diff --git a/src/ldaptools/slapd.py b/src/ldaptools/slapd.py
index a3d343e..2f29416 100644
--- a/src/ldaptools/slapd.py
+++ b/src/ldaptools/slapd.py
@@ -103,16 +103,7 @@ olcAccess: {{0}}to *
     data_dirs = None
     db_index = 1
     tls = None
-
-    def create_process(self, args, pipe=True, out=None):
-        if pipe:
-            return subprocess.Popen(args, stdin=subprocess.PIPE, env=os.environ,
-                                    stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
-        else:
-            DEVNULL = open(os.devnull, 'w')
-            out = out or DEVNULL
-            return subprocess.Popen(args, stdin=DEVNULL, env=os.environ, stdout=out,
-                                    stderr=out)
+    _close_fds = None
 
     def __init__(self, ldap_url=None, config_context=None, tls=None):
         assert has_slapd()
@@ -192,6 +183,15 @@ olcAccess: {{0}}to * by * manage
         stdout, stderr = slapadd.communicate(input=bytearray(ldif, 'utf-8'))
         assert slapadd.returncode == 0, 'slapadd failed: %s' % stderr
 
+    def close_fds(self):
+        for fd in self._close_fds or []:
+            fd.close()
+
+    def set_close_fds(self, close_fds):
+        self.close_fds()
+        self._close_fds = close_fds
+
+
     def start(self):
         '''Launch slapd'''
         assert not self.process
@@ -201,7 +201,9 @@ olcAccess: {{0}}to * by * manage
                '-F' + self.config_dir,
                '-h', self.ldap_url]
         out_file = open(os.path.join(self.slapd_dir, 'stdout'), 'w')
-        self.process = self.create_process(cmd, pipe=False, out=out_file)
+        dev_null = open(os.devnull)
+        self.process = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdin=dev_null, env=os.environ, stdout=out_file, stderr=out_file)
+        self.set_close_fds([out_file, dev_null])
         atexit.register(self.clean)
 
         c = 0
@@ -263,6 +265,7 @@ olcAccess: {{0}}to * by * manage
 
     def clean(self):
         '''Remove directory'''
+        self.close_fds()
         try:
             if self.process:
                 self.stop()