diff --git a/src/sf_util.c b/src/sf_util.c
index f5fea2a..e1b8300 100644
--- a/src/sf_util.c
+++ b/src/sf_util.c
@@ -83,8 +83,8 @@ void sf_usage(const char *program)
             "[start | stop | restart]\n", program);
 }
 
-void sf_parse_daemon_mode_and_action(int argc, char *argv[],
-        bool *daemon_mode, char **action)
+void sf_parse_daemon_mode_and_action_ex(int argc, char *argv[],
+        bool *daemon_mode, char **action, const char *default_action)
 {
     int i;
 
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ void sf_parse_daemon_mode_and_action(int argc, char *argv[],
     if (argc - (*daemon_mode ? 0 : 1) > 2) {
         *action = argv[argc - 1];
     } else {
-        *action = NULL;
+        *action = (char *)default_action;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/sf_util.h b/src/sf_util.h
index d967cd2..8a1bbb2 100644
--- a/src/sf_util.h
+++ b/src/sf_util.h
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ __FILE__, eln, eres, emsg, strerror(eres))
 
 #define dszoffset(cls, mem) ((char*)&((cls*)0)->mem -  ((char*)0))
 
+#define sf_parse_daemon_mode_and_action(argc, argv, daemon_mode, action) \
+    sf_parse_daemon_mode_and_action_ex(argc, argv, daemon_mode, action, "start")
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
 #endif
@@ -53,8 +56,8 @@ int sf_printbuffer(char* buffer,int32_t len);
 
 void sf_usage(const char *program);
 
-void sf_parse_daemon_mode_and_action(int argc, char *argv[],
-        bool *daemon_mode, char **action);
+void sf_parse_daemon_mode_and_action_ex(int argc, char *argv[],
+        bool *daemon_mode, char **action, const char *default_action);
 
 int sf_logger_init(LogContext *pContext, const char *filename_prefix);