diff --git a/src/util/virfile.c b/src/util/virfile.c
index 5cca54df4ff4b73e91f6310cfd782860c9b655dd..b4765fb660d41989f607e947957bfdf27a8f056d 100644
--- a/src/util/virfile.c
+++ b/src/util/virfile.c
@@ -135,57 +135,10 @@ virFileDirectFdFlag(void)
  * read-write is not supported, just a single direction.  */
 struct _virFileWrapperFd {
     virCommandPtr cmd; /* Child iohelper process to do the I/O.  */
-    int err_fd; /* FD to read stderr of @cmd */
     char *err_msg; /* stderr of @cmd */
-    size_t err_msg_len; /* strlen of err_msg so we don't
-                           have to compute it every time */
-    int err_watch; /* ID of watch in the event loop */
 };
 
 #ifndef WIN32
-/**
- * virFileWrapperFdReadStdErr:
- * @watch: watch ID
- * @fd: the read end of pipe to iohelper's stderr
- * @events: an OR-ed set of events which occurred on @fd
- * @opaque: virFileWrapperFdPtr
- *
- * This is a callback to our eventloop which will read iohelper's
- * stderr, reallocate @opaque->err_msg and copy data.
- */
-static void
-virFileWrapperFdReadStdErr(int watch ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                           int fd, int events, void *opaque)
-{
-    virFileWrapperFdPtr wfd = (virFileWrapperFdPtr) opaque;
-    char ebuf[1024];
-    ssize_t nread;
-
-    if (events & VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_READABLE) {
-        while ((nread = saferead(fd, ebuf, sizeof(ebuf)))) {
-            if (nread < 0) {
-                if (errno != EAGAIN)
-                    virReportSystemError(errno, "%s",
-                                         _("unable to read iohelper's stderr"));
-                break;
-            }
-
-            if (VIR_REALLOC_N(wfd->err_msg, wfd->err_msg_len + nread + 1) < 0) {
-                virReportOOMError();
-                return;
-            }
-            memcpy(wfd->err_msg + wfd->err_msg_len, ebuf, nread);
-            wfd->err_msg_len += nread;
-            wfd->err_msg[wfd->err_msg_len] = '\0';
-        }
-    }
-
-    if (events & VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_HANGUP) {
-        virEventRemoveHandle(watch);
-        wfd->err_watch = -1;
-    }
-}
-
 /**
  * virFileWrapperFdNew:
  * @fd: pointer to fd to wrap
@@ -245,8 +198,6 @@ virFileWrapperFdNew(int *fd, const char *name, unsigned int flags)
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    ret->err_watch = -1;
-
     mode = fcntl(*fd, F_GETFL);
 
     if (mode < 0) {
@@ -279,38 +230,16 @@ virFileWrapperFdNew(int *fd, const char *name, unsigned int flags)
         virCommandAddArg(ret->cmd, "0");
     }
 
-    /* In order to catch iohelper stderr, we must:
-     * - pass a FD to virCommand (-1 to auto-allocate one)
-     * - change iohelper's env so virLog functions print to stderr
+    /* In order to catch iohelper stderr, we must change
+     * iohelper's env so virLog functions print to stderr
      */
-    ret->err_fd = -1;
-    virCommandSetErrorFD(ret->cmd, &ret->err_fd);
     virCommandAddEnvPair(ret->cmd, "LIBVIRT_LOG_OUTPUTS", "1:stderr");
+    virCommandSetErrorBuffer(ret->cmd, &ret->err_msg);
+    virCommandDoAsyncIO(ret->cmd);
 
     if (virCommandRunAsync(ret->cmd, NULL) < 0)
         goto error;
 
-    /* deliberately don't use virCommandNonblockingFDs here as it is all or
-     * nothing. And we want iohelper's stdin and stdout to block (default).
-     * However, stderr is read within event loop and therefore it must be
-     * nonblocking.*/
-    if (virSetNonBlock(ret->err_fd) < 0) {
-        virReportSystemError(errno, "%s",
-                             _("Failed to set non-blocking "
-                               "file descriptor flag"));
-        goto error;
-    }
-
-    if ((ret->err_watch = virEventAddHandle(ret->err_fd,
-                                            VIR_EVENT_HANDLE_READABLE,
-                                            virFileWrapperFdReadStdErr,
-                                            ret, NULL)) < 0) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
-                       _("unable to register iohelper's "
-                         "stderr FD in the eventloop"));
-        goto error;
-    }
-
     if (VIR_CLOSE(pipefd[!output]) < 0) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s", _("unable to close pipe"));
         goto error;
@@ -389,9 +318,6 @@ virFileWrapperFdFree(virFileWrapperFdPtr wfd)
     if (!wfd)
         return;
 
-    VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(wfd->err_fd);
-    if (wfd->err_watch != -1)
-        virEventRemoveHandle(wfd->err_watch);
     VIR_FREE(wfd->err_msg);
 
     virCommandFree(wfd->cmd);