diff --git a/src/rez/bind/_utils.py b/src/rez/bind/_utils.py
index 12760b8a6..48324ff00 100644
--- a/src/rez/bind/_utils.py
+++ b/src/rez/bind/_utils.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 from rez.exceptions import RezBindError
 from rez.config import config
 from rez.util import which
-from rez.utils.system import popen
+from rez.utils.execution import Popen
 from rez.utils.logging_ import print_debug
 from rez.vendor.six import six
 from pipes import quote
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ def _run_command(args):
     # https://github.com/nerdvegas/rez/pull/659
     use_shell = ("Windows" in platform.system())
 
-    p = popen(
+    p = Popen(
         args,
         stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
         stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
diff --git a/src/rez/developer_package.py b/src/rez/developer_package.py
index 2e816ee3b..acb6f08a3 100644
--- a/src/rez/developer_package.py
+++ b/src/rez/developer_package.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 from rez.serialise import load_from_file, FileFormat, set_objects
 from rez.packages_ import create_package
 from rez.exceptions import PackageMetadataError, InvalidPackageError
-from rez.utils.system import add_sys_paths
+from rez.utils.execution import add_sys_paths
 from rez.utils.sourcecode import SourceCode
 from rez.utils.logging_ import print_info, print_error
 from rez.vendor.enum import Enum
diff --git a/src/rez/package_help.py b/src/rez/package_help.py
index 5ff01b2b8..89e9a2029 100644
--- a/src/rez/package_help.py
+++ b/src/rez/package_help.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 from rez.packages_ import iter_packages
 from rez.config import config
 from rez.rex_bindings import VersionBinding
-from rez.utils.system import popen
+from rez.utils.execution import Popen
 from rez.utils.backcompat import convert_old_command_expansions
 from rez.utils.scope import scoped_formatter
 from rez.vendor.six import six
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ def open(self, section_index=0):
         else:
             if self._verbose:
                 print("running command: %s" % uri)
-            p = popen(uri, shell=True)
+            p = Popen(uri, shell=True)
             p.wait()
 
     def print_info(self, buf=None):
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ def _open_url(cls, url):
             cmd = [config.browser, url]
             if not config.quiet:
                 print("running command: %s" % " ".join(cmd))
-            p = popen(cmd)
+            p = Popen(cmd)
             p.communicate()
         else:
             if not config.quiet:
diff --git a/src/rez/package_py_utils.py b/src/rez/package_py_utils.py
index fbc70bfe6..43130608d 100644
--- a/src/rez/package_py_utils.py
+++ b/src/rez/package_py_utils.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 """
 
 # these imports just forward the symbols into this module's namespace
-from rez.utils.system import popen
+from rez.utils.execution import Popen
 from rez.exceptions import InvalidPackageError
 from rez.vendor.six import six
 
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ def exec_command(attr, cmd):
     """
     import subprocess
 
-    p = popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, text=True)
+    p = Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, text=True)
     out, err = p.communicate()
 
     if p.returncode:
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ def exec_python(attr, src, executable="python"):
     if isinstance(src, basestring):
         src = [src]
 
-    p = popen([executable, "-c", "; ".join(src)],
+    p = Popen([executable, "-c", "; ".join(src)],
               stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, text=True)
     out, err = p.communicate()
 
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ def find_site_python(module_name, paths=None):
 
     py_cmd = 'import {x}; print({x}.__path__)'.format(x=module_name)
 
-    p = popen(["python", "-c", py_cmd], stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+    p = Popen(["python", "-c", py_cmd], stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
                stderr=subprocess.PIPE, text=True)
     out, err = p.communicate()
 
diff --git a/src/rez/pip.py b/src/rez/pip.py
index 0bc5beae1..c15668741 100644
--- a/src/rez/pip.py
+++ b/src/rez/pip.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 from rez.vendor.distlib.util import parse_name_and_version
 from rez.vendor.enum.enum import Enum
 from rez.resolved_context import ResolvedContext
-from rez.utils.system import popen
+from rez.utils.execution import Popen
 from rez.utils.pip import get_rez_requirements, pip_to_rez_package_name, \
     pip_to_rez_version
 from rez.utils.logging_ import print_debug, print_info, print_warning
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ def run_pip_command(command_args, pip_version=None, python_version=None):
     command = [py_exe, "-m", "pip"] + list(command_args)
 
     if context is None:
-        return popen(command)
+        return Popen(command)
     else:
         return context.execute_shell(command=command, block=False)
 
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ def _cmd(context, command):
     _log("running: %s" % cmd_str)
 
     if context is None:
-        p = popen(command)
+        p = Popen(command)
     else:
         p = context.execute_shell(command=command, block=False)
 
diff --git a/src/rez/release_vcs.py b/src/rez/release_vcs.py
index 82fd8c9b0..8a8ecdfab 100644
--- a/src/rez/release_vcs.py
+++ b/src/rez/release_vcs.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from rez.exceptions import ReleaseVCSError
 from rez.packages_ import get_developer_package
 from rez.util import which
-from rez.utils.system import popen
+from rez.utils.execution import Popen
 from rez.utils.logging_ import print_debug
 from rez.utils.filesystem import walk_up_dirs
 from pipes import quote
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ def _cmd(self, *nargs):
         if self.package.config.debug("package_release"):
             print_debug("Running command: %s" % cmd_str)
 
-        p = popen(nargs, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+        p = Popen(nargs, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
                   cwd=self.pkg_root, text=True)
         out, err = p.communicate()
 
diff --git a/src/rez/rex.py b/src/rez/rex.py
index 172f9d9d2..1fd3bdd03 100644
--- a/src/rez/rex.py
+++ b/src/rez/rex.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 from rez.exceptions import RexError, RexUndefinedVariableError, RezSystemError
 from rez.util import shlex_join, is_non_string_iterable
 from rez.utils import reraise
-from rez.utils.system import popen
+from rez.utils.execution import Popen
 from rez.utils.sourcecode import SourceCode, SourceCodeError
 from rez.utils.data_utils import AttrDictWrapper
 from rez.utils.formatting import expandvars
@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@ def subprocess(self, args, **subproc_kwargs):
             self.target_environ.update(self.manager.environ)
 
         shell_mode = isinstance(args, basestring)
-        return popen(args,
+        return Popen(args,
                      shell=shell_mode,
                      env=self.target_environ,
                      **subproc_kwargs)
diff --git a/src/rez/serialise.py b/src/rez/serialise.py
index b7a2ceb40..6b0959ab6 100644
--- a/src/rez/serialise.py
+++ b/src/rez/serialise.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 from rez.utils.data_utils import ModifyList
 from rez.exceptions import ResourceError, InvalidPackageError
 from rez.utils.memcached import memcached
-from rez.utils.system import add_sys_paths
+from rez.utils.execution import add_sys_paths
 from rez.utils import py23
 from rez.config import config
 from rez.vendor.atomicwrites import atomic_write
diff --git a/src/rez/shells.py b/src/rez/shells.py
index 175759c22..188dafb59 100644
--- a/src/rez/shells.py
+++ b/src/rez/shells.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 from rez.util import shlex_join, is_non_string_iterable
 from rez.backport.shutilwhich import which
 from rez.utils.logging_ import print_warning
-from rez.utils.system import popen
+from rez.utils.execution import Popen
 from rez.system import system
 from rez.exceptions import RezSystemError
 from rez.rex import EscapedString
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ def _create_ex():
         cmd.extend([self.executable, target_file])
 
         try:
-            p = popen(cmd, env=env, **Popen_args)
+            p = Popen(cmd, env=env, **Popen_args)
         except Exception as e:
             cmd_str = ' '.join(map(pipes.quote, cmd))
             raise RezSystemError("Error running command:\n%s\n%s"
diff --git a/src/rez/tests/test_shells.py b/src/rez/tests/test_shells.py
index b175eff34..71dddd4bd 100644
--- a/src/rez/tests/test_shells.py
+++ b/src/rez/tests/test_shells.py
@@ -135,9 +135,9 @@ def test_command_returncode(self):
             command = "hello_world -q -r 66"
             commands = (command, command.split())
             for cmd in commands:
-                p = r.execute_shell(command=cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
-                p.wait()
-                self.assertEqual(p.returncode, 66)
+                with r.execute_shell(command=cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE) as p:
+                    p.wait()
+                    self.assertEqual(p.returncode, 66)
 
     @per_available_shell()
     def test_norc(self):
diff --git a/src/rez/utils/_version.py b/src/rez/utils/_version.py
index 4366f4e32..ab5a2a7b3 100644
--- a/src/rez/utils/_version.py
+++ b/src/rez/utils/_version.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 
 
 # Update this value to version up Rez. Do not place anything else in this file.
-_rez_version = "2.47.4"
+_rez_version = "2.47.5"
 
 
 # Copyright 2013-2016 Allan Johns.
diff --git a/src/rez/utils/execution.py b/src/rez/utils/execution.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f39d5fc85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/rez/utils/execution.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+"""
+Utilities related to process/script execution.
+"""
+
+from rez.vendor.six import six
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+import subprocess
+import sys
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def add_sys_paths(paths):
+    """Add to sys.path, and revert on scope exit.
+    """
+    original_syspath = sys.path[:]
+    sys.path.extend(paths)
+
+    try:
+        yield
+    finally:
+        sys.path = original_syspath
+
+
+if six.PY2:
+    class _PopenBase(subprocess.Popen):
+        def __enter__(self):
+            return self
+        def __exit__(self, exc_type, value, traceback):
+            pass
+
+else:  # py3
+    _PopenBase = subprocess.Popen
+
+
+class Popen(_PopenBase):
+    """subprocess.Popen wrapper.
+
+    Allows for Popen to be used as a context in both py2 and py3.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, args, **kwargs):
+
+        # Avoids python bug described here: https://bugs.python.org/issue3905.
+        # This can arise when apps (maya) install a non-standard stdin handler.
+        #
+        # In newer version of maya and katana, the sys.stdin object can also
+        # become replaced by an object with no 'fileno' attribute, this is also
+        # taken into account.
+        #
+        if "stdin" not in kwargs:
+            try:
+                file_no = sys.stdin.fileno()
+            except AttributeError:
+                file_no = sys.__stdin__.fileno()
+
+            if file_no not in (0, 1, 2):
+                kwargs["stdin"] = subprocess.PIPE
+
+        # Add support for the new py3 "text" arg, which is equivalent to
+        # "universal_newlines".
+        # https://docs.python.org/3/library/subprocess.html#frequently-used-arguments
+        #
+        if "text" in kwargs:
+            kwargs["universal_newlines"] = True
+            del kwargs["text"]
+
+        super(Popen, self).__init__(args, **kwargs)
diff --git a/src/rez/utils/graph_utils.py b/src/rez/utils/graph_utils.py
index afb735982..56b864049 100644
--- a/src/rez/utils/graph_utils.py
+++ b/src/rez/utils/graph_utils.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 from ast import literal_eval
 from rez.config import config
 from rez.vendor.pydot import pydot
-from rez.utils.system import popen
+from rez.utils.execution import Popen
 from rez.utils.formatting import PackageRequest
 from rez.exceptions import PackageRequestError
 from rez.vendor.pygraph.readwrite.dot import read as read_dot
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ def view_graph(graph_str, dest_file=None):
     print("loading image viewer (%s)..." % prog)
 
     if config.image_viewer:
-        proc = popen([config.image_viewer, dest_file])
+        proc = Popen([config.image_viewer, dest_file])
         proc.wait()
         viewed = not bool(proc.returncode)
 
diff --git a/src/rez/utils/platform_.py b/src/rez/utils/platform_.py
index faa45110f..d0f03f219 100644
--- a/src/rez/utils/platform_.py
+++ b/src/rez/utils/platform_.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import re
 import subprocess
 from rez.util import which
-from rez.utils.system import popen
+from rez.utils.execution import Popen
 from rez.utils.data_utils import cached_property
 from rez.utils.platform_mapped import platform_mapped
 from rez.exceptions import RezSystemError
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ def _parse(txt, distributor_key, release_key):
         # next, try getting the output of the lsb_release program
         import subprocess
 
-        p = popen(
+        p = Popen(
             ['/usr/bin/env', 'lsb_release', '-a'],
             stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, text=True
         )
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ def _physical_cores_from_cpuinfo(self):
     def _physical_cores_from_lscpu(self):
         import subprocess
         try:
-            p = popen(
+            p = Popen(
                 ['lscpu'], stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
                 stderr=subprocess.PIPE, text=True
             )
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ def _editor(self):
     def _physical_cores_from_osx_sysctl(self):
         import subprocess
         try:
-            p = popen(
+            p = Popen(
                 ['sysctl', '-n', 'hw.physicalcpu'],
                 stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
                 text=True
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@ def _physical_cores_from_wmic(self):
         # windows
         import subprocess
         try:
-            p = popen(
+            p = Popen(
                 'wmic cpu get NumberOfCores /value'.split(),
                 stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
                 text=True
diff --git a/src/rez/utils/py23.py b/src/rez/utils/py23.py
index 3fa866b37..0b485110a 100644
--- a/src/rez/utils/py23.py
+++ b/src/rez/utils/py23.py
@@ -39,19 +39,3 @@ def load_module_from_file(name, filepath):
     else:
         from importlib.machinery import SourceFileLoader
         return SourceFileLoader(name, filepath).load_module()
-
-
-def subprocess_Popen(args, **kwargs):
-    """subprocess.Popen.
-    """
-    import subprocess
-
-    # Add support for the new py3 "text" arg, which is equivalent to
-    # "universal_newlines".
-    # https://docs.python.org/3/library/subprocess.html#frequently-used-arguments
-    #
-    if "text" in kwargs:
-        kwargs["universal_newlines"] = True
-        del kwargs["text"]
-
-    return subprocess.Popen(args, **kwargs)
diff --git a/src/rez/utils/system.py b/src/rez/utils/system.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 42c46f153..000000000
--- a/src/rez/utils/system.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,39 +0,0 @@
-from rez.utils import py23
-from contextlib import contextmanager
-import subprocess
-import sys
-
-
-@contextmanager
-def add_sys_paths(paths):
-    """Add to sys.path, and revert on scope exit.
-    """
-    original_syspath = sys.path[:]
-    sys.path.extend(paths)
-
-    try:
-        yield
-    finally:
-        sys.path = original_syspath
-
-
-def popen(args, **kwargs):
-    """Wrapper for `subprocess.Popen`.
-
-    Avoids python bug described here: https://bugs.python.org/issue3905. This
-    can arise when apps (maya) install a non-standard stdin handler.
-
-    In newer version of maya and katana, the sys.stdin object can also become
-    replaced by an object with no 'fileno' attribute, this is also taken into
-    account.
-    """
-    if "stdin" not in kwargs:
-        try:
-            file_no = sys.stdin.fileno()
-        except AttributeError:
-            file_no = sys.__stdin__.fileno()
-
-        if file_no not in (0, 1, 2):
-            kwargs["stdin"] = subprocess.PIPE
-
-    return py23.subprocess_Popen(args, **kwargs)
diff --git a/src/rezplugins/shell/_utils/powershell_base.py b/src/rezplugins/shell/_utils/powershell_base.py
index 7447e3ca0..d7e25e766 100644
--- a/src/rezplugins/shell/_utils/powershell_base.py
+++ b/src/rezplugins/shell/_utils/powershell_base.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 from rez.rex import RexExecutor, OutputStyle, EscapedString
 from rez.shells import Shell
 from rez.utils.platform_ import platform_
-from rez.utils.system import popen
+from rez.utils.execution import Popen
 
 
 class PowerShellBase(Shell):
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ def gen_expected_regex(parts):
             "REG_(EXPAND_)?SZ", "(.*)"
         ])
 
-        p = popen(cmd, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE,
+        p = Popen(cmd, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE,
                   shell=True, text=True)
         out_, _ = p.communicate()
         out_ = out_.strip()
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ def gen_expected_regex(parts):
             "(.*)"
         ])
 
-        p = popen(cmd, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE,
+        p = Popen(cmd, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE,
                   shell=True, text=True)
         out_, _ = p.communicate()
         out_ = out_.strip()
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ def _record_shell(ex, files, bind_rez=True, print_msg=False):
         if shell_command is None:
             cmd.insert(1, "-NoExit")
 
-        p = popen(cmd, env=env, **Popen_args)
+        p = Popen(cmd, env=env, **Popen_args)
         return p
 
     def get_output(self, style=OutputStyle.file):
diff --git a/src/rezplugins/shell/cmd.py b/src/rezplugins/shell/cmd.py
index e22946ec9..87f1e52c9 100644
--- a/src/rezplugins/shell/cmd.py
+++ b/src/rezplugins/shell/cmd.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 from rez.rex import RexExecutor, expandable, literal, OutputStyle, EscapedString
 from rez.shells import Shell
 from rez.system import system
-from rez.utils.system import popen
+from rez.utils.execution import Popen
 from rez.utils.platform_ import platform_
 from rez.vendor.six import six
 from functools import partial
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ def gen_expected_regex(parts):
             "(.*)"
         ])
 
-        p = popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+        p = Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
                   stderr=subprocess.PIPE, shell=True, text=True)
         out_, _ = p.communicate()
         out_ = out_.strip()
diff --git a/src/rezplugins/shell/csh.py b/src/rezplugins/shell/csh.py
index 0dfff2b03..980a2706b 100644
--- a/src/rezplugins/shell/csh.py
+++ b/src/rezplugins/shell/csh.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import os.path
 import subprocess
 from rez.config import config
-from rez.utils.system import popen
+from rez.utils.execution import Popen
 from rez.utils.platform_ import platform_
 from rez.shells import Shell, UnixShell
 from rez.rex import EscapedString
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def get_syspaths(cls):
         # detect system paths using registry
         cmd = "cmd=`which %s`; unset PATH; $cmd %s 'echo __PATHS_ $PATH'" \
               % (cls.name(), cls.command_arg)
-        p = popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+        p = Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
                   stderr=subprocess.PIPE, shell=True, text=True)
         out_, err_ = p.communicate()
         if p.returncode:
diff --git a/src/rezplugins/shell/sh.py b/src/rezplugins/shell/sh.py
index f71d4c72e..49a546c90 100644
--- a/src/rezplugins/shell/sh.py
+++ b/src/rezplugins/shell/sh.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 import pipes
 import subprocess
 from rez.config import config
-from rez.utils.system import popen
+from rez.utils.execution import Popen
 from rez.utils.platform_ import platform_
 from rez.shells import Shell, UnixShell
 from rez.rex import EscapedString
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def get_syspaths(cls):
         # detect system paths using registry
         cmd = "cmd=`which %s`; unset PATH; $cmd %s %s 'echo __PATHS_ $PATH'" \
               % (cls.name(), cls.norc_arg, cls.command_arg)
-        p = popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+        p = Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
                   stderr=subprocess.PIPE, shell=True, text=True)
         out_, err_ = p.communicate()
         if p.returncode: