diff --git a/src/monitor/monitor.c b/src/monitor/monitor.c
index a08087038..02a3055f3 100644
--- a/src/monitor/monitor.c
+++ b/src/monitor/monitor.c
@@ -2440,6 +2440,8 @@ int main(int argc, const char *argv[])
     struct mt_ctx *monitor;
     int ret;
     uid_t uid;
+    int fd;
+    char pid_buf[100];
 
     struct poptOption long_options[] = {
         POPT_AUTOHELP
@@ -2620,8 +2622,21 @@ int main(int argc, const char *argv[])
     }
 
     /* Check if the SSSD is already running */
-    ret = check_file(SSSD_PIDFILE, 0, 0, S_IFREG|0600, 0, NULL, false);
+    ret = check_and_open_readonly(SSSD_PIDFILE, &fd, 0, 0, S_IFREG|0600, 0)
     if (ret == EOK) {
+    	/* Looked for but couldn't easily find any existing code that reads
+	 * data - would be safer potentially */
+	strcpy(pid_buf, "/proc/");
+    	ret = read(fd, pid_buf + 6, sizeof(pid_buf));
+	if (ret > 0) {
+		/* Multiple issues with this, like contents of file f.ex. */
+		ret = access(pid_buf, X_OK);
+		if (ret == 0)
+			ret = ENOENT;
+	}
+    }
+    /* Could be done nicer, fall back to original code */
+    if (ret == EOK)
         DEBUG(SSSDBG_FATAL_FAILURE,
               "pidfile exists at %s\n", SSSD_PIDFILE);
         ERROR("SSSD is already running\n");