diff --git a/CONTRIBUTORS b/CONTRIBUTORS
index 165fbbbd..897500ba 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTORS
+++ b/CONTRIBUTORS
@@ -2858,6 +2858,8 @@ Lars Hanisch <dvb@flensrocker.de>
  for reporting an invalid line in channels.conf.terr
  for fixing handling '/' and '~' in recording file names in case DirectoryEncoding is
  used
+ for making the LIRC remote control connect to the socket even if it doesn't yet exist
+ when VDR is started
 
 Alex Lasnier <alex@fepg.org>
  for adding tuning support for ATSC devices
diff --git a/HISTORY b/HISTORY
index bfb001d1..ceca580d 100644
--- a/HISTORY
+++ b/HISTORY
@@ -8032,7 +8032,7 @@ Video Disk Recorder Revision History
   the last replayed recording (if any) by pressing Ok repeatedly in the Recordings
   menu.
 
-2013-10-21: Version 2.1.3
+2013-10-29: Version 2.1.3
 
 - Changed the return value of cPositioner::HorizonLongitude() to 0 in case the
   latitude of the antenna location is beyond +/-81 degrees.
@@ -8044,3 +8044,5 @@ Video Disk Recorder Revision History
   user is prompted for confirmation to overwrite it (suggested by Rolf Ahrenberg).
 - Revoked "Added maximum signal strength value for TechniSat SkyStar 2 DVB-S rev 2.3P"
   because it broke things for the "TechniSat AirStar 2" DVB-T card.
+- The LIRC remote control now connects to the socket even if it doesn't yet exist when
+  VDR is started (thanks to Lars Hanisch).
diff --git a/lirc.c b/lirc.c
index e02f2296..2b0c07b1 100644
--- a/lirc.c
+++ b/lirc.c
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  *
  * LIRC support added by Carsten Koch <Carsten.Koch@icem.de>  2000-06-16.
  *
- * $Id: lirc.c 3.1 2013/08/22 09:22:14 kls Exp $
+ * $Id: lirc.c 3.2 2013/10/29 12:32:12 kls Exp $
  */
 
 #include "lirc.h"
@@ -21,11 +21,9 @@ cLircRemote::cLircRemote(const char *DeviceName)
 {
   addr.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
   strcpy(addr.sun_path, DeviceName);
-  if (Connect()) {
-     Start();
-     return;
-     }
-  f = -1;
+  if (!Connect())
+     f = -1;
+  Start();
 }
 
 cLircRemote::~cLircRemote()
@@ -67,14 +65,15 @@ void cLircRemote::Action(void)
   bool repeat = false;
   int timeout = -1;
 
-  while (Running() && f >= 0) {
+  while (Running()) {
 
-        bool ready = cFile::FileReady(f, timeout);
+        bool ready = f >= 0 && cFile::FileReady(f, timeout);
         int ret = ready ? safe_read(f, buf, sizeof(buf)) : -1;
 
-        if (ready && ret <= 0 ) {
+        if (f < 0 || ready && ret <= 0) {
            esyslog("ERROR: lircd connection broken, trying to reconnect every %.1f seconds", float(RECONNECTDELAY) / 1000);
-           close(f);
+           if (f >= 0)
+              close(f);
            f = -1;
            while (Running() && f < 0) {
                  cCondWait::SleepMs(RECONNECTDELAY);