diff --git a/src/libstd/sys/unix/pipe.rs b/src/libstd/sys/unix/pipe.rs
index 5c29c4c08111d..9527b1e2243d3 100644
--- a/src/libstd/sys/unix/pipe.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/sys/unix/pipe.rs
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@
 // option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed
 // except according to those terms.
 
-use sys::fd::FileDesc;
 use io;
-use libc;
+use libc::{self, c_int};
+use sys::cvt_r;
+use sys::fd::FileDesc;
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // Anonymous pipes
@@ -20,6 +21,24 @@ pub struct AnonPipe(FileDesc);
 
 pub fn anon_pipe() -> io::Result<(AnonPipe, AnonPipe)> {
     let mut fds = [0; 2];
+
+    // Unfortunately the only known way right now to create atomically set the
+    // CLOEXEC flag is to use the `pipe2` syscall on Linux. This was added in
+    // 2.6.27, however, and because we support 2.6.18 we must detect this
+    // support dynamically.
+    if cfg!(target_os = "linux") {
+        weak! { fn pipe2(*mut c_int, c_int) -> c_int }
+        if let Some(pipe) = pipe2.get() {
+            match cvt_r(|| unsafe { pipe(fds.as_mut_ptr(), libc::O_CLOEXEC) }) {
+                Ok(_) => {
+                    return Ok((AnonPipe(FileDesc::new(fds[0])),
+                               AnonPipe(FileDesc::new(fds[1]))))
+                }
+                Err(ref e) if e.raw_os_error() == Some(libc::ENOSYS) => {}
+                Err(e) => return Err(e),
+            }
+        }
+    }
     if unsafe { libc::pipe(fds.as_mut_ptr()) == 0 } {
         Ok((AnonPipe::from_fd(fds[0]), AnonPipe::from_fd(fds[1])))
     } else {
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/fds-are-cloexec.rs b/src/test/run-pass/fds-are-cloexec.rs
index 3be47e8430d59..3c7d2861c877e 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/fds-are-cloexec.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/fds-are-cloexec.rs
@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@
 extern crate libc;
 
 use std::env;
-use std::fs::{self, File};
+use std::fs::File;
 use std::io;
 use std::net::{TcpListener, TcpStream, UdpSocket};
 use std::os::unix::prelude::*;
-use std::process::Command;
+use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
 use std::thread;
 
 fn main() {
@@ -45,6 +45,17 @@ fn parent() {
     let udp1 = UdpSocket::bind("127.0.0.1:0").unwrap();
     let udp2 = udp1.try_clone().unwrap();
 
+    let mut child = Command::new(env::args().next().unwrap())
+                            .arg("100")
+                            .stdout(Stdio::piped())
+                            .stdin(Stdio::piped())
+                            .stderr(Stdio::piped())
+                            .spawn().unwrap();
+    let pipe1 = child.stdin.take().unwrap();
+    let pipe2 = child.stdout.take().unwrap();
+    let pipe3 = child.stderr.take().unwrap();
+
+
     let status = Command::new(env::args().next().unwrap())
                         .arg(file.as_raw_fd().to_string())
                         .arg(tcp1.as_raw_fd().to_string())
@@ -55,9 +66,13 @@ fn parent() {
                         .arg(tcp6.as_raw_fd().to_string())
                         .arg(udp1.as_raw_fd().to_string())
                         .arg(udp2.as_raw_fd().to_string())
+                        .arg(pipe1.as_raw_fd().to_string())
+                        .arg(pipe2.as_raw_fd().to_string())
+                        .arg(pipe3.as_raw_fd().to_string())
                         .status()
                         .unwrap();
     assert!(status.success());
+    child.wait().unwrap();
 }
 
 fn child(args: &[String]) {