diff --git a/common/asshelp.h b/common/asshelp.h
index 6a52172f5..35d211501 100644
--- a/common/asshelp.h
+++ b/common/asshelp.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include <gpg-error.h>
 
 #include "session-env.h"
+#include "util.h"
 
 /*-- asshelp.c --*/
 
diff --git a/dirmngr/dirmngr-client.c b/dirmngr/dirmngr-client.c
index 8e280f62e..02920d649 100644
--- a/dirmngr/dirmngr-client.c
+++ b/dirmngr/dirmngr-client.c
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 #include "../common/stringhelp.h"
 #include "../common/mischelp.h"
 #include "../common/strlist.h"
+#include "../common/asshelp.h"
 
 #include "i18n.h"
 #include "util.h"
@@ -89,7 +90,6 @@ static struct
   int quiet;
   int verbose;
   const char *dirmngr_program;
-  int force_pipe_server;
   int force_default_responder;
   int pem;
   int escaped_pem; /* PEM is additional percent encoded.  */
@@ -117,7 +117,6 @@ static unsigned char asctobin[256]; /* runtime initialized */
 
 
 /* Prototypes.  */
-static assuan_context_t start_dirmngr (int only_daemon);
 static gpg_error_t read_certificate (const char *fname,
                                      unsigned char **rbuf, size_t *rbuflen);
 static gpg_error_t do_check (assuan_context_t ctx,
@@ -291,9 +290,21 @@ main (int argc, char **argv )
       exit (2);
     }
 
-  ctx = start_dirmngr (1);
-  if (!ctx)
-    exit (2);
+  err = start_new_dirmngr (&ctx,
+                           GPG_ERR_SOURCE_DEFAULT,
+                           default_homedir (),
+                           opt.dirmngr_program
+                             ? opt.dirmngr_program
+                             : gnupg_module_name (GNUPG_MODULE_NAME_DIRMNGR),
+                           ! cmd_ping,
+                           opt.verbose,
+                           0,
+                           NULL, NULL);
+  if (err)
+    {
+      log_error (_("can't connect to the dirmngr: %s\n"), gpg_strerror (err));
+      exit (2);
+    }
 
   if (cmd_ping)
     ;
@@ -431,131 +442,6 @@ data_cb (void *opaque, const void *buffer, size_t length)
 }
 
 
-/* Try to connect to the dirmngr via socket or fork it off and work by
-   pipes.  Handle the server's initial greeting */
-static assuan_context_t
-start_dirmngr (int only_daemon)
-{
-  int rc;
-  char *infostr, *p;
-  assuan_context_t ctx;
-  int try_default = 0;
-
-  infostr = opt.force_pipe_server? NULL : getenv (DIRMNGR_INFO_NAME);
-  if (only_daemon && (!infostr || !*infostr))
-    {
-      if (dirmngr_user_socket_name ())
-        infostr = xstrdup (dirmngr_user_socket_name ());
-      else
-        infostr = xstrdup (dirmngr_sys_socket_name ());
-      try_default = 1;
-    }
-
-  rc = assuan_new (&ctx);
-  if (rc)
-    {
-      log_error (_("failed to allocate assuan context: %s\n"),
-                 gpg_strerror (rc));
-      return NULL;
-    }
-
-  if (!infostr || !*infostr)
-    {
-      const char *pgmname;
-      const char *argv[3];
-      assuan_fd_t no_close_list[3];
-      int i;
-
-      if (only_daemon)
-        {
-          log_error (_("apparently no running dirmngr\n"));
-          return NULL;
-        }
-
-      if (opt.verbose)
-        log_info (_("no running dirmngr - starting one\n"));
-
-      if (!opt.dirmngr_program || !*opt.dirmngr_program)
-        opt.dirmngr_program = "./dirmngr";
-      if ( !(pgmname = strrchr (opt.dirmngr_program, '/')))
-        pgmname = opt.dirmngr_program;
-      else
-        pgmname++;
-
-      argv[0] = pgmname;
-      argv[1] = "--server";
-      argv[2] = NULL;
-
-      i=0;
-      if (log_get_fd () != -1)
-        no_close_list[i++] = assuan_fd_from_posix_fd (log_get_fd ());
-      no_close_list[i++] = assuan_fd_from_posix_fd (es_fileno (es_stderr));
-      no_close_list[i] = ASSUAN_INVALID_FD;
-
-      /* Connect to the agent and perform initial handshaking.  */
-      rc = assuan_pipe_connect (ctx, opt.dirmngr_program, argv,
-                                no_close_list, NULL, NULL, 0);
-    }
-  else /* Connect to a daemon.  */
-    {
-      int prot;
-      int pid;
-
-      infostr = xstrdup (infostr);
-      if (!try_default && *infostr)
-        {
-          if ( !(p = strchr (infostr, ':')) || p == infostr)
-            {
-              log_error (_("malformed %s environment variable\n"),
-                         DIRMNGR_INFO_NAME);
-              xfree (infostr);
-              if (only_daemon)
-                return NULL;
-              /* Try again by starting a new instance.  */
-              opt.force_pipe_server = 1;
-              return start_dirmngr (0);
-            }
-          *p++ = 0;
-          pid = atoi (p);
-          while (*p && *p != ':')
-            p++;
-          prot = *p? atoi (p+1) : 0;
-          if (prot != 1)
-            {
-              log_error (_("dirmngr protocol version %d is not supported\n"),
-                         prot);
-              xfree (infostr);
-              if (only_daemon)
-                return NULL;
-              opt.force_pipe_server = 1;
-              return start_dirmngr (0);
-            }
-        }
-      else
-        pid = -1;
-
-      rc = assuan_socket_connect (ctx, infostr, pid, 0);
-      xfree (infostr);
-      if (gpg_err_code(rc) == GPG_ERR_ASS_CONNECT_FAILED && !only_daemon)
-        {
-          log_error (_("can't connect to the dirmngr - trying fall back\n"));
-          opt.force_pipe_server = 1;
-          return start_dirmngr (0);
-        }
-    }
-
-  if (rc)
-    {
-      assuan_release (ctx);
-      log_error (_("can't connect to the dirmngr: %s\n"),
-                 gpg_strerror (rc));
-      return NULL;
-    }
-
-  return ctx;
-}
-
-
 /* Read the first PEM certificate from the file FNAME.  If fname is
    NULL the next certificate is read from stdin.  The certificate is
    returned in an alloced buffer whose address will be returned in