diff --git a/daemon/src/vnode_io.c b/daemon/src/vnode_io.c
index d14ca5eb..6ac607de 100644
--- a/daemon/src/vnode_io.c
+++ b/daemon/src/vnode_io.c
@@ -57,6 +57,18 @@ int clear_nonblock(int fd)
   return r;
 }
 
+int set_cloexec(int fd)
+{
+  int fdflags;
+
+  if ((fdflags = fcntl(fd, F_GETFD)) == -1)
+    fdflags = 0;
+  if (fcntl(fd, F_SETFD, fdflags | FD_CLOEXEC) == -1)
+    return -1;
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
 int open_stdio_pty(stdio_pty_t *stdiopty)
 {
   int masterfd, slavefd;
diff --git a/daemon/src/vnode_io.h b/daemon/src/vnode_io.h
index cc205697..fb5fe267 100644
--- a/daemon/src/vnode_io.h
+++ b/daemon/src/vnode_io.h
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ typedef struct {
 int set_nonblock(int fd);
 int clear_nonblock(int fd);
 
+int set_cloexec(int fd);
+
 int open_stdio_pty(stdio_pty_t *stdiopty);
 void close_stdio_pty(stdio_pty_t *stdiopty);
 
diff --git a/daemon/src/vnode_server.c b/daemon/src/vnode_server.c
index 280f38a9..f7a94fe5 100644
--- a/daemon/src/vnode_server.c
+++ b/daemon/src/vnode_server.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "vnode_msg.h"
 #include "vnode_chnl.h"
 #include "vnode_cmd.h"
+#include "vnode_io.h"
 
 #include "vnode_server.h"
 
@@ -34,18 +35,6 @@ static vnode_cliententry_t *vnode_server_newclient(vnode_server_t *server,
 						   int fd);
 static void vnode_server_delclient(vnode_cliententry_t *client);
 
-static int cloexec(int fd)
-{
-  int fdflags;
-
-  if ((fdflags = fcntl(fd, F_GETFD)) == -1)
-    fdflags = 0;
-  if (fcntl(fd, F_SETFD, fdflags | FD_CLOEXEC) == -1)
-    return -1;
-
-  return 0;
-}
-
 static void client_ioerror(vnode_msgio_t *msgio)
 {
   vnode_cliententry_t *client = msgio->data;
@@ -71,7 +60,7 @@ static vnode_cliententry_t *vnode_server_newclient(vnode_server_t *server,
   WARNX("new client on fd %d", fd);
 #endif
 
-  cloexec(fd);
+  set_cloexec(fd);
 
   if ((client = malloc(sizeof(*client))) == NULL)
   {
@@ -292,7 +281,7 @@ vnode_server_t *vnoded(int newnetns, const char *ctrlchnlname,
     WARNX("vnode_listen() failed for '%s'", ctrlchnlname);
     return NULL;
   }
-  cloexec(ctrlfd);
+  set_cloexec(ctrlfd);
 
   if (newnetns)
   {