diff --git a/daemon/logger/journald/read.go b/daemon/logger/journald/read.go
index 8d94c302fb..3364160b9e 100644
--- a/daemon/logger/journald/read.go
+++ b/daemon/logger/journald/read.go
@@ -173,6 +173,9 @@ drain:
 }
 
 func (s *journald) followJournal(logWatcher *logger.LogWatcher, config logger.ReadConfig, j *C.sd_journal, pfd [2]C.int, cursor string) {
+	s.readers.mu.Lock()
+	s.readers.readers[logWatcher] = logWatcher
+	s.readers.mu.Unlock()
 	go func() {
 		// Keep copying journal data out until we're notified to stop.
 		for C.wait_for_data_or_close(j, pfd[0]) == 1 {
@@ -183,10 +186,9 @@ func (s *journald) followJournal(logWatcher *logger.LogWatcher, config logger.Re
 		s.readers.mu.Lock()
 		delete(s.readers.readers, logWatcher)
 		s.readers.mu.Unlock()
+		C.sd_journal_close(j)
+		close(logWatcher.Msg)
 	}()
-	s.readers.mu.Lock()
-	s.readers.readers[logWatcher] = logWatcher
-	s.readers.mu.Unlock()
 	// Wait until we're told to stop.
 	select {
 	case <-logWatcher.WatchClose():
@@ -203,14 +205,24 @@ func (s *journald) readLogs(logWatcher *logger.LogWatcher, config logger.ReadCon
 	var pipes [2]C.int
 	cursor := ""
 
-	defer close(logWatcher.Msg)
 	// Get a handle to the journal.
 	rc := C.sd_journal_open(&j, C.int(0))
 	if rc != 0 {
 		logWatcher.Err <- fmt.Errorf("error opening journal")
+		close(logWatcher.Msg)
 		return
 	}
-	defer C.sd_journal_close(j)
+	// If we end up following the log, we can set the journal context
+	// pointer and the channel pointer to nil so that we won't close them
+	// here, potentially while the goroutine that uses them is still
+	// running.  Otherwise, close them when we return from this function.
+	following := false
+	defer func(pfollowing *bool) {
+		if !*pfollowing {
+			C.sd_journal_close(j)
+			close(logWatcher.Msg)
+		}
+	}(&following)
 	// Remove limits on the size of data items that we'll retrieve.
 	rc = C.sd_journal_set_data_threshold(j, C.size_t(0))
 	if rc != 0 {
@@ -286,6 +298,9 @@ func (s *journald) readLogs(logWatcher *logger.LogWatcher, config logger.ReadCon
 			logWatcher.Err <- fmt.Errorf("error opening journald close notification pipe")
 		} else {
 			s.followJournal(logWatcher, config, j, pipes, cursor)
+			// Let followJournal handle freeing the journal context
+			// object and closing the channel.
+			following = true
 		}
 	}
 	return