diff --git a/agent/genkey.c b/agent/genkey.c
index fc6ce0a26..eb6791dca 100644
--- a/agent/genkey.c
+++ b/agent/genkey.c
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ do_check_passphrase_pattern (ctrl_t ctrl, const char *pw, unsigned int flags)
   argv[i] = NULL;
   log_assert (i < sizeof argv);
 
-  if (gnupg_spawn_process (pgmname, argv, NULL, NULL, 0,
+  if (gnupg_spawn_process (pgmname, argv, NULL, 0,
                            &stream_to_check_pattern, NULL, NULL, &pid))
     result = 1; /* Execute error - assume password should no be used.  */
   else
diff --git a/common/exechelp-posix.c b/common/exechelp-posix.c
index b4d10bf65..54fe7dbac 100644
--- a/common/exechelp-posix.c
+++ b/common/exechelp-posix.c
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ get_all_open_fds (void)
 static void
 do_exec (const char *pgmname, const char *argv[],
          int fd_in, int fd_out, int fd_err,
-         int *except, void (*preexec)(void), unsigned int flags)
+         int *except, unsigned int flags)
 {
   char **arg_list;
   int i, j;
@@ -334,8 +334,6 @@ do_exec (const char *pgmname, const char *argv[],
   /* Close all other files. */
   close_all_fds (3, except);
 
-  if (preexec)
-    preexec ();
   execv (pgmname, arg_list);
   /* No way to print anything, as we have closed all streams. */
   _exit (127);
@@ -437,7 +435,7 @@ gnupg_close_pipe (int fd)
 /* Fork and exec the PGMNAME, see exechelp.h for details.  */
 gpg_error_t
 gnupg_spawn_process (const char *pgmname, const char *argv[],
-                     int *except, void (*preexec)(void), unsigned int flags,
+                     int *except, unsigned int flags,
                      estream_t *r_infp,
                      estream_t *r_outfp,
                      estream_t *r_errfp,
@@ -544,7 +542,7 @@ gnupg_spawn_process (const char *pgmname, const char *argv[],
       es_fclose (outfp);
       es_fclose (errfp);
       do_exec (pgmname, argv, inpipe[0], outpipe[1], errpipe[1],
-               except, preexec, flags);
+               except, flags);
       /*NOTREACHED*/
     }
 
@@ -594,7 +592,7 @@ gnupg_spawn_process_fd (const char *pgmname, const char *argv[],
     {
       gcry_control (GCRYCTL_TERM_SECMEM);
       /* Run child. */
-      do_exec (pgmname, argv, infd, outfd, errfd, NULL, NULL, 0);
+      do_exec (pgmname, argv, infd, outfd, errfd, NULL, 0);
       /*NOTREACHED*/
     }
 
@@ -893,7 +891,7 @@ gnupg_spawn_process_detached (const char *pgmname, const char *argv[],
         for (i=0; envp[i]; i++)
           putenv (xstrdup (envp[i]));
 
-      do_exec (pgmname, argv, -1, -1, -1, NULL, NULL, 0);
+      do_exec (pgmname, argv, -1, -1, -1, NULL, 0);
 
       /*NOTREACHED*/
     }
diff --git a/common/exechelp-w32.c b/common/exechelp-w32.c
index 19cf85c85..aeedbbf2d 100644
--- a/common/exechelp-w32.c
+++ b/common/exechelp-w32.c
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ gnupg_close_pipe (int fd)
 /* Fork and exec the PGMNAME, see exechelp.h for details.  */
 gpg_error_t
 gnupg_spawn_process (const char *pgmname, const char *argv[],
-                     int *except, void (*preexec)(void), unsigned int flags,
+                     int *except, unsigned int flags,
                      estream_t *r_infp,
                      estream_t *r_outfp,
                      estream_t *r_errfp,
@@ -564,10 +564,6 @@ gnupg_spawn_process (const char *pgmname, const char *argv[],
     nullhd[2] = ((flags & GNUPG_SPAWN_KEEP_STDOUT)?
                  GetStdHandle (STD_ERROR_HANDLE) : w32_open_null (1));
 
-  /* Start the process.  Note that we can't run the PREEXEC function
-     because this might change our own environment. */
-  (void)preexec;
-
   memset (&si, 0, sizeof si);
   si.cb = sizeof (si);
   si.dwFlags = STARTF_USESTDHANDLES | STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW;
diff --git a/common/exechelp.h b/common/exechelp.h
index 735ea4728..3343fe598 100644
--- a/common/exechelp.h
+++ b/common/exechelp.h
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ void gnupg_close_pipe (int fd);
  */
 gpg_error_t
 gnupg_spawn_process (const char *pgmname, const char *argv[],
-                     int *execpt, void (*preexec)(void), unsigned int flags,
+                     int *execpt, unsigned int flags,
                      estream_t *r_infp,
                      estream_t *r_outfp,
                      estream_t *r_errfp,
diff --git a/common/exectool.c b/common/exectool.c
index 8013ba1cc..aaf5898d0 100644
--- a/common/exectool.c
+++ b/common/exectool.c
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ gnupg_exec_tool_stream (const char *pgmname, const char *argv[],
     exceptclose[0] = -1;
 
   err = gnupg_spawn_process (pgmname, argv,
-                             exceptclose, NULL, GNUPG_SPAWN_NONBLOCK,
+                             exceptclose, GNUPG_SPAWN_NONBLOCK,
                              input? &infp : NULL,
                              &outfp, &errfp, &pid);
   if (extrapipe[0] != -1)
diff --git a/dirmngr/ldap-wrapper.c b/dirmngr/ldap-wrapper.c
index ac29de973..23d514cf9 100644
--- a/dirmngr/ldap-wrapper.c
+++ b/dirmngr/ldap-wrapper.c
@@ -855,7 +855,7 @@ ldap_wrapper (ctrl_t ctrl, ksba_reader_t *reader, const char *argv[])
     }
 
   err = gnupg_spawn_process (pgmname, arg_list,
-                             NULL, NULL, GNUPG_SPAWN_NONBLOCK,
+                             NULL, GNUPG_SPAWN_NONBLOCK,
                              NULL, &outfp, &errfp, &pid);
   if (err)
     {
diff --git a/tests/gpgscm/ffi.c b/tests/gpgscm/ffi.c
index b9210c706..aefd7c385 100644
--- a/tests/gpgscm/ffi.c
+++ b/tests/gpgscm/ffi.c
@@ -787,7 +787,6 @@ do_spawn_process (scheme *sc, pointer args)
     }
 
   err = gnupg_spawn_process (argv[0], (const char **) &argv[1],
-                             NULL,
                              NULL,
                              flags,
                              &infp, &outfp, &errfp, &pid);
diff --git a/tools/gpgconf-comp.c b/tools/gpgconf-comp.c
index 7cd45c7e9..90f2f53d3 100644
--- a/tools/gpgconf-comp.c
+++ b/tools/gpgconf-comp.c
@@ -1370,7 +1370,7 @@ gc_component_check_options (int component, estream_t out, const char *conf_file)
 
   result = 0;
   errlines = NULL;
-  err = gnupg_spawn_process (pgmname, argv, NULL, NULL, 0,
+  err = gnupg_spawn_process (pgmname, argv, NULL, 0,
                              NULL, NULL, &errfp, &pid);
   if (err)
     result |= 1; /* Program could not be run.  */
@@ -1759,7 +1759,7 @@ retrieve_options_from_program (gc_component_id_t component, int only_installed)
   /* First we need to read the option table from the program.  */
   argv[0] = "--dump-option-table";
   argv[1] = NULL;
-  err = gnupg_spawn_process (pgmname, argv, NULL, NULL, 0,
+  err = gnupg_spawn_process (pgmname, argv, NULL, 0,
                              NULL, &outfp, NULL, &pid);
   if (err)
     {
@@ -1940,7 +1940,7 @@ retrieve_options_from_program (gc_component_id_t component, int only_installed)
   /* Now read the default options.  */
   argv[0] = "--gpgconf-list";
   argv[1] = NULL;
-  err = gnupg_spawn_process (pgmname, argv, NULL, NULL, 0,
+  err = gnupg_spawn_process (pgmname, argv, NULL, 0,
                              NULL, &outfp, NULL, &pid);
   if (err)
     {
diff --git a/tools/gpgconf.c b/tools/gpgconf.c
index 83ad947bb..4afc4e9fd 100644
--- a/tools/gpgconf.c
+++ b/tools/gpgconf.c
@@ -1182,7 +1182,7 @@ show_versions_via_dirmngr (estream_t fp)
   pgmname = gnupg_module_name (GNUPG_MODULE_NAME_DIRMNGR);
   argv[0] = "--gpgconf-versions";
   argv[1] = NULL;
-  err = gnupg_spawn_process (pgmname, argv, NULL, NULL, 0,
+  err = gnupg_spawn_process (pgmname, argv, NULL, 0,
                              NULL, &outfp, NULL, &pid);
   if (err)
     {
diff --git a/tools/gpgtar-create.c b/tools/gpgtar-create.c
index 63d0e831b..3a7687d9f 100644
--- a/tools/gpgtar-create.c
+++ b/tools/gpgtar-create.c
@@ -1195,7 +1195,7 @@ gpgtar_create (char **inpattern, const char *files_from, int null_names,
           goto leave;
         }
 
-      err = gnupg_spawn_process (opt.gpg_program, argv, NULL, NULL,
+      err = gnupg_spawn_process (opt.gpg_program, argv, NULL,
                                  (GNUPG_SPAWN_KEEP_STDOUT
                                   | GNUPG_SPAWN_KEEP_STDERR),
                                  &outstream, NULL, NULL, &pid);
diff --git a/tools/gpgtar-extract.c b/tools/gpgtar-extract.c
index 832039b2c..f96887f40 100644
--- a/tools/gpgtar-extract.c
+++ b/tools/gpgtar-extract.c
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ gpgtar_extract (const char *filename, int decrypt)
           goto leave;
         }
 
-      err = gnupg_spawn_process (opt.gpg_program, argv, NULL, NULL,
+      err = gnupg_spawn_process (opt.gpg_program, argv, NULL,
                                  ((filename? 0 : GNUPG_SPAWN_KEEP_STDIN)
                                   | GNUPG_SPAWN_KEEP_STDERR),
                                  NULL, &stream, NULL, &pid);
diff --git a/tools/gpgtar-list.c b/tools/gpgtar-list.c
index 08ab9672e..a536b05f2 100644
--- a/tools/gpgtar-list.c
+++ b/tools/gpgtar-list.c
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ gpgtar_list (const char *filename, int decrypt)
           goto leave;
         }
 
-      err = gnupg_spawn_process (opt.gpg_program, argv, NULL, NULL,
+      err = gnupg_spawn_process (opt.gpg_program, argv, NULL,
                                  ((filename? 0 : GNUPG_SPAWN_KEEP_STDIN)
                                   | GNUPG_SPAWN_KEEP_STDERR),
                                  NULL, &stream, NULL, &pid);