If ifstated.conf have a error this will happen: # ifstated -d
/etc/ifstated.conf:35: syntax error /etc/ifstated.conf:38: syntax error error: state 'fw_slave' not declared error: state 'fw_slave' not declared unable to load config But with the same config: # /etc/rc.d/ifstated start ifstated(ok) # echo $? 0 I would expect that it would say something like this, like other daemons do. ifstated(failed)

