ -1939,6 +1946,11 @@ int namespace_fork_full(
                         return 0;
                 }
 
+                log_close();
+                log_set_open_when_needed(true);
+
+                (void) close_all_fds(&pidref_inner.fd, 1);
+
                 r = pidref_wait_for_terminate_and_check(
                                 inner_name,
                                 &pidref_inner,