diff --git a/utils/mariadb/Makefile b/utils/mariadb/Makefile
index f117cf5baf..1d54b84a52 100644
--- a/utils/mariadb/Makefile
+++ b/utils/mariadb/Makefile
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 
 PKG_NAME:=mariadb
 PKG_VERSION:=10.4.12
-PKG_RELEASE:=2
+PKG_RELEASE:=3
 
 PKG_SOURCE:=$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION).tar.gz
 PKG_SOURCE_URL := \
@@ -123,7 +123,6 @@ MARIADB_CLIENT_EXTRA := \
 	mysql_find_rows \
 	mysql_waitpid \
 	mysqlaccess \
-	mysqladmin \
 	mysqldump \
 	mysqlimport \
 	mysqlshow \
@@ -134,7 +133,9 @@ MARIADB_SERVER := \
 	innochecksum \
 	my_print_defaults \
 	mysql_install_db \
-	mysqld
+	mysqladmin \
+	mysqld \
+	mysqld_safe
 
 MARIADB_SERVER_EXTRA := \
 	aria_chk \
@@ -156,6 +157,7 @@ MARIADB_SERVER_EXTRA := \
 	mysql_tzinfo_to_sql \
 	mysqlbinlog \
 	mysqld_multi \
+	mysqld_safe_helper \
 	mysqldumpslow \
 	mysqlhotcopy \
 	perror \
@@ -272,6 +274,10 @@ define Package/mariadb-server
   PROVIDES:=mysql-server
 endef
 
+define Package/mariadb-server/conffiles
+/usr/bin/mysqld_safe
+endef
+
 define Package/mariadb-server/description
 $(call Package/mariadb/description/Default)
 
diff --git a/utils/mariadb/files/mysqld.config b/utils/mariadb/files/mysqld.config
index 1bfcde6c5b..1e866e1ec9 100644
--- a/utils/mariadb/files/mysqld.config
+++ b/utils/mariadb/files/mysqld.config
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 
 config mysqld 'general'
-	option enabled '0'
-	option log_stderr '1'
-	option log_stdout '1'
-	option options ''
+	option enabled '0'			# 0 - disabled, 1 - enabled
+	option options '--syslog'		# Options passed to mysqld_safe
 
diff --git a/utils/mariadb/files/mysqld.init b/utils/mariadb/files/mysqld.init
index 284e00aaad..a1e6a44b18 100644
--- a/utils/mariadb/files/mysqld.init
+++ b/utils/mariadb/files/mysqld.init
@@ -4,48 +4,71 @@
 START=95
 STOP=10
 
-USE_PROCD=1
-
-#PROCD_DEBUG=1
-
 NAME=mysqld
 
 LOGGER="/usr/bin/logger -p user.err -s -t $NAME --"
-COMMAND=/usr/bin/$NAME
+
+MYSQLADMIN=/usr/bin/mysqladmin
+MYSQLD=/usr/bin/$NAME
+MYSQLDSAFE=/usr/bin/mysqld_safe
+
+# mysqladmin likes to read /root/.my.cnf which could cause issues.
+export HOME=/etc/mysql
+
+# Safeguard (relative paths, core dumps...)
+cd /
 
 mysqld_get_param() {
-	$COMMAND --print-defaults \
+	$MYSQLD --print-defaults \
 		| tr " " "\n" \
 		| grep -- "--$1" \
 		| tail -n 1 \
 		| cut -d= -f2
 }
 
-start_service() {
-	local conf=/etc/mysql/my.cnf
-	local dir
-	local user
-	local group
-
-	local logfile
-
-	local datadir
-	local logdir=/var/log/mysql
-	local rundir=/var/run/mysqld
-	local tmpdir
-
-	local enabled
-	local log_stderr
-	local log_stdout
-	local options
-
-	local hint="please fix your server configuration in /etc/mysql/"
-
-	if [ ! -x $COMMAND ]; then
-		$LOGGER $COMMAND is missing
-		exit 1
+# Checks if a server is running and accessible.
+#
+# check_alive insists on a pingable server
+# check_dead also fails if there is a lost mysqld in the process list
+#
+# Usage: boolean mysqld_status [check_alive|check_dead]
+mysqld_status() {
+	if $MYSQLADMIN ping >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+		ping_alive=1
+	else
+		ping_alive=0
 	fi
 
+	ps_alive=0
+	pidfile=$(mysqld_get_param pid-file)
+	if [ -f "$pidfile" ] && kill -0 $(cat "$pidfile") >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+		ps_alive=1
+	fi
+
+	if { [ "$1" = check_alive ] && [ $ping_alive = 1 ]; } || \
+		{ [ "$1" = check_dead ] && [ $ping_alive = 0 ] \
+					&& [ $ps_alive = 0 ]; }
+	then
+		return 0 # EXIT_SUCCESS
+	else
+		return 1 # EXIT_FAILURE
+	fi
+}
+
+start() {
+	conf=/etc/mysql/my.cnf
+	logdir=/var/log/mysql
+	rundir=/var/run/mysqld
+
+	hint="please fix your server configuration in /etc/mysql/"
+
+	for i in $MYSQLD $MYSQLADMIN $MYSQLDSAFE; do
+		if [ ! -x $i ]; then
+			$LOGGER $i is missing
+			exit 1
+		fi
+	done
+
 	if [ ! -r $conf ]; then
 		$LOGGER $conf cannot be read
 		exit 1
@@ -59,15 +82,10 @@ start_service() {
 		exit 1
 	fi
 
-	config_get_bool log_stderr general log_stderr 1
-	config_get_bool log_stdout general log_stdout 1
-
 	config_get options general options
 
 	datadir=$(mysqld_get_param datadir)
-	logfile=$(mysqld_get_param general_log_file)
 	tmpdir=$(mysqld_get_param tmpdir)
-	user=$(mysqld_get_param user)
 
 	if [ -z "$datadir" ]; then
 		$LOGGER datadir is not set
@@ -81,76 +99,48 @@ start_service() {
 		exit 1
 	fi
 
-	if [ -z "$user" ]; then
-		$LOGGER user is not set
-		$LOGGER $hint
-		exit 1
-	fi
-
-	user_exists "$user" || {
-		$LOGGER user \""$user"\" does not exist
-		$LOGGER $hint
-		exit 1
-	}
-
-	group=$(id -g -n "$user")
-
-	group_exists "$group" || {
-		$LOGGER group \""$group"\" does not exist
-		$LOGGER user \""$user"\" not configured correctly
-		exit 1
-	}
-
-	[ -n "$logfile" ] && logdir=$(dirname "$logfile")
-
-	# do not touch directories that already exist
-	# posix shell does not support arrays, hence using awk
-	awk \
-	  -v user="$user" \
-	  -v group="$group" \
-	  -v a="$datadir" \
-	  -v b="$logdir" \
-	  -v c="$rundir" \
-	  -v d="$tmpdir" \
-	  '
-	    BEGIN {
-	      dir[0]=a
-	      dir[1]=b
-	      dir[2]=c
-	      dir[3]=d
-	      for (x in dir) {
-	        if (system("test ! -e \"" dir[x] "\"" )) {
-	          delete dir[x]
-	        }
-	      }
-	      for (x in dir) {
-	        system("mkdir -p \"" dir[x] "\"" )
-	        system("chmod 750 \"" dir[x] "\"" )
-	        system("chown \"" user "\":\"" group "\" \"" dir[x] "\"" )
-	      }
-	    }
-	  '
-
 	if [ ! -f "$datadir/mysql/tables_priv.MAD" ]; then
-		local args="--force"
-		local basedir=$(mysqld_get_param basedir)
+		args="--force"
+		basedir=$(mysqld_get_param basedir)
 		[ -n "$basedir" ] && args="$args --basedir=$basedir"
 
 		$LOGGER Cannot detect privileges table. You might need to run
-		$LOGGER \'mysql_install_db $args\'
+		$LOGGER \'mysql_install_db "$args"\'
 		$LOGGER to initialize the system tables.
 		exit 1
 	fi
 
-	procd_open_instance
+	# Start daemon
+	if mysqld_status check_alive; then
+		$LOGGER already running
+	else
+		for i in $logdir $rundir; do
+			opts="-m 0750"
+			if ! [ -e $i ]; then
+				# $rundir needs to be accessible for
+				# clients
+				if [ $i = $rundir ]; then
+					opts=
+				fi
+				mkdir -p $opts $i
+				[ -d $i ] && chown mariadb:mariadb $i
+			fi
+		done
 
-	procd_set_param command $COMMAND $options
-
-	# forward stderr to logd
-	procd_set_param stderr $log_stderr
-	# same for stdout
-	procd_set_param stdout $log_stdout
-
-	procd_close_instance
+		$MYSQLDSAFE $options >/dev/null 2>&1 &
+	fi
 }
 
+stop() {
+	if ! mysqld_status check_dead; then
+		$MYSQLADMIN shutdown
+	fi
+}
+
+reload() {
+	if mysqld_status check_alive; then
+		$MYSQLADMIN reload
+	else
+		$LOGGER not running
+	fi
+}
diff --git a/utils/mariadb/patches/190-replace-hostname-in-mysqld_safe.patch b/utils/mariadb/patches/190-replace-hostname-in-mysqld_safe.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6371628e08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/mariadb/patches/190-replace-hostname-in-mysqld_safe.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+--- a/scripts/mysqld_safe.sh
++++ b/scripts/mysqld_safe.sh
+@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ wsrep_recover_position() {
+     return 1
+   fi
+ 
+-  local wr_pidfile="$DATADIR/"`@HOSTNAME@`"-recover.pid"
++  local wr_pidfile="$DATADIR/"$(uci get 'system.@system[0].hostname')"-recover.pid"
+ 
+   local wr_options="--disable-log-error  --pid-file='$wr_pidfile'"
+ 
+@@ -673,7 +673,7 @@ then
+         * ) err_log="$DATADIR/$err_log" ;;
+       esac
+     else
+-      err_log=$DATADIR/`@HOSTNAME@`.err
++      err_log=$DATADIR/$(uci get 'system.@system[0].hostname').err
+     fi
+   fi
+ 
+@@ -752,7 +752,7 @@ fi
+ 
+ if test -z "$pid_file"
+ then
+-  pid_file="`@HOSTNAME@`.pid"
++  pid_file="$(uci get 'system.@system[0].hostname').pid"
+ fi
+ # MariaDB wants pid file without datadir
+ append_arg_to_args "--pid-file=$pid_file"