diff --git a/src/etc/inc/util.inc b/src/etc/inc/util.inc
index 1bce582e5..530eed2fd 100644
--- a/src/etc/inc/util.inc
+++ b/src/etc/inc/util.inc
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ function is_process_running($process)
     return (intval($retval) == 0);
 }
 
-function service_by_name($name, $filter = array())
+function service_by_name($name, $filter = [])
 {
     $services = plugins_services();
 
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ function service_by_name($name, $filter = array())
         }
     }
 
-    return array();
+    return [];
 }
 
 function service_status($service)
@@ -135,17 +135,75 @@ function service_status($service)
     return is_process_running($service['name']);
 }
 
-function service_control_start($name, $extras)
+function service_message($service)
 {
-    $filter = array();
+   /*
+    * Emulate the following messages from rc system:
+    *
+    *     syslog_ng is running as pid 11645.
+    *     syslog_ng is not running.
+    */
 
-    if (!empty($extras['id'])) {
+    $pid = '';
+    $status = false;
+
+    if (!empty($service['nocheck'])) {
+        /* do not expose pid / may not exist */
+        $status = true;
+    } elseif (isset($service['pidfile'])) {
+        $status = isvalidpid($service['pidfile']);
+        if ($status) {
+            /* could be wrong pid but best effort only */
+            $pid = ' as pid ' . trim(@file_get_contents($service['pidfile']) ?? '');
+        }
+    } else {
+        $status = is_process_running($service['name']);
+        if ($status) {
+            /* could be wrong pid but best effort only */
+            $pid = ' as pid ' . shell_safe('/bin/pgrep -anx %s', $service['name']);
+        }
+    }
+
+    return sprintf('%s is %s.', service_name($service), $status ? 'running' . $pid : 'not running');
+}
+
+function service_name($service)
+{
+    return $service['name'] . (array_key_exists('id', $service) ? "[{$service['id']}]" : '');
+}
+
+function service_control_get($name, $extras)
+{
+    $filter = [];
+
+    if (array_key_exists('id', $extras) && $extras['id'] !== '') {
         $filter['id'] = $extras['id'];
     }
 
     $service = service_by_name($name, $filter);
-    if (!isset($service['name'])) {
-        return sprintf(gettext("Could not start unknown service `%s'"), htmlspecialchars($name));
+    if (empty($service)) {
+        $name .= isset($filter['id']) ? "[{$filter['id']}]" : '';
+        return sprintf(gettext("Could not find unknown service `%s'"), htmlspecialchars($name));
+    }
+
+    return $service;
+}
+
+function service_control_status($name, $extras)
+{
+    $service = service_control_get($name, $extras);
+    if (!is_array($service)) {
+        return $service;
+    }
+
+    return htmlspecialchars(service_message($service));
+}
+
+function service_control_start($name, $extras)
+{
+    $service = service_control_get($name, $extras);
+    if (!is_array($service)) {
+        return $service;
     }
 
     if (isset($service['configd']['start'])) {
@@ -154,7 +212,7 @@ function service_control_start($name, $extras)
         }
     } elseif (isset($service['php']['start'])) {
         foreach ($service['php']['start'] as $cmd) {
-            $params = array();
+            $params = [];
             if (isset($service['php']['args'])) {
                 foreach ($service['php']['args'] as $param) {
                     $params[] = $service[$param];
@@ -167,23 +225,17 @@ function service_control_start($name, $extras)
             mwexec($cmd);
         }
     } else {
-        return sprintf(gettext("Could not start service `%s'"), htmlspecialchars($name));
+        return sprintf(gettext("Could not start service `%s'"), htmlspecialchars(service_name($service)));
     }
 
-    return sprintf(gettext("Service `%s' has been started."), htmlspecialchars($name));
+    return sprintf(gettext("Service `%s' has been started."), htmlspecialchars(service_name($service)));
 }
 
 function service_control_stop($name, $extras)
 {
-    $filter = array();
-
-    if (!empty($extras['id'])) {
-        $filter['id'] = $extras['id'];
-    }
-
-    $service = service_by_name($name, $filter);
-    if (!isset($service['name'])) {
-        return sprintf(gettext("Could not stop unknown service `%s'"), htmlspecialchars($name));
+    $service = service_control_get($name, $extras);
+    if (!is_array($service)) {
+        return $service;
     }
 
     if (isset($service['configd']['stop'])) {
@@ -205,20 +257,14 @@ function service_control_stop($name, $extras)
         killbyname($service['name']);
     }
 
-    return sprintf(gettext("Service `%s' has been stopped."), htmlspecialchars($name));
+    return sprintf(gettext("Service `%s' has been stopped."), htmlspecialchars(service_name($service)));
 }
 
 function service_control_restart($name, $extras)
 {
-    $filter = array();
-
-    if (!empty($extras['id'])) {
-        $filter['id'] = $extras['id'];
-    }
-
-    $service = service_by_name($name, $filter);
-    if (!isset($service['name'])) {
-        return sprintf(gettext("Could not restart unknown service `%s'"), htmlspecialchars($name));
+    $service = service_control_get($name, $extras);
+    if (!is_array($service)) {
+        return $service;
     }
 
     if (isset($service['configd']['restart'])) {
@@ -227,7 +273,7 @@ function service_control_restart($name, $extras)
         }
     } elseif (isset($service['php']['restart'])) {
         foreach ($service['php']['restart'] as $cmd) {
-            $params = array();
+            $params = [];
             if (isset($service['php']['args'])) {
                 foreach ($service['php']['args'] as $param) {
                     $params[] = $service[$param];
@@ -240,10 +286,10 @@ function service_control_restart($name, $extras)
             mwexec($cmd);
         }
     } else {
-        return sprintf(gettext("Could not restart service `%s'"), htmlspecialchars($name));
+        return sprintf(gettext("Could not restart service `%s'"), htmlspecialchars(service_name($service)));
     }
 
-    return sprintf(gettext("Service `%s' has been restarted."), htmlspecialchars($name));
+    return sprintf(gettext("Service `%s' has been restarted."), htmlspecialchars(service_name($service)));
 }
 
 function is_subsystem_dirty($subsystem = '')
diff --git a/src/sbin/pluginctl b/src/sbin/pluginctl
index 16be8f65d..65ee77fb4 100755
--- a/src/sbin/pluginctl
+++ b/src/sbin/pluginctl
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ if (isset($opts['h'])) {
     echo "\t-h show this help text and exit\n";
     echo "\t-i invoke dynamic interface registration\n";
     echo "\t-r run mode (e.g. command)\n";
-    echo "\t-S service dump\n";
+    echo "\t-S service metadata dump\n";
     echo "\t-s service mode (e.g. myservice restart)\n\n";
     echo "Without arguments, a list of plugins of the requested type is shown.\n";
 } elseif (isset($opts['d'])) {
@@ -111,8 +111,9 @@ if (isset($opts['h'])) {
         if (isset($args[1]) && $args[1] !== '' && (!array_key_exists('id', $service) || $service['id'] != $args[1])) {
             continue;
         }
-        /* fetch status so the caller does not have to */
-        $service['status'] = service_status($service);
+        /* fetch status so the caller does not have to (one for legacy, one for mvc) */
+        $service['status_msg'] = service_message($service);
+        $service['status'] = strpos($service['status_msg'], 'is running') !== false;
         /* collect all matches contrary to what service_by_name() is doing */
         $services[] = $service;
     }
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@ if (isset($opts['h'])) {
     $name = !empty($args[0]) ? $args[0] : '';
     $act = !empty($args[1]) ? $args[1] : '';
     $filter = [];
-    if (!empty($args[2])) {
+    if (isset($args[2]) && $args !== '') {
         $filter['id'] = $args[2];
     }
     switch ($act) {
@@ -134,6 +135,9 @@ if (isset($opts['h'])) {
         case 'restart':
             echo service_control_restart($name, $filter) . PHP_EOL;
             break;
+        case 'status':
+            echo service_control_status($name, $filter) . PHP_EOL;
+            break;
         default:
             echo "Unknown command `$act'\n";
             break;