diff -r f2da4e30a1ce Lib/logging/handlers.py
--- a/Lib/logging/handlers.py	Thu Sep 05 18:53:41 2013 -0700
+++ b/Lib/logging/handlers.py	Thu Sep 05 18:54:55 2013 -0700
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@
         if codecs is None:
             encoding = None
         logging.FileHandler.__init__(self, filename, mode, encoding, delay)
+        self.delay = delay
         self.mode = mode
         self.encoding = encoding
 
@@ -140,7 +141,8 @@
             if os.path.exists(self.baseFilename):
                 os.rename(self.baseFilename, dfn)
             #print "%s -> %s" % (self.baseFilename, dfn)
-        self.stream = self._open()
+        if not self.delay:
+            self.stream = self._open()
 
     def shouldRollover(self, record):
         """
@@ -355,7 +357,8 @@
             for s in self.getFilesToDelete():
                 os.remove(s)
         #print "%s -> %s" % (self.baseFilename, dfn)
-        self.stream = self._open()
+        if not self.delay:
+            self.stream = self._open()
         newRolloverAt = self.computeRollover(currentTime)
         while newRolloverAt <= currentTime:
             newRolloverAt = newRolloverAt + self.interval