diff --git a/common/exechelp-w32.c b/common/exechelp-w32.c
index 0600bc555..e7278937b 100644
--- a/common/exechelp-w32.c
+++ b/common/exechelp-w32.c
@@ -97,7 +97,15 @@ my_error (int errcode)
   return gpg_err_make (default_errsource, errcode);
 }
 
-
+/*
+ * get_max_fds, close_all_fds and get_all_open_fds are functions for
+ * POSIX, not Windows.  After fork and before exec on POSIX, those are
+ * used when spawning a child process so that the child process
+ * doesn't keep having file descriptors not needed for it.  On
+ * Windows, spawn API has a different semantics (than fork + exec).
+ */
+#undef EXPORT_UNUSED_FUNCTIONS
+#ifdef EXPORT_UNUSED_FUNCTIONS
 /* Return the maximum number of currently allowed open file
    descriptors.  Only useful on POSIX systems but returns a value on
    other systems too.  */
@@ -178,7 +186,7 @@ get_all_open_fds (void)
 #endif /*HAVE_STAT*/
   return array;
 }
-
+#endif
 
 /* Helper function to build_w32_commandline. */
 static char *
diff --git a/common/exechelp.h b/common/exechelp.h
index 1240fde33..4348c54d1 100644
--- a/common/exechelp.h
+++ b/common/exechelp.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #define GNUPG_COMMON_EXECHELP_H
 
 
+#ifndef HAVE_W32_SYSTEM
 /* Return the maximum number of currently allowed file descriptors.
    Only useful on POSIX systems.  */
 int get_max_fds (void);
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ void close_all_fds (int first, int *except);
    use of this function right at startup even before libgcrypt has
    been initialized.  Returns NULL on error and sets ERRNO accordingly.  */
 int *get_all_open_fds (void);
+#endif
 
 
 /* Portable function to create a pipe.  Under Windows the write end is