diff --git a/src/logging/nm-logging.c b/src/logging/nm-logging.c
index 5d1c4b972..f071f847d 100644
--- a/src/logging/nm-logging.c
+++ b/src/logging/nm-logging.c
@@ -460,20 +460,18 @@ nm_log_handler (const gchar *log_domain,
 void
 nm_logging_syslog_openlog (gboolean debug)
 {
-	static gsize log_handler_initialized = 0;
-
 	if (debug)
 		openlog (G_LOG_DOMAIN, LOG_CONS | LOG_PERROR | LOG_PID, LOG_USER);
 	else
 		openlog (G_LOG_DOMAIN, LOG_PID, LOG_DAEMON);
-	syslog_opened = TRUE;
 
-	if (g_once_init_enter (&log_handler_initialized)) {
+	if (!syslog_opened) {
+		syslog_opened = TRUE;
+
 		g_log_set_handler (G_LOG_DOMAIN,
 		                   G_LOG_LEVEL_MASK | G_LOG_FLAG_FATAL | G_LOG_FLAG_RECURSION,
 		                   nm_log_handler,
 		                   NULL);
-		g_once_init_leave (&log_handler_initialized, 1);
 	}
 }