diff --git a/adb/adb_utils.h b/adb/adb_utils.h
index cf42067..cd6717d 100644
--- a/adb/adb_utils.h
+++ b/adb/adb_utils.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include <string>
 
 #include <android-base/macros.h>
+#include <android-base/unique_fd.h>
 
 void close_stdin();
 
@@ -50,6 +51,14 @@
 extern int adb_close(int fd);
 
 // Helper to automatically close an FD when it goes out of scope.
+struct AdbCloser {
+    static void Close(int fd) {
+        adb_close(fd);
+    }
+};
+
+using unique_fd = android::base::unique_fd_impl<AdbCloser>;
+
 class ScopedFd {
   public:
     ScopedFd() {
diff --git a/adb/shell_service.cpp b/adb/shell_service.cpp
index f58af9f..f98394d 100644
--- a/adb/shell_service.cpp
+++ b/adb/shell_service.cpp
@@ -160,9 +160,14 @@
     pid_t pid() const { return pid_; }
 
     // Sets up FDs, forks a subprocess, starts the subprocess manager thread,
-    // and exec's the child. Returns false on failure.
+    // and exec's the child. Returns false and sets error on failure.
     bool ForkAndExec(std::string* _Nonnull error);
 
+    // Start the subprocess manager thread. Consumes the subprocess, regardless of success.
+    // Returns false and sets error on failure.
+    static bool StartThread(std::unique_ptr<Subprocess> subprocess,
+                            std::string* _Nonnull error);
+
   private:
     // Opens the file at |pts_name|.
     int OpenPtyChildFd(const char* pts_name, ScopedFd* error_sfd);
@@ -391,14 +396,19 @@
         }
     }
 
-    if (!adb_thread_create(ThreadHandler, this)) {
+    D("subprocess parent: completed");
+    return true;
+}
+
+bool Subprocess::StartThread(std::unique_ptr<Subprocess> subprocess, std::string* error) {
+    Subprocess* raw = subprocess.release();
+    if (!adb_thread_create(ThreadHandler, raw)) {
         *error =
             android::base::StringPrintf("failed to create subprocess thread: %s", strerror(errno));
-        kill(pid_, SIGKILL);
+        kill(raw->pid_, SIGKILL);
         return false;
     }
 
-    D("subprocess parent: completed");
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -442,6 +452,7 @@
     adb_thread_setname(android::base::StringPrintf(
             "shell srvc %d", subprocess->local_socket_fd()));
 
+    D("passing data streams for PID %d", subprocess->pid());
     subprocess->PassDataStreams();
 
     D("deleting Subprocess for PID %d", subprocess->pid());
@@ -738,7 +749,7 @@
       protocol == SubprocessProtocol::kNone ? "none" : "shell",
       terminal_type, name);
 
-    Subprocess* subprocess = new Subprocess(name, terminal_type, type, protocol);
+    auto subprocess = std::make_unique<Subprocess>(name, terminal_type, type, protocol);
     if (!subprocess) {
         LOG(ERROR) << "failed to allocate new subprocess";
         return ReportError(protocol, "failed to allocate new subprocess");
@@ -747,11 +758,17 @@
     std::string error;
     if (!subprocess->ForkAndExec(&error)) {
         LOG(ERROR) << "failed to start subprocess: " << error;
-        delete subprocess;
         return ReportError(protocol, error);
     }
 
-    D("subprocess creation successful: local_socket_fd=%d, pid=%d",
-      subprocess->local_socket_fd(), subprocess->pid());
-    return subprocess->local_socket_fd();
+    unique_fd local_socket(dup(subprocess->local_socket_fd()));
+    D("subprocess creation successful: local_socket_fd=%d, pid=%d", local_socket.get(),
+      subprocess->pid());
+
+    if (!Subprocess::StartThread(std::move(subprocess), &error)) {
+        LOG(ERROR) << "failed to start subprocess management thread: " << error;
+        return ReportError(protocol, error);
+    }
+
+    return local_socket.release();
 }
diff --git a/adb/sysdeps.h b/adb/sysdeps.h
index 81d201e..75dcc86 100644
--- a/adb/sysdeps.h
+++ b/adb/sysdeps.h
@@ -29,8 +29,9 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 
-// Include this before open/unlink are defined as macros below.
+// Include this before open/close/unlink are defined as macros below.
 #include <android-base/errors.h>
+#include <android-base/unique_fd.h>
 #include <android-base/utf8.h>
 
 /*