diff --git a/gnu/services/base.scm b/gnu/services/base.scm
index a031ccc04b..b14bbcc3cd 100644
--- a/gnu/services/base.scm
+++ b/gnu/services/base.scm
@@ -1316,13 +1316,17 @@ (define syslog-service-type
       (documentation "Run the syslog daemon (syslogd).")
       (provision '(syslogd))
       (requirement '(user-processes))
-      (start #~(make-forkexec-constructor
-                (list #$(syslog-configuration-syslogd config)
-                      "--rcfile"
-                      #$(syslog-configuration-config-file config))
-                ;; Set the umask such that file permissions are #o640.
-                #:file-creation-mask #o137
-                #:pid-file "/var/run/syslog.pid"))
+      (start #~(let ((spawn (make-forkexec-constructor
+                             (list #$(syslog-configuration-syslogd config)
+                                   "--rcfile"
+                                   #$(syslog-configuration-config-file config))
+                             #:pid-file "/var/run/syslog.pid")))
+                 (lambda ()
+                   ;; Set the umask such that file permissions are #o640.
+                   (let ((mask (umask #o137))
+                         (pid  (spawn)))
+                     (umask mask)
+                     pid))))
       (stop #~(make-kill-destructor))))))
 
 ;; Snippet adapted from the GNU inetutils manual.