diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3b88e459..54e36d99 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ shmoverride/shmoverride.so:
 
 shmoverride/X-wrapper-qubes:
 	(cd shmoverride; $(MAKE) X-wrapper-qubes)
-	
+
 pulse/pacat-simple-vchan:
 	$(MAKE) -C pulse pacat-simple-vchan
 
@@ -65,8 +65,6 @@ install:
 	install -D gui-daemon/qubes-guid $(DESTDIR)/usr/bin/qubes-guid
 	install -m 0644 -D gui-daemon/qubes-guid.1 $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man1/qubes-guid.1
 	install -D pulse/pacat-simple-vchan $(DESTDIR)/usr/bin/pacat-simple-vchan
-	install -D pulse/qubes.AudioInputEnable $(DESTDIR)/etc/qubes-rpc/qubes.AudioInputEnable
-	install -D pulse/qubes.AudioInputDisable $(DESTDIR)/etc/qubes-rpc/qubes.AudioInputDisable
 	install -D shmoverride/X-wrapper-qubes $(DESTDIR)/usr/bin/X-wrapper-qubes
 	install -D shmoverride/shmoverride.so $(DESTDIR)$(LIBDIR)/qubes-gui-daemon/shmoverride.so
 	install -D -m 0644 gui-daemon/guid.conf $(DESTDIR)/etc/qubes/guid.conf
diff --git a/debian/qubes-audio-daemon.install b/debian/qubes-audio-daemon.install
index 0b57c584..5064a855 100644
--- a/debian/qubes-audio-daemon.install
+++ b/debian/qubes-audio-daemon.install
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
 usr/bin/pacat-simple-vchan
-etc/qubes-rpc/qubes.AudioInputEnable
-etc/qubes-rpc/qubes.AudioInputDisable
diff --git a/pulse/pacat-simple-vchan.c b/pulse/pacat-simple-vchan.c
index ec799010..65574565 100644
--- a/pulse/pacat-simple-vchan.c
+++ b/pulse/pacat-simple-vchan.c
@@ -809,101 +809,95 @@ static void check_vchan_eof_timer(pa_mainloop_api*a, pa_time_event* e,
     a->time_restart(e, &restart_tv);
 }
 
+int is_rec_allowed_from_qdb(struct userdata *u) {
+    int new_rec_allowed;
+    char *qdb_entry = qdb_read(u->qdb, u->qdb_path, NULL);
+
+    if (qdb_entry != NULL) {
+        if (strcmp(qdb_entry, "0") == 0) {
+            new_rec_allowed = 0;
+        } else if (strcmp(qdb_entry, "1") == 0) {
+            new_rec_allowed = 1;
+        } else {
+            pacat_log("invalid value from Qubes DB");
+            new_rec_allowed = -1;
+        }
+    } else {
+        new_rec_allowed = -errno;
+        if (new_rec_allowed == -ENOENT)
+            pacat_log("no %s entry in QubesDB", u->qdb_path);
+        else
+            pacat_log("unable to obtain %s entry from QubesDB", u->qdb_path);
+    }
+
+    free(qdb_entry);
+
+    return new_rec_allowed;
+}
+
 static void control_socket_callback(pa_mainloop_api *UNUSED(a),
-        pa_io_event *UNUSED(e), int fd, pa_io_event_flags_t f,
+        pa_io_event *UNUSED(e), int UNUSED(fd), pa_io_event_flags_t f,
         void *userdata) {
+
     struct userdata *u = userdata;
-    int client_fd;
-    char command_buffer[32];
-    size_t command_len = 0;
-    int ret;
     int new_rec_allowed = -1;
 
-    if (!(f & PA_IO_EVENT_INPUT))
-        return;
+    pacat_log("callback %d", new_rec_allowed);
 
-    client_fd = accept(fd, NULL, NULL);
-    if (client_fd < 0) {
-        pacat_log("Accept control connection failed: %s", strerror(errno));
+    if (!(f & PA_IO_EVENT_INPUT))
         return;
-    }
-
-    /* read until either:
-     *  - end of command (\n) is found
-     *  - EOF
-     */
-    do {
-        ret = read(client_fd, command_buffer+command_len, sizeof(command_buffer)-command_len);
-        if (ret < 0) {
-            pacat_log("Control client read failed: %s", strerror(errno));
-            return;
-        }
-        command_len += ret;
-        if (ret == 0)
-            break;
-    } while (!memchr(command_buffer + (command_len-ret), '\n', ret));
 
-    if (strncmp(command_buffer, "audio-input 0\n", command_len) == 0) {
-        new_rec_allowed = 0;
-    } else if (strncmp(command_buffer, "audio-input 1\n", command_len) == 0) {
-        new_rec_allowed = 1;
-    } else {
-        pacat_log("Invalid command buffer");
-        return;
-    }
-    if (new_rec_allowed != -1) {
+    new_rec_allowed = is_rec_allowed_from_qdb(u);
+    if (new_rec_allowed >= 0) {
         g_mutex_lock(&u->prop_mutex);
-        u->rec_allowed = new_rec_allowed;
-        pacat_log("Setting audio-input to %s", u->rec_allowed ? "enabled" : "disabled");
-        if (u->rec_allowed && u->rec_requested) {
-            pacat_log("Recording start");
-            pa_stream_cork(u->rec_stream, 0, NULL, NULL);
-        } else if (!u->rec_allowed && u->rec_stream &&
-                (u->rec_requested || !pa_stream_is_corked(u->rec_stream))) {
-            pacat_log("Recording stop");
-            pa_stream_cork(u->rec_stream, 1, NULL, NULL);
+        if (new_rec_allowed != u->rec_allowed) {
+            u->rec_allowed = new_rec_allowed;
+            pacat_log("Setting audio-input to %s", u->rec_allowed ? "enabled" : "disabled");
+            if (u->rec_allowed && u->rec_requested) {
+                pacat_log("Recording start");
+                pa_stream_cork(u->rec_stream, 0, NULL, NULL);
+            } else if (!u->rec_allowed && u->rec_stream &&
+                    (u->rec_requested || !pa_stream_is_corked(u->rec_stream))) {
+                pacat_log("Recording stop");
+                pa_stream_cork(u->rec_stream, 1, NULL, NULL);
+            }
+            if (!qdb_write(u->qdb, u->qdb_path, new_rec_allowed ? "1" : "0", 1)) {
+                pacat_log("Failed to write QubesDB %s: %s", u->qdb_path, strerror(errno));
+            }
         }
         g_mutex_unlock(&u->prop_mutex);
-        if (!qdb_write(u->qdb, u->qdb_path, new_rec_allowed ? "1" : "0", 1)) {
-            pacat_log("Failed to write QubesDB %s: %s", u->qdb_path, strerror(errno));
-        }
     }
-    /* accept only one command per connection */
-    close(client_fd);
 }
 
 static int setup_control(struct userdata *u) {
     int socket_fd = -1;
-    /* better safe than sorry - zero initialize the buffer */
-    struct sockaddr_un addr = { 0 };
+    int rec_allowed;
 
-    socket_fd = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
-    if (socket_fd == -1) {
-        pacat_log("socket failed: %s", strerror(errno));
+    u->qdb = qdb_open(NULL);
+    if (!u->qdb) {
+        pacat_log("qdb_open failed: %s", strerror(errno));
         goto fail;
     }
 
-    if ((size_t)snprintf(addr.sun_path, sizeof(addr.sun_path),
-                "/var/run/qubes/audio-control.%s", u->name)
-            >= sizeof(addr.sun_path)) {
-        pacat_log("VM name too long");
+    if (asprintf(&u->qdb_path, "/audio-input/%s", u->name) < 0) {
+        pacat_log("QubesDB path setup failed: %s", strerror(errno));
+        u->qdb_path = NULL;
         goto fail;
     }
-    /* without this line, the bind() fails in many linux versions
-       with Invalid Argument, and mic cannot attach */
-    addr.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
-
-    /* ignore result */
-    unlink(addr.sun_path);
 
-    if (bind(socket_fd, &addr, sizeof(addr)) == -1) {
-        pacat_log("bind to %s failed: %s", addr.sun_path, strerror(errno));
+    if (!qdb_watch(u->qdb, u->qdb_path)) {
+        pacat_log("failed to setup watch on %s: %m\n", u->qdb_path);
         goto fail;
     }
 
-    if (listen(socket_fd, 5) == -1) {
-        pacat_log("listen on %s failed: %s", addr.sun_path, strerror(errno));
+    socket_fd = qdb_watch_fd(u->qdb);
+    if (socket_fd < 0)
         goto fail;
+
+   rec_allowed = is_rec_allowed_from_qdb(u);
+    if (rec_allowed >= 0) {
+        pacat_log("mic allowed: initial value read from Qubes DB '%d'", rec_allowed);
+        u->rec_allowed = rec_allowed;
     }
 
     u->control_socket_event = u->mainloop_api->io_new(u->mainloop_api,
@@ -913,23 +907,6 @@ static int setup_control(struct userdata *u) {
         goto fail;
     }
 
-    u->qdb = qdb_open(NULL);
-    if (!u->qdb) {
-        pacat_log("qdb_open failed: %s", strerror(errno));
-        goto fail;
-    }
-
-    if (asprintf(&u->qdb_path, "/audio-input/%s", u->name) < 0) {
-        pacat_log("QubesDB path setup failed: %s", strerror(errno));
-        u->qdb_path = NULL;
-        goto fail;
-    }
-
-    if (!qdb_write(u->qdb, u->qdb_path, "0", 1)) {
-        pacat_log("qdb_write failed: %s", strerror(errno));
-        goto fail;
-    }
-
     u->control_socket_fd = socket_fd;
 
     return 0;
@@ -956,8 +933,6 @@ static void control_cleanup(struct userdata *u) {
         u->mainloop_api->io_free(u->control_socket_event);
     if (u->control_socket_fd > 0)
         close(u->control_socket_fd);
-    if (u->qdb && u->qdb_path)
-        qdb_rm(u->qdb, u->qdb_path);
     if (u->qdb_path)
         free(u->qdb_path);
     if (u->qdb)
diff --git a/pulse/qubes.AudioInputDisable b/pulse/qubes.AudioInputDisable
deleted file mode 100755
index 7c82eb5f..00000000
--- a/pulse/qubes.AudioInputDisable
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-[ -n "$1" ] || exit 1
-control_socket="/var/run/qubes/audio-control.$1"
-echo "audio-input 0" | socat -u - "UNIX-CONNECT:$control_socket"
diff --git a/pulse/qubes.AudioInputEnable b/pulse/qubes.AudioInputEnable
deleted file mode 100755
index 150f5af9..00000000
--- a/pulse/qubes.AudioInputEnable
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-[ -n "$1" ] || exit 1
-control_socket="/var/run/qubes/audio-control.$1"
-echo "audio-input 1" | socat -u - "UNIX-CONNECT:$control_socket"
diff --git a/qubesguidaemon/mic.py b/qubesguidaemon/mic.py
index e5006bde..4ae013ac 100644
--- a/qubesguidaemon/mic.py
+++ b/qubesguidaemon/mic.py
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ class MicDeviceExtension(qubes.ext.Extension):
     def __init__(self):
         super(MicDeviceExtension, self).__init__()
 
-    def get_device(self, app):
+    @staticmethod
+    def get_device(app):
         return MicDevice(
             app.domains[0], product="microphone", manufacturer="build-in"
         )
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ def on_device_list_attached_mic(self, vm, event, persistent=None):
         )
         if untrusted_audio_input == b"1":
             # (device, options)
-            yield (self.get_device(vm.app), {})
+            yield self.get_device(vm.app), {}
 
     @qubes.ext.handler("device-pre-attach:mic")
     async def on_device_pre_attach_mic(self, vm, event, device, options):
@@ -123,16 +124,22 @@ async def on_device_pre_attach_mic(self, vm, event, device, options):
             raise qubes.exc.QubesVMNotRunningError(
                 audiovm, "Audio VM {} isn't running".format(audiovm)
             )
-        try:
-            await audiovm.run_service_for_stdio(
-                "qubes.AudioInputEnable+{}".format(vm.name)
-            )
-        except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
-            raise qubes.exc.QubesVMError(
-                vm,
-                "Failed to attach audio input from {!s} to {!s}: "
-                "pulseaudio agent not running".format(audiovm, vm),
-            )
+
+        if audiovm.features.check_with_netvm(
+            "supported-rpc.qubes.AudioInputEnable", False
+        ):
+            try:
+                await audiovm.run_service_for_stdio(
+                    "qubes.AudioInputEnable+{}".format(vm.name)
+                )
+            except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+                raise qubes.exc.QubesVMError(
+                    vm,
+                    "Failed to attach audio input from {!s} to {!s}: "
+                    "pulseaudio agent not running".format(audiovm, vm),
+                )
+        else:
+            audiovm.untrusted_qdb.write("/audio-input/{}".format(vm.name), "1")
 
     # pylint: disable=unused-argument
     @qubes.ext.handler("device-pre-detach:mic")
@@ -153,13 +160,53 @@ async def on_device_pre_detach_mic(self, vm, event, device):
             raise qubes.exc.QubesVMNotRunningError(
                 audiovm, "Audio VM {} isn't running".format(audiovm)
             )
-        try:
-            await audiovm.run_service_for_stdio(
-                "qubes.AudioInputDisable+{}".format(vm.name)
+
+        if audiovm.features.check_with_netvm(
+            "supported-rpc.qubes.AudioInputDisable", False
+        ):
+            try:
+                await audiovm.run_service_for_stdio(
+                    "qubes.AudioInputDisable+{}".format(vm.name)
+                )
+            except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+                raise qubes.exc.QubesVMError(
+                    vm,
+                    "Failed to detach audio input from {!s} to {!s}: "
+                    "pulseaudio agent not running".format(audiovm, vm),
+                )
+        else:
+            audiovm.untrusted_qdb.write("/audio-input/{}".format(vm.name), "0")
+
+    @qubes.ext.handler("property-set:audiovm")
+    def on_property_set(self, subject, event, name, newvalue, oldvalue=None):
+        if not subject.is_running() or not newvalue:
+            return
+        if not newvalue.is_running():
+            subject.log.warning(
+                "Cannot attach mic to {!s}: "
+                "AudioVM '{!s}' is powered off.".format(subject, newvalue)
+            )
+        if newvalue == oldvalue:
+            return
+        if oldvalue and oldvalue.is_running():
+            mic_allowed = oldvalue.untrusted_qdb.read(
+                "/audio-input/{}".format(subject.name)
             )
-        except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
-            raise qubes.exc.QubesVMError(
-                vm,
-                "Failed to detach audio input from {!s} to {!s}: "
-                "pulseaudio agent not running".format(audiovm, vm),
+            mic_allowed_value = (
+                mic_allowed.decode("utf-8")
+                if mic_allowed is not None
+                else None
             )
+            if not mic_allowed_value:
+                return
+            if mic_allowed_value in ("0", "1"):
+                newvalue.untrusted_qdb.write(
+                    "/audio-input/{}".format(subject.name), mic_allowed_value
+                )
+            else:
+                raise qubes.exc.QubesVMError(
+                    subject,
+                    "Invalid value '{!s}' for '/audio-input/{!s}' from {!s}".format(
+                        mic_allowed_value, subject.name, oldvalue
+                    ),
+                )
diff --git a/rpm_spec/gui-daemon.spec.in b/rpm_spec/gui-daemon.spec.in
index bc5288d4..961a0880 100644
--- a/rpm_spec/gui-daemon.spec.in
+++ b/rpm_spec/gui-daemon.spec.in
@@ -184,8 +184,6 @@ rm -f %{name}-%{version}
 
 %files -n qubes-audio-daemon
 /usr/bin/pacat-simple-vchan
-/etc/qubes-rpc/qubes.AudioInputEnable
-/etc/qubes-rpc/qubes.AudioInputDisable
 
 %files -n qubes-gui-dom0
 %config(noreplace) %{_sysconfdir}/qubes/policy.d/90-default-gui-daemon.policy
diff --git a/window-icon-updater/Makefile b/window-icon-updater/Makefile
index 0e8009ba..295ccbef 100644
--- a/window-icon-updater/Makefile
+++ b/window-icon-updater/Makefile
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ all:
 
 install:
 	install -D icon-receiver $(DESTDIR)/usr/lib/qubes/icon-receiver
+	install -d $(DESTDIR)/etc/qubes-rpc
 	ln -s /var/run/qubes/icon-receiver.sock $(DESTDIR)/etc/qubes-rpc/qubes.WindowIconUpdater
 	install -d $(DESTDIR)/etc/qubes/rpc-config
 	install -m 0664 -D qubes.WindowIconUpdater.config $(DESTDIR)/etc/qubes/rpc-config/qubes.WindowIconUpdater