diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e7a487da..2dc94cc4 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNCS([clock_gettime])
 AC_CHECK_LIB([socket], [socket])
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS([epoll_create], [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_EPOLL])])
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS([kqueue], [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_KQUEUE])])
+AC_CHECK_FUNCS([accept4], [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_ACCEPT4])])
 
 dnl Check if struct sockaddr contains sa_len member
 AC_CHECK_MEMBERS([struct sockaddr.sa_len], [], [], [
@@ -209,4 +210,3 @@ AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 
 AC_OUTPUT([Makefile man/Makefile libdill.pc])
 cp confdefs.h config.h
-
diff --git a/epoll.c.inc b/epoll.c.inc
index c925125e..6b428b68 100644
--- a/epoll.c.inc
+++ b/epoll.c.inc
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ int dill_ctx_pollset_init(struct dill_ctx_pollset *ctx) {
     /* Changelist is empty. */
     ctx->changelist = DILL_ENDLIST;
     /* Create the kernel-side pollset. */
-    ctx->efd = epoll_create(1);
+    ctx->efd = epoll_create1(EPOLL_CLOEXEC);
     if(dill_slow(ctx->efd < 0)) {err = errno; goto error2;}
     return 0;
 error2:
diff --git a/fd.c b/fd.c
index 92e93887..09130461 100644
--- a/fd.c
+++ b/fd.c
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@
 
 */
 
+#ifdef HAVE_ACCEPT4
+#define _GNU_SOURCE
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+#endif
+
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -127,12 +132,27 @@ int dill_fd_connect(int s, const struct sockaddr *addr, socklen_t addrlen,
     return 0;
 }
 
+#ifdef HAVE_ACCEPT4
+#define _dill_accept(fd, addr, addrlen) accept4((fd), (addr), (addrlen), SOCK_CLOEXEC)
+#else
+int _dill_accept(int sockfd, struct sockaddr *addr, socklen_t *addrlen) {
+    int as = accept(sockfd, addr, addrlen);
+    if(dill_fast(as >= 0)) {
+        int fd_flags = fcntl(as, F_GETFD);
+        if (dill_fast(fd_flags != -1)) {
+            fcntl(as, F_SETFD, fd_flags | FD_CLOEXEC);
+        }
+    }
+    return as;
+}
+#endif
+
 int dill_fd_accept(int s, struct sockaddr *addr, socklen_t *addrlen,
       int64_t deadline) {
     int as;
     while(1) {
         /* Try to accept new connection synchronously. */
-        as = accept(s, addr, addrlen);
+        as = _dill_accept(s, addr, addrlen);
         if(dill_fast(as >= 0))
             break;
         /* If connection was aborted by the peer grab the next one. */
@@ -399,8 +419,18 @@ void dill_fd_close(int s) {
 }
 
 int dill_fd_own(int s) {
+#ifdef F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC
+    int n = fcntl(s, F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC, 0);
+#else
+    int fd_flags = fcntl(s, F_GETFD);
     int n = dup(s);
+#endif
     if(dill_slow(n < 0)) return -1;
+#ifndef F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC
+    if (dill_fast(fd_flags != -1)) {
+        fcntl(n, F_SETFD, fd_flags);
+    }
+#endif
     dill_fd_close(s);
     return n;
 }
@@ -426,4 +456,3 @@ int dill_fd_check(int s, int type, int family1, int family2, int listening) {
         errno = EINVAL; return -1;}
     return 0;
 }
-