--- programs/mythbackend/housekeeper.cpp.housekeeper	2005-12-27 00:20:47.000000000 -0500
+++ programs/mythbackend/housekeeper.cpp	2006-05-22 23:43:48.000000000 -0400
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <signal.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <qsqldatabase.h>
 #include <qsqlquery.h>
@@ -17,15 +18,10 @@
 
 #include "libmyth/mythcontext.h"
 #include "libmyth/mythdbcon.h"
+#include "libmyth/exitcodes.h"
 
 bool HouseKeeper_filldb_running = false;
 
-void reapChild(int /* sig */)
-{
-    (void)wait(0);
-    HouseKeeper_filldb_running = false;
-}
-
 HouseKeeper::HouseKeeper(bool runthread, bool master)
 {
     isMaster = master;
@@ -276,6 +272,13 @@
     }
 }
 
+struct housekeep_thread_info {
+    const char *cmd;
+    int cmd_started;
+};
+
+static void *doRunFillDatabase(void *);
+
 void HouseKeeper::runFillDatabase()
 {
     QString command;
@@ -291,15 +294,94 @@
     else
         command = QString("%1 %2 >>%3 2>&1").arg(mfpath).arg(mfarg).arg(mflog);
 
-    signal(SIGCHLD, &reapChild);
+    pthread_t housekeep_thread;
+
+    pthread_attr_t attr;
+    pthread_attr_init(&attr);
+    pthread_attr_setdetachstate(&attr, PTHREAD_CREATE_DETACHED);
+
+    struct housekeep_thread_info housekeep_info;
+
+    housekeep_info.cmd=command.ascii();
+    housekeep_info.cmd_started=0;
+
+    pthread_create(&housekeep_thread, &attr, doRunFillDatabase,
+		   &housekeep_info);
+    pthread_attr_destroy(&attr);
+
+    while (!housekeep_info.cmd_started)
+    {
+	sleep(1);
+    }
+}
+
+static void filldb_done(void *)
+{
+    HouseKeeper_filldb_running = false;
+}
+
+static void *doRunFillDatabase(void *arg)
+{
+    struct housekeep_thread_info *hinfo=
+	(struct housekeep_thread_info *)arg;
+
+    pid_t p=fork();
+
+    if (p < 0)
+    {
+	hinfo->cmd_started=1;
+
+	VERBOSE(VB_IMPORTANT,
+		QString("doRunFillDatabase(): Error, fork() failed because %1")
+		.arg(strerror(errno)));
+	return 0;
+    }
+
+    if (p == 0)
+    {
+	for(int i = 3; i < sysconf(_SC_OPEN_MAX) - 1; ++i)
+	    close(i);
+
+	/* Attach stdin to /dev/null */
+        int fd = open("/dev/null", O_RDONLY);
+        dup2(fd, 0);
+
+	if (fd != 0)
+	    close(fd);
+
+        execl("/bin/sh", "sh", "-c", hinfo->cmd, NULL);
+        if (errno)
+        {
+            VERBOSE(VB_IMPORTANT,
+                    QString("doRunFillDatabase(): Error, execl() failed because %1")
+                    .arg(strerror(errno)));
+        }
+	_exit(MYTHSYSTEM__EXIT__EXECL_ERROR);
+    }
+
     HouseKeeper_filldb_running = true;
-    if (fork() == 0)
+
+    pthread_cleanup_push(filldb_done, NULL);
+
+    hinfo->cmd_started=1;
+
+    int status;
+
+    if (waitpid(p, &status, 0) < 0)
     {
-        for(int i = 3; i < sysconf(_SC_OPEN_MAX) - 1; ++i)
-            close(i);
-        system(command.ascii());
-        _exit(0); // this exit is ok, non-error exit from system command.
+	VERBOSE(VB_IMPORTANT,
+		QString("doRunFillDatabase(): Error, waitpid() failed because %1")
+		.arg(strerror(errno)));
     }
+    else if (status != 0)
+    {
+	VERBOSE(VB_IMPORTANT,
+		QString("doRunFillDatabase(): mythfilldatabase terminated with exit code %1")
+		.arg(status));
+    }
+
+    pthread_cleanup_pop(1);
+    return 0;
 }
 
 void HouseKeeper::CleanupMyOldRecordings(void)