diff --git a/mxqd.c b/mxqd.c
index 30f2c3c..1a55545 100644
--- a/mxqd.c
+++ b/mxqd.c
@@ -158,9 +158,8 @@ static void cpuset_clear_running(cpu_set_t *running,cpu_set_t *job) {
 }
 
 /**********************************************************************/
-static int setup_cronolog(char *cronolog, char *logdir, char *rellink, char *relformat)
+static void setup_cronolog(char *cronolog, char *logdir, char *rellink, char *relformat)
 {
-    int res;
     int pipe_fd[2];
     int pid;
     _mx_cleanup_free_ char *link = NULL;
@@ -174,51 +173,34 @@ static int setup_cronolog(char *cronolog, char *logdir, char *rellink, char *rel
         format = strdup(relformat);
     }
 
-    if (!link || !format) {
-        mx_log_err("can't allocate filenames: (%m)");
-        return 0;
-    }
+    if (!link || !format)
+        mx_die("can't allocate filenames: (%m)");
 
-    res = pipe(pipe_fd);
-    if (res == -1) {
-        mx_log_err("can't create pipe for cronolog: (%m)");
-        return 0;
-    }
+    if (pipe(pipe_fd) == -1)
+        mx_die("can't create pipe for cronolog: (%m)");
 
     pid = fork();
     if (pid < 0) {
-        mx_log_err("cronolog fork failed: %m");
-        return 0;
+        mx_die("cronolog fork failed: %m");
     } else if(pid == 0) {
-        res = dup2(pipe_fd[0], STDIN_FILENO);
-        if (res == -1) {
-            mx_log_err("dup2(fh=%d, %d) for cronolog stdin failed (%m)", pipe_fd[0], STDIN_FILENO);
-            return 0;
-        }
+        if (dup2(pipe_fd[0], STDIN_FILENO) == -1)
+            mx_die("dup2(fh=%d, %d) for cronolog stdin failed (%m)", pipe_fd[0], STDIN_FILENO);
         close(pipe_fd[0]);
         close(pipe_fd[1]);
 
         mxq_redirect_output("/dev/null", "/dev/null");
 
         execl(cronolog, cronolog, "--link", link, format, NULL);
-        mx_log_err("execl('%s', ...) failed (%m)", cronolog);
-        _exit(EX__MAX + 1);
+        mx_die("execl('%s', ...) failed (%m)", cronolog);
     }
 
-    res = dup2(pipe_fd[1], STDOUT_FILENO);
-    if (res == -1) {
-        mx_log_err("dup2(fh=%d, %d) for cronolog stdout failed (%m)", pipe_fd[0], STDOUT_FILENO);
-        return 0;
-    }
-    res = dup2(STDOUT_FILENO, STDERR_FILENO);
-    if (res == -1) {
-        mx_log_err("dup2(fh=%d, %d) for cronolog stderr failed (%m)", STDOUT_FILENO, STDERR_FILENO);
-        return 0;
-    }
+    if (dup2(pipe_fd[1], STDOUT_FILENO) == -1)
+        mx_die("dup2(fh=%d, %d) for cronolog stdout failed (%m)", pipe_fd[0], STDOUT_FILENO);
+    if (dup2(STDOUT_FILENO, STDERR_FILENO) == -1)
+        mx_die("dup2(fh=%d, %d) for cronolog stderr failed (%m)", STDOUT_FILENO, STDERR_FILENO);
+
     close(pipe_fd[0]);
     close(pipe_fd[1]);
-
-    return pid;
 }
 
 
@@ -723,11 +705,7 @@ static int server_init(struct mxq_server *server, int argc, char *argv[])
             mx_log_err("MAIN: can't write to '%s': %m", arg_logdir);
             return -EX_IOERR;
         }
-        res = setup_cronolog("/usr/sbin/cronolog", arg_logdir, "mxqd_log", "%Y/mxqd_log-%Y-%m");
-        if (!res) {
-            mx_log_err("MAIN: cronolog setup failed. exiting.");
-            return -EX_IOERR;
-        }
+        setup_cronolog("/usr/sbin/cronolog", arg_logdir, "mxqd_log", "%Y/mxqd_log-%Y-%m");
     }
 
     res = mx_mysql_initialize(&(server->mysql));