diff --git a/common/asshelp.c b/common/asshelp.c
index 600774330..88d18478d 100644
--- a/common/asshelp.c
+++ b/common/asshelp.c
@@ -492,6 +492,10 @@ start_new_gpg_agent (assuan_context_t *r_ctx,
       if (!(err = lock_spawning (&lock, gnupg_homedir (), "agent", verbose))
           && assuan_socket_connect (ctx, sockname, 0, 0))
         {
+#ifdef HAVE_W32_SYSTEM
+          err = gnupg_spawn_process_detached (program? program : agent_program,
+                                              argv, NULL);
+#else
           pid_t pid;
 
           err = gnupg_spawn_process_fd (program? program : agent_program,
@@ -499,6 +503,7 @@ start_new_gpg_agent (assuan_context_t *r_ctx,
           if (!err)
             err = gnupg_wait_process (program? program : agent_program,
                                       pid, 1, NULL);
+#endif
           if (err)
             log_error ("failed to start agent '%s': %s\n",
                        agent_program, gpg_strerror (err));
@@ -632,12 +637,16 @@ start_new_dirmngr (assuan_context_t *r_ctx,
       if (!(err = lock_spawning (&lock, gnupg_homedir (), "dirmngr", verbose))
           && assuan_socket_connect (ctx, sockname, 0, 0))
         {
+#ifdef HAVE_W32_SYSTEM
+          err = gnupg_spawn_process_detached (dirmngr_program, argv, NULL);
+#else
           pid_t pid;
 
           err = gnupg_spawn_process_fd (dirmngr_program, argv,
                                         -1, -1, -1, &pid);
           if (!err)
             err = gnupg_wait_process (dirmngr_program, pid, 1, NULL);
+#endif
           if (err)
             log_error ("failed to start the dirmngr '%s': %s\n",
                        dirmngr_program, gpg_strerror (err));