diff --git a/src/cfg.rl b/src/cfg.rl
index f3fa1b1..23ff81b 100644
--- a/src/cfg.rl
+++ b/src/cfg.rl
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ struct cfgparse {
         }
     }
     action pidfile {
+        write_pid_enabled = true;
         copy_cmdarg(pidfile, ccfg.buf, sizeof pidfile, "pidfile");
     }
     action hostname {
diff --git a/src/ndhc-defines.h b/src/ndhc-defines.h
index 4f04672..e4b3740 100644
--- a/src/ndhc-defines.h
+++ b/src/ndhc-defines.h
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 #ifndef NDHC_DEFINES_H_
 #define NDHC_DEFINES_H_
 
-#define PID_FILE_DEFAULT "/var/run/ndhc.pid"
-#define PID_FILE_IFCH_DEFAULT "/var/run/ifchd.pid"
 #define NDHC_VERSION "2.0"
 #define MAX_BUF 1024
 
diff --git a/src/ndhc.c b/src/ndhc.c
index 56f29f0..7b7c75d 100644
--- a/src/ndhc.c
+++ b/src/ndhc.c
@@ -423,13 +423,14 @@ static void do_ndhc_work(void)
 char state_dir[PATH_MAX] = "/etc/ndhc";
 char chroot_dir[PATH_MAX] = "";
 char resolv_conf_d[PATH_MAX] = "";
-char pidfile[PATH_MAX] = PID_FILE_DEFAULT;
+char pidfile[PATH_MAX] = "";
 uid_t ndhc_uid = 0;
 gid_t ndhc_gid = 0;
 int ifchSock[2];
 int sockdSock[2];
 int ifchStream[2];
 int sockdStream[2];
+bool write_pid_enabled = false;
 
 static void create_ifch_ipc_sockets(void) {
     if (socketpair(AF_UNIX, SOCK_DGRAM, 0, ifchSock) < 0)
@@ -489,12 +490,9 @@ static void ndhc_main(void) {
 
     cs.rfkillFd = rfkill_open(&client_config.enable_rfkill);
 
-    if (client_config.foreground && !client_config.background_if_no_lease) {
-        if (file_exists(pidfile, "w") < 0)
-            suicide("%s: can't open pidfile '%s' for write!",
-                    __func__, pidfile);
+    if (write_pid_enabled &&
+        client_config.foreground && !client_config.background_if_no_lease)
         write_pid(pidfile);
-    }
 
     open_leasefile();
 
@@ -520,9 +518,7 @@ void background(void)
             exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
         }
     }
-    if (file_exists(pidfile, "w") < 0) {
-        log_warning("Cannot open pidfile for write!");
-    } else
+    if (write_pid_enabled)
         write_pid(pidfile);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ndhc.h b/src/ndhc.h
index 76a4e6c..d9624af 100644
--- a/src/ndhc.h
+++ b/src/ndhc.h
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ extern char resolv_conf_d[PATH_MAX];
 extern char pidfile[PATH_MAX];
 extern uid_t ndhc_uid;
 extern gid_t ndhc_gid;
+extern bool write_pid_enabled;
 
 void set_client_addr(const char v[static 1]);
 void show_usage(void);