diff --git a/common/asshelp.c b/common/asshelp.c
index eb3e41bf5..b65a3686f 100644
--- a/common/asshelp.c
+++ b/common/asshelp.c
@@ -526,13 +526,11 @@ start_new_service (assuan_context_t *r_ctx,
           err = gnupg_spawn_process_detached (program? program : program_name,
                                               argv, NULL);
 #else /*!W32*/
-          pid_t pid;
-
-          err = gnupg_spawn_process_fd (program? program : program_name,
-                                        argv, -1, -1, -1, &pid);
-          if (!err)
-            err = gnupg_wait_process (program? program : program_name,
-                                      pid, 1, NULL);
+          err = gnupg_process_spawn (program? program : program_name, argv,
+                                     (GNUPG_PROCESS_STDIN_NULL
+                                      |GNUPG_PROCESS_STDOUT_NULL
+                                      |GNUPG_PROCESS_STDERR_NULL),
+                                     NULL, NULL, NULL);
 #endif /*!W32*/
           if (err)
             log_error ("failed to start %s '%s': %s\n",
diff --git a/g10/photoid.c b/g10/photoid.c
index e0c8c3b77..6f04f5ea2 100644
--- a/g10/photoid.c
+++ b/g10/photoid.c
@@ -692,14 +692,15 @@ show_photo (const char *command, const char *name, const void *image, u32 len)
         log_error (_("system error while calling external program: %s\n"),
                    strerror (errno));
 #else
-      pid_t pid;
       gpg_error_t err;
       const char *argv[4];
 
       fill_command_argv (argv, spawn->command);
-      err = gnupg_spawn_process_fd (argv[0], argv+1, -1, -1, -1, &pid);
-      if (!err)
-        err = gnupg_wait_process (argv[0], pid, 1, NULL);
+      err = gnupg_process_spawn (argv[0], argv+1,
+                                 (GNUPG_PROCESS_STDIN_NULL
+                                  |GNUPG_PROCESS_STDOUT_NULL
+                                  |GNUPG_PROCESS_STDERR_NULL),
+                                 NULL, NULL, NULL);
       if (err)
         log_error (_("unnatural exit of external program\n"));
 #endif
diff --git a/tools/gpgconf-comp.c b/tools/gpgconf-comp.c
index 005b68bf8..f89ab3b9c 100644
--- a/tools/gpgconf-comp.c
+++ b/tools/gpgconf-comp.c
@@ -744,7 +744,7 @@ gpg_agent_runtime_change (int killflag)
   gpg_error_t err = 0;
   const char *pgmname;
   const char *argv[5];
-  pid_t pid = (pid_t)(-1);
+  gnupg_process_t proc = NULL;
   int i = 0;
   int cmdidx;
 
@@ -761,13 +761,17 @@ gpg_agent_runtime_change (int killflag)
   log_assert (i < DIM(argv));
 
   if (!err)
-    err = gnupg_spawn_process_fd (pgmname, argv, -1, -1, -1, &pid);
+    err = gnupg_process_spawn (pgmname, argv,
+                               (GNUPG_PROCESS_STDIN_NULL
+                                |GNUPG_PROCESS_STDOUT_NULL
+                                |GNUPG_PROCESS_STDERR_NULL),
+                               NULL, NULL, &proc);
   if (!err)
-    err = gnupg_wait_process (pgmname, pid, 1, NULL);
+    err = gnupg_process_wait (proc, 1);
   if (err)
     gc_error (0, 0, "error running '%s %s': %s",
               pgmname, argv[cmdidx], gpg_strerror (err));
-  gnupg_release_process (pid);
+  gnupg_process_release (proc);
 }
 
 
@@ -777,7 +781,7 @@ scdaemon_runtime_change (int killflag)
   gpg_error_t err = 0;
   const char *pgmname;
   const char *argv[9];
-  pid_t pid = (pid_t)(-1);
+  gnupg_process_t proc = NULL;
   int i = 0;
   int cmdidx;
 
@@ -805,13 +809,17 @@ scdaemon_runtime_change (int killflag)
   log_assert (i < DIM(argv));
 
   if (!err)
-    err = gnupg_spawn_process_fd (pgmname, argv, -1, -1, -1, &pid);
+    err = gnupg_process_spawn (pgmname, argv,
+                               (GNUPG_PROCESS_STDIN_NULL
+                                |GNUPG_PROCESS_STDOUT_NULL
+                                |GNUPG_PROCESS_STDERR_NULL),
+                               NULL, NULL, &proc);
   if (!err)
-    err = gnupg_wait_process (pgmname, pid, 1, NULL);
+    err = gnupg_process_wait (proc, 1);
   if (err)
     gc_error (0, 0, "error running '%s %s': %s",
               pgmname, argv[cmdidx], gpg_strerror (err));
-  gnupg_release_process (pid);
+  gnupg_process_release (proc);
 }
 
 
@@ -822,7 +830,7 @@ tpm2daemon_runtime_change (int killflag)
   gpg_error_t err = 0;
   const char *pgmname;
   const char *argv[9];
-  pid_t pid = (pid_t)(-1);
+  gnupg_process_t proc = NULL;
   int i = 0;
   int cmdidx;
 
@@ -850,13 +858,17 @@ tpm2daemon_runtime_change (int killflag)
   log_assert (i < DIM(argv));
 
   if (!err)
-    err = gnupg_spawn_process_fd (pgmname, argv, -1, -1, -1, &pid);
+    err = gnupg_process_spawn (pgmname, argv,
+                               (GNUPG_PROCESS_STDIN_NULL
+                                |GNUPG_PROCESS_STDOUT_NULL
+                                |GNUPG_PROCESS_STDERR_NULL),
+                               NULL, NULL, &proc);
   if (!err)
-    err = gnupg_wait_process (pgmname, pid, 1, NULL);
+    err = gnupg_process_wait (proc, 1);
   if (err)
     gc_error (0, 0, "error running '%s %s': %s",
               pgmname, argv[cmdidx], gpg_strerror (err));
-  gnupg_release_process (pid);
+  gnupg_process_release (proc);
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -867,7 +879,7 @@ dirmngr_runtime_change (int killflag)
   gpg_error_t err = 0;
   const char *pgmname;
   const char *argv[6];
-  pid_t pid = (pid_t)(-1);
+  gnupg_process_t proc = NULL;
   int i = 0;
   int cmdidx;
 
@@ -885,13 +897,17 @@ dirmngr_runtime_change (int killflag)
   log_assert (i < DIM(argv));
 
   if (!err)
-    err = gnupg_spawn_process_fd (pgmname, argv, -1, -1, -1, &pid);
+    err = gnupg_process_spawn (pgmname, argv,
+                               (GNUPG_PROCESS_STDIN_NULL
+                                |GNUPG_PROCESS_STDOUT_NULL
+                                |GNUPG_PROCESS_STDERR_NULL),
+                               NULL, NULL, &proc);
   if (!err)
-    err = gnupg_wait_process (pgmname, pid, 1, NULL);
+    err = gnupg_process_wait (proc, 1);
   if (err)
     gc_error (0, 0, "error running '%s %s': %s",
               pgmname, argv[cmdidx], gpg_strerror (err));
-  gnupg_release_process (pid);
+  gnupg_process_release (proc);
 }
 
 
@@ -901,7 +917,7 @@ keyboxd_runtime_change (int killflag)
   gpg_error_t err = 0;
   const char *pgmname;
   const char *argv[6];
-  pid_t pid = (pid_t)(-1);
+  gnupg_process_t proc = NULL;
   int i = 0;
   int cmdidx;
 
@@ -919,13 +935,17 @@ keyboxd_runtime_change (int killflag)
   log_assert (i < DIM(argv));
 
   if (!err)
-    err = gnupg_spawn_process_fd (pgmname, argv, -1, -1, -1, &pid);
+    err = gnupg_process_spawn (pgmname, argv,
+                               (GNUPG_PROCESS_STDIN_NULL
+                                |GNUPG_PROCESS_STDOUT_NULL
+                                |GNUPG_PROCESS_STDERR_NULL),
+                               NULL, NULL, &proc);
   if (!err)
-    err = gnupg_wait_process (pgmname, pid, 1, NULL);
+    err = gnupg_process_wait (proc, 1);
   if (err)
     gc_error (0, 0, "error running '%s %s': %s",
               pgmname, argv[cmdidx], gpg_strerror (err));
-  gnupg_release_process (pid);
+  gnupg_process_release (proc);
 }
 
 
@@ -937,7 +957,7 @@ gc_component_launch (int component)
   const char *pgmname;
   const char *argv[6];
   int i;
-  pid_t pid;
+  gnupg_process_t proc = NULL;
 
   if (component < 0)
     {
@@ -985,9 +1005,13 @@ gc_component_launch (int component)
   argv[i] = NULL;
   log_assert (i < DIM(argv));
 
-  err = gnupg_spawn_process_fd (pgmname, argv, -1, -1, -1, &pid);
+  err = gnupg_process_spawn (pgmname, argv,
+                             (GNUPG_PROCESS_STDIN_NULL
+                              |GNUPG_PROCESS_STDOUT_NULL
+                              |GNUPG_PROCESS_STDERR_NULL),
+                             NULL, NULL, &proc);
   if (!err)
-    err = gnupg_wait_process (pgmname, pid, 1, NULL);
+    err = gnupg_process_wait (proc, 1);
   if (err)
     gc_error (0, 0, "error running '%s%s%s': %s",
               pgmname,
@@ -995,7 +1019,7 @@ gc_component_launch (int component)
               : component == GC_COMPONENT_KEYBOXD? " --keyboxd":"",
               " NOP",
               gpg_strerror (err));
-  gnupg_release_process (pid);
+  gnupg_process_release (proc);
   return err;
 }