diff --git a/gnu/packages/admin.scm b/gnu/packages/admin.scm
index dfc3467bf8..e1dd248679 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/admin.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/admin.scm
@@ -188,7 +188,8 @@ and provides a \"top-like\" mode (monitoring).")
                                   version ".tar.gz"))
               (sha256
                (base32
-                "1ys2w83vm62spr8bx38sccfdpy9fqmj7wfywm5k8ihsy2k61da2i"))))
+                "1ys2w83vm62spr8bx38sccfdpy9fqmj7wfywm5k8ihsy2k61da2i"))
+              (patches (search-patches "shepherd-debug.patch"))))
     (build-system gnu-build-system)
     (arguments
      '(#:configure-flags '("--localstatedir=/var")))
diff --git a/gnu/packages/patches/shepherd-debug.patch b/gnu/packages/patches/shepherd-debug.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2fd97cc578
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gnu/packages/patches/shepherd-debug.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+diff --git a/modules/shepherd/service.scm b/modules/shepherd/service.scm
+index 53437b6..bef8f42 100644
+--- a/modules/shepherd/service.scm
++++ b/modules/shepherd/service.scm
+@@ -715,21 +715,28 @@ number.  Return #f if FILE was not created or does not contain a number;
+ otherwise return the number that was read (a PID)."
+   (define start (current-time))
+   (let loop ()
++    (define (retry)
++      (and (< (current-time) (+ start max-delay))
++           (begin
++             ;; FILE does not exist yet, so wait and try again.
++             ;; XXX: Ideally we would yield to the main event loop
++             ;; and/or use inotify.
++             (sleep 1)
++             (loop))))
++
+     (catch 'system-error
+       (lambda ()
+-        (string->number
+-         (string-trim-both
+-          (call-with-input-file file get-string-all))))
++        (define str
++          (call-with-input-file file get-string-all))
++
++        (local-output (l10n "read-pid-file ~s -> ~s")
++                      file str)
++        (or (string->number (string-trim-both str))
++            (retry)))
+       (lambda args
+         (let ((errno (system-error-errno args)))
+           (if (= ENOENT errno)
+-              (and (< (current-time) (+ start max-delay))
+-                   (begin
+-                     ;; FILE does not exist yet, so wait and try again.
+-                     ;; XXX: Ideally we would yield to the main event loop
+-                     ;; and/or use inotify.
+-                     (sleep 1)
+-                     (loop)))
++              (retry)
+               (apply throw args)))))))
+ 
+ (define* (exec-command command