diff --git a/packages/sysutils/lirc/scripts/lircd_helper b/packages/sysutils/lirc/scripts/lircd_helper
index 8e79b073a9..d36ce21e03 100755
--- a/packages/sysutils/lirc/scripts/lircd_helper
+++ b/packages/sysutils/lirc/scripts/lircd_helper
@@ -17,52 +17,45 @@
 #  along with OpenELEC.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 ################################################################################
 
-ACTION=$(echo "$1")
-DEVICE=$(echo "$2" | cut -f1 -d:)
-DRIVER=$(echo "$2" | cut -f2 -d:)
-CONFIG=$(echo "$2" | cut -f3 -d:)
+DEVICE=$(echo "$1" | cut -f1 -d:)
+DRIVER=$(echo "$1" | cut -f2 -d:)
+CONFIG=$(echo "$1" | cut -f3 -d:)
 
-case "$ACTION" in
-  add)
-    if [ "x$DRIVER" = "x" ]; then
-      exit 1;
-    fi
+if [ "x$DRIVER" = "x" ]; then
+  exit 1;
+fi
 
-    mkdir -p '/run/lirc'
+mkdir -p '/run/lirc'
 
-    if [ ! -e "/run/lirc/lircd-$DEVICE.pid" ]; then
+LIRCD="/usr/sbin/lircd"
+LIRCD_UINPUT="/usr/sbin/lircd-uinput"
+LIRCD_CONFIG="--driver=$DRIVER --device=/dev/$DEVICE"
+LIRCD_CONFIG="$LIRCD_CONFIG --output=/run/lirc/lircd-$DEVICE"
+LIRCD_CONFIG="$LIRCD_CONFIG --pidfile=/run/lirc/lircd-$DEVICE.pid"
+LIRCD_CONFIG="$LIRCD_CONFIG --release=_LIRCUP"
 
-      LIRCD="/usr/sbin/lircd"
-      LIRCD_CONFIG="--driver=$DRIVER --device=/dev/$DEVICE"
-      LIRCD_CONFIG="$LIRCD_CONFIG --output=/run/lirc/lircd-$DEVICE"
-      LIRCD_CONFIG="$LIRCD_CONFIG --pidfile=/run/lirc/lircd-$DEVICE.pid"
-      LIRCD_CONFIG="$LIRCD_CONFIG --release=_LIRCUP"
+if [ -e "/storage/.config/lircd.conf" ]; then
+  LIRCD_CONFIG="$LIRCD_CONFIG /storage/.config/lircd.conf"
+elif [ -n "$CONFIG" ]; then
+  if [ -e "/storage/.config/$CONFIG" ]; then
+    LIRCD_CONFIG="$LIRCD_CONFIG /storage/.config/$CONFIG"
+  elif [ -e "/etc/lirc/$CONFIG" ]; then
+    LIRCD_CONFIG="$LIRCD_CONFIG /etc/lirc/$CONFIG"
+  else
+    echo "No device specific $CONFIG file found"
+    echo "You need to provide your own $CONFIG file"
+    echo "Place it in /storage/.config/$CONFIG"
+    exit 0
+  fi
+else
+  echo "No lircd.conf file found"
+  echo "You need to provide your own lircd.conf file"
+  echo "Place it in /storage/.config/lircd.conf"
+  exit 0
+fi
 
-      if [ -e "/storage/.config/lircd.conf" ]; then
-        LIRCD_CONFIG="$LIRCD_CONFIG /storage/.config/lircd.conf"
-      elif [ -n "$CONFIG" ]; then
-        if [ -e "/storage/.config/$CONFIG" ]; then
-          LIRCD_CONFIG="$LIRCD_CONFIG /storage/.config/$CONFIG"
-        elif [ -e "/etc/lirc/$CONFIG" ]; then
-          LIRCD_CONFIG="$LIRCD_CONFIG /etc/lirc/$CONFIG"
-        else
-          exit 0
-        fi
-      else
-        exit 0
-      fi
-
-      exec $LIRCD $LIRCD_CONFIG
-    fi
-    ;;
-  remove)
-    if [ -e "/run/lirc/lircd-$DEVICE.pid" ]; then
-      PID=`cat /run/lirc/lircd-$DEVICE.pid`
-      if [ ! "x$PID" = "x" ]; then
-        kill $PID
-      fi
-    fi
-    ;;
-esac
+# lircd daemonizes but lircd-uinput doesn't so we need to fork it to the background
+$LIRCD $LIRCD_CONFIG
+$LIRCD_UINPUT --release=_LIRCUP /run/lirc/lircd-$DEVICE &
 
 exit 0
diff --git a/packages/sysutils/lirc/system.d/lircd-uinput@.service b/packages/sysutils/lirc/system.d/lircd-uinput@.service
deleted file mode 100644
index 85ddf3e3bb..0000000000
--- a/packages/sysutils/lirc/system.d/lircd-uinput@.service
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-[Unit]
-Description=lircd-uinput with %I
-
-ConditionPathExists=/storage/.cache/services/lircd.conf
-
-[Service]
-ExecStart=/usr/sbin/lircd-uinput --release=_LIRCUP /run/lirc/lircd-%I
-Slice=system-lircd.slice
-Restart=on-failure
-RestartSec=2
-
-[Install]
-WantedBy=multi-user.target
-
diff --git a/packages/sysutils/lirc/system.d/lircd@.service b/packages/sysutils/lirc/system.d/lircd@.service
index 05798e5055..c377ab528a 100644
--- a/packages/sysutils/lirc/system.d/lircd@.service
+++ b/packages/sysutils/lirc/system.d/lircd@.service
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ Requires=lircd-defaults.service
 ConditionPathExists=/storage/.cache/services/lircd.conf
 
 [Service]
-Type=oneshot
-ExecStart=/usr/lib/libreelec/lircd_helper add %I
-ExecStop=/usr/lib/libreelec/lircd_helper remove %I
+Type=forking
+ExecStart=/usr/lib/libreelec/lircd_helper %I
 TimeoutStopSec=1
 RemainAfterExit=yes
 
 [Install]
 WantedBy=multi-user.target
+
diff --git a/packages/sysutils/lirc/udev.d/98-lircd.rules b/packages/sysutils/lirc/udev.d/98-lircd.rules
index 0bc7714ed7..aca4dce868 100644
--- a/packages/sysutils/lirc/udev.d/98-lircd.rules
+++ b/packages/sysutils/lirc/udev.d/98-lircd.rules
@@ -67,12 +67,6 @@ ENV{lircd_driver}=="?*", ENV{lircd_conf}=="?*", ACTION=="add", \
   TAG+="systemd", ENV{SYSTEMD_WANTS}+="lircd@$name:$env{lircd_driver}:$env{lircd_conf}.service", \
   RUN+="lircd_wakeup_enable"
 
-ENV{lircd_driver}=="?*", ENV{lircd_conf}=="?*", ACTION=="add", \
-  TAG+="systemd", ENV{SYSTEMD_WANTS}+="lircd-uinput@$name.service"
-
-ENV{lircd_driver}=="?*", ENV{lircd_conf}=="?*", ACTION=="remove", \
-  RUN+="/usr/bin/systemctl stop lircd-uinput@$name.service"
-
 ENV{lircd_driver}=="?*", ENV{lircd_conf}=="?*", ACTION=="remove", \
   RUN+="/usr/bin/systemctl stop lircd@$name:$env{lircd_driver}:$env{lircd_conf}.service"