diff --git a/common/exechelp-posix.c b/common/exechelp-posix.c
index 7a4f9e251..8f21cbf75 100644
--- a/common/exechelp-posix.c
+++ b/common/exechelp-posix.c
@@ -1118,7 +1118,8 @@ gnupg_process_spawn (const char *pgmname, const char *argv1[],
 
   check_syscall_func ();
 
-  *r_process = NULL;
+  if (r_process)
+    *r_process = NULL;
 
   /* Create the command line argument array.  */
   i = 0;
@@ -1305,6 +1306,13 @@ gnupg_process_spawn (const char *pgmname, const char *argv1[],
   process->wstatus = -1;
   process->terminated = 0;
 
+  if (r_process == NULL)
+    {
+      ec = gnupg_process_wait (process, 1);
+      gnupg_process_release (process);
+      return ec;
+    }
+
   *r_process = process;
   return 0;
 }
@@ -1496,7 +1504,6 @@ gnupg_process_wait (gnupg_process_t process, int hang)
   int status;
   pid_t pid;
 
-
   if (process->terminated)
     /* Already terminated.  */
     return 0;
diff --git a/common/exechelp-w32.c b/common/exechelp-w32.c
index 9ca2bab2d..1c4b8ac36 100644
--- a/common/exechelp-w32.c
+++ b/common/exechelp-w32.c
@@ -1224,7 +1224,8 @@ gnupg_process_spawn (const char *pgmname, const char *argv[],
 
   check_syscall_func ();
 
-  *r_process = NULL;
+  if (r_process)
+    *r_process = NULL;
 
   /* Build the command line.  */
   ec = build_w32_commandline (pgmname, argv, &cmdline);
@@ -1486,6 +1487,13 @@ gnupg_process_spawn (const char *pgmname, const char *argv[],
   process->exitcode = -1;
   process->terminated = 0;
 
+  if (r_process == NULL)
+    {
+      ec = gnupg_process_wait (process, 1);
+      gnupg_process_release (process);
+      return ec;
+    }
+
   *r_process = process;
   return 0;
 }