diff --git a/i3-dmenu-desktop b/i3-dmenu-desktop
index bb693350..6e26786d 100755
--- a/i3-dmenu-desktop
+++ b/i3-dmenu-desktop
@@ -366,9 +366,14 @@ binmode $dmenu_in, ':utf8';
 binmode $dmenu_out, ':utf8';
 
 # Feed dmenu the possible choices.
+# Since the process might have already exited, we ignore SIGPIPE.
+$SIG{PIPE} = 'IGNORE';
+
 say $dmenu_in $_ for sort keys %choices;
 close($dmenu_in);
 
+$SIG{PIPE} = 'DEFAULT';
+
 waitpid($pid, 0);
 my $status = ($? >> 8);
 
diff --git a/testcases/t/318-i3-dmenu-desktop.t b/testcases/t/318-i3-dmenu-desktop.t
index 6fd78d48..2ad7f41b 100644
--- a/testcases/t/318-i3-dmenu-desktop.t
+++ b/testcases/t/318-i3-dmenu-desktop.t
@@ -67,10 +67,8 @@ EOT
 
     # complete-run.pl arranges for $PATH to be set up such that the
     # i3-dmenu-desktop version we execute is the one from the build directory.
-    my $exit = system("i3-dmenu-desktop --dmenu 'echo i3-testsuite-$testcnt' &");
-    if ($exit != 0) {
-	die "failed to run i3-dmenu-desktop";
-    }
+    my $exit = system("(i3-dmenu-desktop --dmenu 'echo i3-testsuite-$testcnt' || echo failed with \$? > $tmpdir/fifo) &");
+    die "failed to start i3-dmenu-desktop" unless $exit == 0;
 
     chomp($want_arg);  # trim trailing newline
     my $got_args = decode_json(slurp("$tmpdir/fifo"));