diff --git a/common/exechelp-posix.c b/common/exechelp-posix.c
index 425f2b4d5..2b724ce5f 100644
--- a/common/exechelp-posix.c
+++ b/common/exechelp-posix.c
@@ -416,6 +416,15 @@ gnupg_create_pipe (int filedes[2])
 }
 
 
+/* Close the end of a pipe.  */
+void
+gnupg_close_pipe (int fd)
+{
+  if (fd != -1)
+    close (fd);
+}
+
+
 /* Fork and exec the PGMNAME, see exechelp.h for details.  */
 gpg_error_t
 gnupg_spawn_process (const char *pgmname, const char *argv[],
diff --git a/common/exechelp-w32.c b/common/exechelp-w32.c
index ea158a33f..be684caaa 100644
--- a/common/exechelp-w32.c
+++ b/common/exechelp-w32.c
@@ -397,6 +397,15 @@ gnupg_create_pipe (int filedes[2])
 }
 
 
+/* Close the end of a pipe.  */
+void
+gnupg_close_pipe (int fd)
+{
+  if (fd != -1)
+    close (fd);
+}
+
+
 /* Fork and exec the PGMNAME, see exechelp.h for details.  */
 gpg_error_t
 gnupg_spawn_process (const char *pgmname, const char *argv[],
diff --git a/common/exechelp.h b/common/exechelp.h
index 9e1f56f70..d50e378e7 100644
--- a/common/exechelp.h
+++ b/common/exechelp.h
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ gpg_error_t gnupg_create_outbound_pipe (int filedes[2],
    inheritable.  */
 gpg_error_t gnupg_create_pipe (int filedes[2]);
 
+/* Close the end of a pipe.  */
+void gnupg_close_pipe (int fd);
+
 
 #define GNUPG_SPAWN_NONBLOCK   16
 #define GNUPG_SPAWN_RUN_ASFW   64