diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@
 Changelog
 ---------
 
+* 0.5.4
+    * Update to use hsyslog == 5.
+
 * 0.5.2
     * Fix pre-AMP builds.
 
diff --git a/System/Posix/Daemonize.hs b/System/Posix/Daemonize.hs
--- a/System/Posix/Daemonize.hs
+++ b/System/Posix/Daemonize.hs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
    http://sneakymustard.com/2008/12/11/haskell-daemons -}
 
 
+import Control.Applicative(pure)
 import Control.Monad (when)
 import Control.Monad.Trans
 import Control.Exception.Extensible
@@ -33,6 +34,9 @@
 import Data.ByteString (ByteString)
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8 as ByteString
 import Data.ByteString.Unsafe (unsafeUseAsCStringLen)
+
+import Data.Foldable (asum)
+
 import Data.Maybe (isNothing, fromMaybe, fromJust)
 import System.Environment
 import System.Exit
@@ -296,12 +300,26 @@
 
 dropPrivileges :: CreateDaemon a -> IO ()
 dropPrivileges daemon =
-    do Just ud <- getUserID "daemon"
-       Just gd <- getGroupID "daemon"
-       let targetUser = fromMaybe (fromJust $ name daemon) (user daemon)
-           targetGroup = fromMaybe (fromJust $ name daemon) (group daemon)
-       u <- fromMaybe ud <$> getUserID targetUser
-       g <- fromMaybe gd <$> getGroupID targetGroup
+    do let targetUser = fromJust $ asum [ user daemon
+                                        , name daemon
+                                        , Just "daemon"
+                                        ]
+           targetGroup = fromJust $ asum [ group daemon
+                                         , name daemon
+                                         , Just "daemon"
+                                         ]
+       mud <- getUserID targetUser
+       mgd <- getGroupID targetGroup
+       u <- case mud of
+           Nothing -> do syslog Error "Privilege drop failure, no suitable user."
+                         exitImmediately (ExitFailure 1)
+                         undefined
+           Just ud -> pure ud
+       g <- case mgd of
+           Nothing -> do syslog Error "Privilege drop failure, no suitable group."
+                         exitImmediately (ExitFailure 1)
+                         undefined
+           Just gd -> pure gd
        setGroupID g
        setUserID u
 
diff --git a/hdaemonize.cabal b/hdaemonize.cabal
--- a/hdaemonize.cabal
+++ b/hdaemonize.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name:		hdaemonize
-Version:	0.5.4
+Version:	0.5.5
 Cabal-Version:  >= 1.6
 License:	BSD3
 License-file:   LICENSE
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 		command line handling, dropping privileges).
 Build-Type:	Simple
 Extra-Source-Files:	README.md
-Tested-With: GHC == 7.6.3, GHC == 7.8.4, GHC == 7.10.3, GHC == 8.0.1, GHC == 8.0.2
+Tested-With: GHC == 7.10.3, GHC == 8.0.2, GHC == 8.2.2
 
 Library
   Build-Depends:    base >= 4 && < 5