diff --git a/man/openrc-run.8 b/man/openrc-run.8
index c74767283..e02559430 100644
--- a/man/openrc-run.8
+++ b/man/openrc-run.8
@@ -158,18 +158,23 @@ use this to change the user id, and optionally group id,  before
 or
 .Xr supervise-daemon 8
 launches the daemon.
-.It Ar output_log
-This is the path to a file or named pipe where the standard output from
-the service will be redirected. If you are starting this service with
+.It Ar input_file
+This is the path to a file or named pipe to which the standard input of the
+service will be redirected to. If you are starting this service with
 .Xr start-stop-daemon 8 ,
 ,  you must set
 .Pa command_background
 to true. Keep in mind that this path will be inside the chroot if the
 .Pa chroot
-variable is set.
+variable is set. Contrary to output and error redirection, input redirection
+assumes that the file exists already.
+.It Ar output_log
+The same thing as
+.Pa input_file
+but for the standard output.
 .It Ar error_log
 The same thing as
-.Pa output_log
+.Pa input_file
 but for the standard error output.
 .It Ar output_logger
 This is a process which will be used to log the standard output from the
diff --git a/man/start-stop-daemon.8 b/man/start-stop-daemon.8
index b6d62ff0d..32103a37e 100644
--- a/man/start-stop-daemon.8
+++ b/man/start-stop-daemon.8
@@ -143,6 +143,13 @@ on POSIX systems and, additionally, batch and idle on Linux. If
 is an integer, it is passed directly to pthread_setschedparam(3).
 .It Fl -scheduler-priority Ar priority
 Sets the priority parameter of the scheduling policy of the daemon. See sched(7) for details.
+.It Fl 0 , -stdin Ar file
+Redirect the standard input of the process to file when started with
+.Fl background .
+The file Must be an absolute pathname, but relative to the path
+optionally given with
+.Fl r , -chroot .
+The file can also be a named pipe. The file must exist, otherwise an error is emitted.
 .It Fl 1 , -stdout Ar logfile
 Redirect the standard output of the process to logfile when started with
 .Fl background .
diff --git a/man/supervise-daemon.8 b/man/supervise-daemon.8
index 5fa226e91..7abb034b4 100644
--- a/man/supervise-daemon.8
+++ b/man/supervise-daemon.8
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ servicename
 .Ar chrootpath
 .Fl u , -user
 .Ar user
+.Fl 0 , -stdin
+.Ar file
 .Fl 1 , -stdout
 .Ar logfile
 .Fl 2 , -stderr
@@ -154,11 +156,20 @@ process to communicate with is determined by the name of the service
 taken from the RC_SVCNAME environment variable.
 .It Fl u , -user Ar user
 Start the daemon as the specified user.
-.It Fl 1 , -stdout Ar logfile
-Redirect the standard output of the process to logfile.
+.It Fl 0 , -stdin Ar file
+Redirect the standard input of the process to file.
 Must be an absolute pathname, but relative to the path optionally given with
 .Fl r , -chroot .
-The logfile can also be a named pipe.
+The file can also be a named pipe. Input redirection assumes that the file
+exists already while output redirection via
+.Fl 1 , -stdout
+or
+.Fl 1 , -stderr
+creates it, if it doesn't.
+.It Fl 1 , -stdout Ar logfile
+The same thing as
+.Fl 0 , -stdin
+but with the standard output.
 .It Fl 2 , -stderr Ar logfile
 The same thing as
 .Fl 1 , -stdout
diff --git a/sh/start-stop-daemon.sh b/sh/start-stop-daemon.sh
index 1f9dfa5a7..ba90bb47f 100644
--- a/sh/start-stop-daemon.sh
+++ b/sh/start-stop-daemon.sh
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ ssd_start()
 		--exec $command \
 		${chroot:+--chroot} $chroot \
 		${directory:+--chdir} $directory \
+		${input_file+--stdin} $input_file \
 		${output_log+--stdout} $output_log \
 		${error_log+--stderr} $error_log \
 		${output_logger:+--stdout-logger \"$output_logger\"} \
diff --git a/sh/supervise-daemon.sh b/sh/supervise-daemon.sh
index 8cdde18b5..7a6b46746 100644
--- a/sh/supervise-daemon.sh
+++ b/sh/supervise-daemon.sh
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ supervise_start()
 		${retry:+--retry} $retry \
 		${directory:+--chdir} $directory  \
 		${chroot:+--chroot} $chroot \
+		${input_file+--stdin} $input_file \
 		${output_log+--stdout} ${output_log} \
 		${error_log+--stderr} $error_log \
 		${output_logger:+--stdout-logger \"$output_logger\"} \
diff --git a/src/start-stop-daemon/start-stop-daemon.c b/src/start-stop-daemon/start-stop-daemon.c
index 5c21960f4..0af29c42d 100644
--- a/src/start-stop-daemon/start-stop-daemon.c
+++ b/src/start-stop-daemon/start-stop-daemon.c
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ enum {
 
 const char *applet = NULL;
 const char *extraopts = NULL;
-const char getoptstring[] = "I:KN:PR:Sa:bc:d:e:g:ik:mn:op:s:tu:r:w:x:1:2:3:4:" \
+const char getoptstring[] = "I:KN:PR:Sa:bc:d:e:g:ik:mn:op:s:tu:r:w:x:0:1:2:3:4:" \
 	getoptstring_COMMON;
 const struct option longopts[] = {
 	{ "capabilities", 1, NULL, LONGOPT_CAPABILITIES},
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ const struct option longopts[] = {
 	{ "chroot",       1, NULL, 'r'},
 	{ "wait",         1, NULL, 'w'},
 	{ "exec",         1, NULL, 'x'},
+	{ "stdin",        1, NULL, '0'},
 	{ "stdout",       1, NULL, '1'},
 	{ "stderr",       1, NULL, '2'},
 	{ "stdout-logger",1, NULL, '3'},
@@ -162,6 +163,7 @@ const char * const longopts_help[] = {
 	"Chroot to this directory",
 	"Milliseconds to wait for daemon start",
 	"Binary to start/stop",
+	"Redirect stdin to file",
 	"Redirect stdout to file",
 	"Redirect stderr to file",
 	"Redirect stdout to process",
@@ -318,6 +320,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	gid_t gid = 0;
 	char *home = NULL;
 	int tid = 0;
+	char *redirect_stdin = NULL;
 	char *redirect_stderr = NULL;
 	char *redirect_stdout = NULL;
 	char *stderr_process = NULL;
@@ -601,6 +604,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			exec = optarg;
 			break;
 
+		case '0':   /* --stdin /path/to/stdin.input-file */
+			redirect_stdin = optarg;
+			break;
+
 		case '1':   /* --stdout /path/to/stdout.lgfile */
 			redirect_stdout = optarg;
 			break;
@@ -1071,6 +1078,13 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		stdin_fd = devnull_fd;
 		stdout_fd = devnull_fd;
 		stderr_fd = devnull_fd;
+		if (redirect_stdin) {
+			if ((stdin_fd = open(redirect_stdin,
+				    O_RDONLY)) == -1)
+				eerrorx("%s: unable to open the input file"
+				    " for stdin `%s': %s",
+				    applet, redirect_stdin, strerror(errno));
+		}
 		if (redirect_stdout) {
 			if ((stdout_fd = open(redirect_stdout,
 				    O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_APPEND,
diff --git a/src/supervise-daemon/supervise-daemon.c b/src/supervise-daemon/supervise-daemon.c
index 210d572db..57f8d2b8d 100644
--- a/src/supervise-daemon/supervise-daemon.c
+++ b/src/supervise-daemon/supervise-daemon.c
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ enum {
 
 const char *applet = NULL;
 const char *extraopts = NULL;
-const char getoptstring[] = "A:a:D:d:e:g:H:I:Kk:m:N:p:R:r:s:Su:1:2:3" \
+const char getoptstring[] = "A:a:D:d:e:g:H:I:Kk:m:N:p:R:r:s:Su:0:1:2:3" \
 	getoptstring_COMMON;
 const struct option longopts[] = {
 	{ "healthcheck-timer",        1, NULL, 'a'},
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ const struct option longopts[] = {
 	{ "signal",       1, NULL, 's'},
 	{ "start",        0, NULL, 'S'},
 	{ "user",         1, NULL, 'u'},
+	{ "stdin",        1, NULL, '0'},
 	{ "stdout",       1, NULL, '1'},
 	{ "stderr",       1, NULL, '2'},
 	{ "stdout-logger",1, NULL, LONGOPT_STDOUT_LOGGER},
@@ -143,6 +144,7 @@ const char * const longopts_help[] = {
 	"Send a signal to the daemon",
 	"Start daemon",
 	"Change the process user",
+	"Redirect stdin to file",
 	"Redirect stdout to file",
 	"Redirect stderr to file",
 	"Redirect stdout to process",
@@ -168,6 +170,7 @@ static int stdin_fd;
 static int stdout_fd;
 static int stderr_fd;
 static struct ready ready;
+static char *redirect_stdin = NULL;
 static char *redirect_stderr = NULL;
 static char *redirect_stdout = NULL;
 static char *stderr_process = NULL;
@@ -554,6 +557,13 @@ RC_NORETURN static void child_process(char *exec, char **argv)
 	stdin_fd = devnull_fd;
 	stdout_fd = devnull_fd;
 	stderr_fd = devnull_fd;
+	if (redirect_stdin) {
+		if ((stdin_fd = open(redirect_stdin,
+			    O_RDONLY)) == -1)
+			eerrorx("%s: unable to open the input file"
+			    " for stdin `%s': %s",
+			    applet, redirect_stdin, strerror(errno));
+	}
 	if (redirect_stdout) {
 		if ((stdout_fd = open(redirect_stdout,
 			    O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_APPEND,
@@ -1057,6 +1067,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 		break;
 
+		case '0':   /* --stdin /path/to/stdin.input-file */
+			redirect_stdin = optarg;
+			break;
+
 		case '1':   /* --stdout /path/to/stdout.lgfile */
 			redirect_stdout = optarg;
 			break;