diff --git a/src/flog.cpp b/src/flog.cpp
index d1e8b076a..2e17dff76 100644
--- a/src/flog.cpp
+++ b/src/flog.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ namespace flog_details {
 /// This is not modified after initialization.
 static std::vector<category_t *> s_all_categories;
 
+/// The fd underlying the flog output file.
+/// This is separated out for flogf_async_safe.
+static int s_flog_file_fd{STDERR_FILENO};
+
 /// When a category is instantiated it adds itself to the 'all' list.
 category_t::category_t(const wchar_t *name, const wchar_t *desc, bool enabled)
     : name(name), description(desc), enabled(enabled) {
@@ -85,6 +89,52 @@ void logger_t::log_fmt(const category_t &cat, const char *fmt, ...) {
     log_fmt(cat, L"%s", buff.get());
 }
 
+inline void async_safe_write_str(const char *s, size_t len = std::string::npos) {
+    if (s_flog_file_fd < 0) return;
+    if (len == std::string::npos) len = std::strlen(s);
+    ignore_result(write(s_flog_file_fd, s, len));
+}
+
+// static
+void logger_t::flogf_async_safe(const char *category, const char *fmt, const char *param1,
+                                const char *param2, const char *param3, const char *param4,
+                                const char *param5, const char *param6, const char *param7,
+                                const char *param8, const char *param9, const char *param10,
+                                const char *param11, const char *param12) {
+    const char *const params[] = {param1, param2, param3, param4,  param5,  param6,
+                                  param7, param8, param9, param10, param11, param12};
+    const size_t max_params = sizeof params / sizeof *params;
+
+    // Can't call fwprintf, that may allocate memory.
+    // Just call write() over and over.
+    async_safe_write_str(category);
+    async_safe_write_str(": ");
+
+    size_t param_idx = 0;
+    const char *cursor = fmt;
+    while (*cursor != '\0') {
+        const char *end = std::strchr(cursor, '%');
+        if (end == nullptr) end = cursor + std::strlen(cursor);
+        if (end > cursor) async_safe_write_str(cursor, end - cursor);
+        if (end[0] == '%' && end[1] == 's') {
+            // Handle a format string.
+            const char *param = (param_idx < max_params ? params[param_idx++] : nullptr);
+            if (!param) param = "(null)";
+            async_safe_write_str(param);
+            cursor = end + 2;
+        } else if (end[0] == '\0') {
+            // Must be at the end of the string.
+            cursor = end;
+        } else {
+            // Some other format specifier, just skip it.
+            cursor = end + 1;
+        }
+    }
+
+    // We always append a newline.
+    async_safe_write_str("\n");
+}
+
 }  // namespace flog_details
 
 using namespace flog_details;
@@ -117,7 +167,11 @@ void activate_flog_categories_by_pattern(const wcstring &inwc) {
     }
 }
 
-void set_flog_output_file(FILE *f) { g_logger.acquire()->set_file(f); }
+void set_flog_output_file(FILE *f) {
+    assert(f && "Null file");
+    g_logger.acquire()->set_file(f);
+    s_flog_file_fd = fileno(f);
+}
 
 void log_extra_to_flog_file(const wcstring &s) { g_logger.acquire()->log_extra(s.c_str()); }
 
diff --git a/src/flog.h b/src/flog.h
index 180cfbc8b..190eef76f 100644
--- a/src/flog.h
+++ b/src/flog.h
@@ -164,6 +164,15 @@ class logger_t {
 
     // Log outside of the usual flog usage.
     void log_extra(const wchar_t *s) { log1(s); }
+
+    // Variant of flogf which is async safe. This is intended to be used after fork().
+    static void flogf_async_safe(const char *category, const char *fmt,
+                                 const char *param1 = nullptr, const char *param2 = nullptr,
+                                 const char *param3 = nullptr, const char *param4 = nullptr,
+                                 const char *param5 = nullptr, const char *param6 = nullptr,
+                                 const char *param7 = nullptr, const char *param8 = nullptr,
+                                 const char *param9 = nullptr, const char *param10 = nullptr,
+                                 const char *param11 = nullptr, const char *param12 = nullptr);
 };
 
 extern owning_lock<logger_t> g_logger;
@@ -207,6 +216,17 @@ void log_extra_to_flog_file(const wcstring &s);
         }                                                                     \
     } while (0)
 
+/// Variant of FLOG which is safe to use after fork().
+/// Only %s specifiers are supported.
+#define FLOGF_SAFE(wht, ...)                                             \
+    do {                                                                 \
+        if (flog_details::category_list_t::g_instance->wht.enabled) {    \
+            auto old_errno = errno;                                      \
+            flog_details::logger_t::flogf_async_safe(#wht, __VA_ARGS__); \
+            errno = old_errno;                                           \
+        }                                                                \
+    } while (0)
+
 #endif
 
 #define should_flog(wht) (flog_details::category_list_t::g_instance->wht.enabled)