diff --git a/src/c/unixsys.d b/src/c/unixsys.d
index 9703b2a05..e364fd993 100644
--- a/src/c/unixsys.d
+++ b/src/c/unixsys.d
@@ -403,10 +403,6 @@ si_run_program_inner(cl_object command, cl_object argv, cl_object environ) {
   parent_write = ecl_fixnum(ecl_nth_value(the_env, 1));
   parent_read = ecl_fixnum(ecl_nth_value(the_env, 2));
 
-  if (Null(pid) || (parent_write <= 0) || (parent_read <= 0)) {
-    FEerror("Could not spawn subprocess to run ~S.", 1, command);
-  }
-
   stream_write = ecl_make_stream_from_fd(command, parent_write,
                                          ecl_smm_output, 8,
                                          ECL_STREAM_DEFAULT_FORMAT,
@@ -587,6 +583,17 @@ si_spawn_subprocess(cl_object command, cl_object argv, cl_object environ,
     @(return ECL_NIL);
   }
 #endif
+
+  if (Null(pid)) {
+    if (parent_write) close(parent_write);
+    if (parent_read) close(parent_read);
+    if (parent_error) close(parent_error);
+    parent_write = 0;
+    parent_read = 0;
+    parent_error = 0;
+    FEerror("Could not spawn subprocess to run ~S.", 1, command);
+  }
+
   @(return pid
     ecl_make_fixnum(parent_write)
     ecl_make_fixnum(parent_read)
diff --git a/src/lsp/process.lsp b/src/lsp/process.lsp
index 8cc16a216..f3c411f94 100644
--- a/src/lsp/process.lsp
+++ b/src/lsp/process.lsp
@@ -187,15 +187,11 @@
           (process (make-external-process)))
       (with-active-processes-lock (push process *active-processes*))
       (multiple-value-bind (pid parent-write parent-read parent-error)
-          (si:spawn-subprocess progname args environ input output error)
-        (unless pid
-          (unless (zerop parent-write) (ff-close parent-write))
-          (unless (zerop parent-read)  (ff-close parent-read))
-          (unless (zerop parent-error) (ff-close parent-error))
-          (with-active-processes-lock
-            (setf *active-processes* (delete process *active-processes*)))
-          (error "Could not spawn subprocess to run ~S." progname))
-
+          (handler-case (si:spawn-subprocess progname args environ input output error)
+            (t (c)
+              (with-active-processes-lock
+                (setf *active-processes* (delete process *active-processes*)))
+              (signal c)))
         (let ((stream-write
                (when (< 0 parent-write)
                  (make-output-stream-from-fd progname parent-write external-format)))
@@ -263,6 +259,3 @@
 
 (defun null-stream ()
   (ffi:c-inline () () :object "cl_core.null_stream" :one-liner t :side-effects nil))
-
-(ffi:defentry ff-close (:int) (:int "close") :no-interrupts t)
-