diff --git a/cmd/fshim/ipc/payload.go b/cmd/fshim/ipc/payload.go
index f6b0c92..d833073 100644
--- a/cmd/fshim/ipc/payload.go
+++ b/cmd/fshim/ipc/payload.go
@@ -1,11 +1,7 @@
 package shim0
 
 import (
-	"encoding/gob"
-	"net"
-
 	"git.ophivana.moe/security/fortify/helper/bwrap"
-	"git.ophivana.moe/security/fortify/internal/fmsg"
 )
 
 const Env = "FORTIFY_SHIM"
@@ -23,13 +19,3 @@ type Payload struct {
 	// verbosity pass through
 	Verbose bool
 }
-
-func (p *Payload) Serve(conn *net.UnixConn) error {
-	if err := gob.NewEncoder(conn).Encode(*p); err != nil {
-		return fmsg.WrapErrorSuffix(err,
-			"cannot stream shim payload:")
-	}
-
-	return fmsg.WrapErrorSuffix(conn.Close(),
-		"cannot close setup connection:")
-}
diff --git a/cmd/fshim/ipc/shim/shim.go b/cmd/fshim/ipc/shim/shim.go
index 4b6b5f8..383f3fc 100644
--- a/cmd/fshim/ipc/shim/shim.go
+++ b/cmd/fshim/ipc/shim/shim.go
@@ -1,18 +1,16 @@
 package shim
 
 import (
+	"encoding/gob"
 	"errors"
-	"net"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"os/signal"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
-	"sync"
-	"sync/atomic"
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
-	"git.ophivana.moe/security/fortify/acl"
 	shim0 "git.ophivana.moe/security/fortify/cmd/fshim/ipc"
 	"git.ophivana.moe/security/fortify/internal"
 	"git.ophivana.moe/security/fortify/internal/fmsg"
@@ -32,20 +30,14 @@ type Shim struct {
 	aid string
 	// string representation of supplementary group ids
 	supp []string
-	// path to setup socket
-	socket string
-	// shim setup abort reason and completion
-	abort     chan error
-	abortErr  atomic.Pointer[error]
-	abortOnce sync.Once
 	// fallback exit notifier with error returned killing the process
 	killFallback chan error
 	// shim setup payload
 	payload *shim0.Payload
 }
 
-func New(uid uint32, aid string, supp []string, socket string, payload *shim0.Payload) *Shim {
-	return &Shim{uid: uid, aid: aid, supp: supp, socket: socket, payload: payload}
+func New(uid uint32, aid string, supp []string, payload *shim0.Payload) *Shim {
+	return &Shim{uid: uid, aid: aid, supp: supp, payload: payload}
 }
 
 func (s *Shim) String() string {
@@ -59,39 +51,11 @@ func (s *Shim) Unwrap() *exec.Cmd {
 	return s.cmd
 }
 
-func (s *Shim) Abort(err error) {
-	s.abortOnce.Do(func() {
-		s.abortErr.Store(&err)
-		// s.abort is buffered so this will never block
-		s.abort <- err
-	})
-}
-
-func (s *Shim) AbortWait(err error) {
-	s.Abort(err)
-	<-s.abort
-}
-
 func (s *Shim) WaitFallback() chan error {
 	return s.killFallback
 }
 
 func (s *Shim) Start() (*time.Time, error) {
-	var (
-		cf     chan *net.UnixConn
-		accept func()
-	)
-
-	// listen on setup socket
-	if c, a, err := s.serve(); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmsg.WrapErrorSuffix(err,
-			"cannot listen on shim setup socket:")
-	} else {
-		// accepts a connection after each call to accept
-		// connections are sent to the channel cf
-		cf, accept = c, a
-	}
-
 	// start user switcher process and save time
 	var fsu string
 	if p, ok := internal.Check(internal.Fsu); !ok {
@@ -101,10 +65,19 @@ func (s *Shim) Start() (*time.Time, error) {
 		fsu = p
 	}
 	s.cmd = exec.Command(fsu)
-	s.cmd.Env = []string{
-		shim0.Env + "=" + s.socket,
-		"FORTIFY_APP_ID=" + s.aid,
+
+	var encoder *gob.Encoder
+	if fd, e, err := proc.Setup(&s.cmd.ExtraFiles); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmsg.WrapErrorSuffix(err,
+			"cannot create shim setup pipe:")
+	} else {
+		encoder = e
+		s.cmd.Env = []string{
+			shim0.Env + "=" + strconv.Itoa(fd),
+			"FORTIFY_APP_ID=" + s.aid,
+		}
 	}
+
 	if len(s.supp) > 0 {
 		fmsg.VPrintf("attaching supplementary group ids %s", s.supp)
 		s.cmd.Env = append(s.cmd.Env, "FORTIFY_GROUPS="+strings.Join(s.supp, " "))
@@ -145,117 +118,20 @@ func (s *Shim) Start() (*time.Time, error) {
 		signal.Ignore(syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGTERM)
 	}()
 
-	accept()
-	var conn *net.UnixConn
+	shimErr := make(chan error)
+	go func() { shimErr <- encoder.Encode(s.payload) }()
+
 	select {
-	case c := <-cf:
-		if c == nil {
-			return &startTime, fmsg.WrapErrorSuffix(*s.abortErr.Load(), "cannot accept call on setup socket:")
-		} else {
-			conn = c
+	case err := <-shimErr:
+		if err != nil {
+			return &startTime, fmsg.WrapErrorSuffix(err,
+				"cannot transmit shim config:")
 		}
-	case <-time.After(shimSetupTimeout):
-		err := fmsg.WrapError(errors.New("timed out waiting for shim"),
-			"timed out waiting for shim to connect")
-		s.AbortWait(err)
-		return &startTime, err
-	}
-
-	// authenticate against called provided uid and shim pid
-	if cred, err := peerCred(conn); err != nil {
-		return &startTime, fmsg.WrapErrorSuffix(*s.abortErr.Load(), "cannot retrieve shim credentials:")
-	} else if cred.Uid != s.uid {
-		fmsg.Printf("process %d owned by user %d tried to connect, expecting %d",
-			cred.Pid, cred.Uid, s.uid)
-		err = errors.New("compromised fortify build")
-		s.Abort(err)
-		return &startTime, err
-	} else if cred.Pid != int32(s.cmd.Process.Pid) {
-		fmsg.Printf("process %d tried to connect to shim setup socket, expecting shim %d",
-			cred.Pid, s.cmd.Process.Pid)
-		err = errors.New("compromised target user")
-		s.Abort(err)
-		return &startTime, err
-	}
-
-	// serve payload
-	// this also closes the connection
-	err := s.payload.Serve(conn)
-	if err == nil {
 		killShim = func() {}
+	case <-time.After(shimSetupTimeout):
+		return &startTime, fmsg.WrapError(errors.New("timed out waiting for shim"),
+			"timed out waiting for shim")
 	}
-	s.Abort(err) // aborting with nil indicates success
-	return &startTime, err
-}
-
-func (s *Shim) serve() (chan *net.UnixConn, func(), error) {
-	if s.abort != nil {
-		panic("attempted to serve shim setup twice")
-	}
-	s.abort = make(chan error, 1)
-
-	cf := make(chan *net.UnixConn)
-	accept := make(chan struct{}, 1)
-
-	if l, err := net.ListenUnix("unix", &net.UnixAddr{Name: s.socket, Net: "unix"}); err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, err
-	} else {
-		l.SetUnlinkOnClose(true)
-
-		fmsg.VPrintf("listening on shim setup socket %q", s.socket)
-		if err = acl.UpdatePerm(s.socket, int(s.uid), acl.Read, acl.Write, acl.Execute); err != nil {
-			fmsg.Println("cannot append ACL entry to shim setup socket:", err)
-			s.Abort(err) // ensures setup socket cleanup
-		}
-
-		go func() {
-			cfWg := new(sync.WaitGroup)
-			for {
-				select {
-				case err = <-s.abort:
-					if err != nil {
-						fmsg.VPrintln("aborting shim setup, reason:", err)
-					}
-					if err = l.Close(); err != nil {
-						fmsg.Println("cannot close setup socket:", err)
-					}
-					close(s.abort)
-					go func() {
-						cfWg.Wait()
-						close(cf)
-					}()
-					return
-				case <-accept:
-					cfWg.Add(1)
-					go func() {
-						defer cfWg.Done()
-						if conn, err0 := l.AcceptUnix(); err0 != nil {
-							// breaks loop
-							s.Abort(err0)
-							// receiver sees nil value and loads err0 stored during abort
-							cf <- nil
-						} else {
-							cf <- conn
-						}
-					}()
-				}
-			}
-		}()
-	}
-
-	return cf, func() { accept <- struct{}{} }, nil
-}
-
-// peerCred fetches peer credentials of conn
-func peerCred(conn *net.UnixConn) (ucred *syscall.Ucred, err error) {
-	var raw syscall.RawConn
-	if raw, err = conn.SyscallConn(); err != nil {
-		return
-	}
-
-	err0 := raw.Control(func(fd uintptr) {
-		ucred, err = syscall.GetsockoptUcred(int(fd), syscall.SOL_SOCKET, syscall.SO_PEERCRED)
-	})
-	err = errors.Join(err, err0)
-	return
+
+	return &startTime, nil
 }
diff --git a/cmd/fshim/main.go b/cmd/fshim/main.go
index d48a294..84ce700 100644
--- a/cmd/fshim/main.go
+++ b/cmd/fshim/main.go
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"encoding/gob"
-	"net"
+	"errors"
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"strconv"
@@ -38,15 +37,6 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// lookup socket path from environment
-	var socketPath string
-	if s, ok := os.LookupEnv(shim.Env); !ok {
-		fmsg.Fatal("FORTIFY_SHIM not set")
-		panic("unreachable")
-	} else {
-		socketPath = s
-	}
-
 	// check path to finit
 	var finitPath string
 	if p, ok := internal.Path(internal.Finit); !ok {
@@ -55,21 +45,24 @@ func main() {
 		finitPath = p
 	}
 
-	// dial setup socket
-	var conn *net.UnixConn
-	if c, err := net.DialUnix("unix", nil, &net.UnixAddr{Name: socketPath, Net: "unix"}); err != nil {
-		fmsg.Fatal(err.Error())
+	// receive setup payload
+	var (
+		payload    shim.Payload
+		closeSetup func() error
+	)
+	if f, err := proc.Receive(shim.Env, &payload); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, proc.ErrInvalid) {
+			fmsg.Fatal("invalid config descriptor")
+		}
+		if errors.Is(err, proc.ErrNotSet) {
+			fmsg.Fatal("FORTIFY_SHIM not set")
+		}
+
+		fmsg.Fatalf("cannot decode shim setup payload: %v", err)
 		panic("unreachable")
-	} else {
-		conn = c
-	}
-
-	// decode payload gob stream
-	var payload shim.Payload
-	if err := gob.NewDecoder(conn).Decode(&payload); err != nil {
-		fmsg.Fatalf("cannot decode shim payload: %v", err)
 	} else {
 		fmsg.SetVerbose(payload.Verbose)
+		closeSetup = f
 	}
 
 	if payload.Bwrap == nil {
@@ -82,8 +75,8 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	// close setup socket
-	if err := conn.Close(); err != nil {
-		fmsg.Println("cannot close setup socket:", err)
+	if err := closeSetup(); err != nil {
+		fmsg.Println("cannot close setup pipe:", err)
 		// not fatal
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/fsu/main.go b/cmd/fsu/main.go
index d232818..2412a0e 100644
--- a/cmd/fsu/main.go
+++ b/cmd/fsu/main.go
@@ -83,17 +83,17 @@ func main() {
 		uid += aid
 	}
 
-	// pass through setup path to shim
-	var shimSetupPath string
+	// pass through setup fd to shim
+	var shimSetupFd string
 	if s, ok := os.LookupEnv(envShim); !ok {
 		// fortify requests target uid
 		// print resolved uid and exit
 		fmt.Print(uid)
 		os.Exit(0)
-	} else if !path.IsAbs(s) {
-		log.Fatal("FORTIFY_SHIM is not absolute")
+	} else if len(s) != 1 || s[0] > '9' || s[0] < '3' {
+		log.Fatal("FORTIFY_SHIM holds an invalid value")
 	} else {
-		shimSetupPath = s
+		shimSetupFd = s
 	}
 
 	// supplementary groups
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func main() {
 	if _, _, errno := syscall.AllThreadsSyscall(syscall.SYS_PRCTL, PR_SET_NO_NEW_PRIVS, 1, 0); errno != 0 {
 		log.Fatalf("cannot set no_new_privs flag: %s", errno.Error())
 	}
-	if err := syscall.Exec(fshim, []string{"fshim"}, []string{envShim + "=" + shimSetupPath}); err != nil {
+	if err := syscall.Exec(fshim, []string{"fshim"}, []string{envShim + "=" + shimSetupFd}); err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("cannot start shim: %v", err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/app/start.go b/internal/app/start.go
index 9186451..1ebc94f 100644
--- a/internal/app/start.go
+++ b/internal/app/start.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os/exec"
-	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -46,7 +45,6 @@ func (a *app) Start() error {
 		uint32(a.seal.sys.UID()),
 		a.seal.sys.user.as,
 		a.seal.sys.user.supp,
-		path.Join(a.seal.share, "shim"),
 		&shim0.Payload{
 			Argv:  a.seal.command,
 			Exec:  shimExec,
@@ -252,12 +250,6 @@ func (a *app) Wait() (int, error) {
 				}
 			}
 
-			if a.shim.Unwrap() == nil {
-				fmsg.VPrintln("fault before shim start")
-			} else {
-				a.shim.AbortWait(errors.New("shim exited"))
-			}
-
 			if a.seal.sys.needRevert {
 				if err := a.seal.sys.Revert(ec); err != nil {
 					return err.(RevertCompoundError)