diff --git a/artiq/protocols/pipe_ipc.py b/artiq/protocols/pipe_ipc.py
index a982bdf9b..910fe93c4 100644
--- a/artiq/protocols/pipe_ipc.py
+++ b/artiq/protocols/pipe_ipc.py
@@ -16,9 +16,6 @@ class _BaseIO:
     async def read(self, n):
         return await self.reader.read(n)
 
-    def close(self):
-        self.writer.close()
-
 
 if os.name != "nt":
     async def _fds_to_asyncio(rfd, wfd, loop):
@@ -26,9 +23,9 @@ if os.name != "nt":
         reader_protocol = asyncio.StreamReaderProtocol(reader, loop=loop)
 
         wf = open(wfd, "wb", 0)
-        transport, protocol = await loop.connect_write_pipe(
+        transport, _ = await loop.connect_write_pipe(
             FlowControlMixin, wf)
-        writer = asyncio.StreamWriter(transport, protocol,
+        writer = asyncio.StreamWriter(transport, reader_protocol,
                                       None, loop)
 
         rf = open(rfd, "rb", 0)
@@ -45,6 +42,10 @@ if os.name != "nt":
         def get_address(self):
             return "{},{}".format(self.c_rfd, self.c_wfd)
 
+        async def _autoclose(self):
+            await self.process.wait()
+            self.writer.close()
+
         async def create_subprocess(self, *args, **kwargs):
             loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
             self.process = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ if os.name != "nt":
 
             self.reader, self.writer = await _fds_to_asyncio(
                 self.p_rfd, self.p_wfd, loop)
+            asyncio.ensure_future(self._autoclose())
 
 
     class AsyncioChildComm(_BaseIO):
@@ -65,6 +67,9 @@ if os.name != "nt":
             self.reader, self.writer = await _fds_to_asyncio(
                 int(rfd), int(wfd), asyncio.get_event_loop())
 
+        def close(self):
+            self.writer.close()
+
 
     class ChildComm:
         def __init__(self, address):
@@ -88,7 +93,10 @@ if os.name != "nt":
 
 else:  # windows
     class AsyncioParentComm(_BaseIO):
-        pass
+        async def _autoclose(self):
+            await self.process.wait()
+            self.writer.close()
+
 
     class AsyncioChildComm(_BaseIO):
         """Requires ProactorEventLoop"""
@@ -100,9 +108,9 @@ else:  # windows
             self.reader = asyncio.StreamReader(loop=loop)
             reader_protocol = asyncio.StreamReaderProtocol(
                 self.reader, loop=loop)
-            transport, protocol = await loop.create_pipe_connection(
+            transport, _ = await loop.create_pipe_connection(
                 self.address, lambda: reader_protocol)
-            self.writer = asyncio.StreamWriter(transport, protocol,
+            self.writer = asyncio.StreamWriter(transport, reader_protocol,
                                                self.reader, loop)
 
     class ChildComm:
diff --git a/artiq/test/pipe_ipc.py b/artiq/test/pipe_ipc.py
index 9614a7431..b066d4276 100644
--- a/artiq/test/pipe_ipc.py
+++ b/artiq/test/pipe_ipc.py
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ class IPCCase(unittest.TestCase):
             self.assertEqual(int(s), i+1)
         ipc.write(b"-1\n")
         await ipc.process.wait()
-        ipc.close()
 
     def test_blocking(self):
         self.loop.run_until_complete(self._coro_test(False))