diff --git a/source/src/server.cpp b/source/src/server.cpp
index bbb3c59b..aedc55d2 100644
--- a/source/src/server.cpp
+++ b/source/src/server.cpp
@@ -1838,21 +1838,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {   
     int uprate = 0, maxcl = DEFAULTCLIENTS, scthreshold = -5;
     char *sdesc = "", *ip = "", *master = NULL, *passwd = "", *maprot = "", *adminpasswd = NULL, *srvmsg = NULL;
-
-    if(isdedicated && !svcctrl)
-    {
-        #ifdef WIN32
-        svcctrl = new winservice();
-        #endif
-        if(svcctrl)
-        {
-            svcctrl->argc = argc; svcctrl->argv = argv;
-            int c = svcctrl->start();
-            #ifdef WIN32
-            return c;
-            #endif
-        }
-    }
+    bool service = false;
 
     for(int i = 1; i<argc; i++)
     {
@@ -1869,10 +1855,23 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
             case 'x': adminpasswd = a; break;
             case 'o': srvmsg = a; break;
             case 'k': scthreshold = atoi(a); break;
+            case 's': service = true; break;
             default: printf("WARNING: unknown commandline option\n");
         }
     }
 
+    if(service && !svcctrl)
+    {
+        #ifdef WIN32
+        svcctrl = new winservice();
+        #endif
+        if(svcctrl)
+        {
+            svcctrl->argc = argc; svcctrl->argv = argv;
+            svcctrl->start();
+        }
+    }
+
     if(enet_initialize()<0) fatal("Unable to initialise network module");
     initserver(true, uprate, sdesc, ip, master, passwd, maxcl, maprot, adminpasswd, srvmsg, scthreshold);
     return EXIT_SUCCESS;
diff --git a/source/src/servercontroller.h b/source/src/servercontroller.h
index 9b49c825..70ffc789 100644
--- a/source/src/servercontroller.h
+++ b/source/src/servercontroller.h
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 struct servercontroller
 {
-    virtual bool start() = 0;
+    virtual void start() = 0;
     virtual void keepalive() = 0;
     virtual void stop() = 0;
     int argc;
@@ -24,10 +24,11 @@ struct winservice : servercontroller
         callbacks::svc = NULL;
     }
 
-    bool start() // starts the server again on a new thread and returns once the windows service has stopped
+    void start() // starts the server again on a new thread and returns once the windows service has stopped
     {
         SERVICE_TABLE_ENTRY	dispatchtable[] = { "assaultcubeserver", (LPSERVICE_MAIN_FUNCTION)callbacks::main, NULL, NULL };
-        return StartServiceCtrlDispatcher(dispatchtable);
+        if(StartServiceCtrlDispatcher(dispatchtable)) exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
+        else fatal("an error occurred running the AC server as windows service");
     }
 
     void keepalive()