diff --git a/lib/libalpm/add.c b/lib/libalpm/add.c
index 3c0074f..d09ba14 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/add.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/add.c
@@ -887,7 +887,8 @@ int _alpm_add_commit(pmtrans_t *trans, pmdb_t *db)
 	}
 
 	/* run ldconfig if it exists */
-	_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "running \"ldconfig -r %s\"\n", handle->root);
+	_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "running \"ldconfig\" under chroot (%s)\n",
+			handle->root);
 	_alpm_ldconfig(handle->root);
 
 	return(0);
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/remove.c b/lib/libalpm/remove.c
index 9dfff9c..370aa81 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/remove.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/remove.c
@@ -395,7 +395,8 @@ int _alpm_remove_commit(pmtrans_t *trans, pmdb_t *db)
 
 	/* run ldconfig if it exists */
 	if(trans->type != PM_TRANS_TYPE_REMOVEUPGRADE) {
-		_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "running \"ldconfig -r %s\"\n", handle->root);
+		_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "running \"ldconfig\" under chroot (%s)\n",
+			handle->root);
 		_alpm_ldconfig(handle->root);
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/util.c b/lib/libalpm/util.c
index 75f6042..06efa3b 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/util.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/util.c
@@ -456,19 +456,62 @@ int _alpm_logaction(unsigned short usesyslog, FILE *f,
 
 int _alpm_ldconfig(const char *root)
 {
-	char line[PATH_MAX];
-
-	snprintf(line, PATH_MAX, "%setc/ld.so.conf", root);
-	if(access(line, F_OK) == 0) {
-		snprintf(line, PATH_MAX, "%ssbin/ldconfig", root);
-		if(access(line, X_OK) == 0) {
-			char cmd[PATH_MAX];
-			snprintf(cmd, PATH_MAX, "%s -r %s", line, root);
-			system(cmd);
+	pid_t pid;
+	char cwd[PATH_MAX];
+	const char *ldconfig = "/sbin/ldconfig";
+	const char *ldsoconf = "/etc/ld.so.conf";
+	int retval = 0;
+
+	/* Flush open fds before fork() to avoid cloning buffers */
+	fflush(NULL);
+
+	pid = fork();
+	if(pid == -1) {
+		_alpm_log(PM_LOG_ERROR, _("could not fork a new process (%s)\n"),
+					strerror(errno));
+		retval = 1;
+	}
+	if(pid == 0) {
+		/* this code runs for the child only (the actual chroot/exec) */
+		_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "chrooting in %s\n", root);
+		if(chroot(root) != 0) {
+			_alpm_log(PM_LOG_ERROR, _("could not change directory to / (%s)\n"),
+					strerror(errno));
+			exit(1);
+		}
+		if(access(ldsoconf, F_OK) == 0) {
+			if(access(ldconfig, X_OK) == 0) {
+				if (execl(ldconfig, ldconfig, (char *) NULL) == -1) {
+					_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "execl() call failed (%s)\n",
+							strerror(errno));
+					exit(1);
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		exit(0);
+	} else {
+		/* this code runs for the parent only (wait on the child) */
+		pid_t retpid;
+		int status;
+		while((retpid = waitpid(pid, &status, 0)) == -1 && errno == EINTR);
+		if(retpid == -1) {
+			_alpm_log(PM_LOG_ERROR, _("call to waitpid failed (%s)\n"),
+					strerror(errno));
+			retval = 1;
+		} else {
+			if(WIFEXITED(status)) {
+				_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "call to waitpid succeeded\n");
+				if(WEXITSTATUS(status) != 0) {
+					retval = 1;
+				}
+			}
 		}
 	}
+	if(retval != 0) {
+		_alpm_log(PM_LOG_ERROR, _("ldconfig failed to execute correctly\n"));
+	}
 
-	return(0);
+	return(retval);
 }
 
 /* Helper function for comparing strings using the