diff --git a/git-compat-util.h b/git-compat-util.h
index c6d391f86..076461e8c 100644
--- a/git-compat-util.h
+++ b/git-compat-util.h
@@ -389,7 +389,6 @@ struct strbuf;
 
 /* General helper functions */
 extern void vreportf(const char *prefix, const char *err, va_list params);
-extern void vwritef(int fd, const char *prefix, const char *err, va_list params);
 extern NORETURN void usage(const char *err);
 extern NORETURN void usagef(const char *err, ...) __attribute__((format (printf, 1, 2)));
 extern NORETURN void die(const char *err, ...) __attribute__((format (printf, 1, 2)));
@@ -425,6 +424,7 @@ static inline int const_error(void)
 extern void set_die_routine(NORETURN_PTR void (*routine)(const char *err, va_list params));
 extern void set_error_routine(void (*routine)(const char *err, va_list params));
 extern void set_die_is_recursing_routine(int (*routine)(void));
+extern void set_error_handle(FILE *);
 
 extern int starts_with(const char *str, const char *prefix);
 
diff --git a/run-command.c b/run-command.c
index 4d73e90fa..0d01671c1 100644
--- a/run-command.c
+++ b/run-command.c
@@ -200,7 +200,6 @@ static int execv_shell_cmd(const char **argv)
 #endif
 
 #ifndef GIT_WINDOWS_NATIVE
-static int child_err = 2;
 static int child_notifier = -1;
 
 static void notify_parent(void)
@@ -212,17 +211,6 @@ static void notify_parent(void)
 	 */
 	xwrite(child_notifier, "", 1);
 }
-
-static NORETURN void die_child(const char *err, va_list params)
-{
-	vwritef(child_err, "fatal: ", err, params);
-	exit(128);
-}
-
-static void error_child(const char *err, va_list params)
-{
-	vwritef(child_err, "error: ", err, params);
-}
 #endif
 
 static inline void set_cloexec(int fd)
@@ -362,11 +350,10 @@ int start_command(struct child_process *cmd)
 		 * in subsequent call paths use the parent's stderr.
 		 */
 		if (cmd->no_stderr || need_err) {
-			child_err = dup(2);
+			int child_err = dup(2);
 			set_cloexec(child_err);
+			set_error_handle(fdopen(child_err, "w"));
 		}
-		set_die_routine(die_child);
-		set_error_routine(error_child);
 
 		close(notify_pipe[0]);
 		set_cloexec(notify_pipe[1]);
diff --git a/usage.c b/usage.c
index ed146453c..e4fa6d2f0 100644
--- a/usage.c
+++ b/usage.c
@@ -6,23 +6,14 @@
 #include "git-compat-util.h"
 #include "cache.h"
 
+static FILE *error_handle;
+
 void vreportf(const char *prefix, const char *err, va_list params)
 {
 	char msg[4096];
+	FILE *fh = error_handle ? error_handle : stderr;
 	vsnprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), err, params);
-	fprintf(stderr, "%s%s\n", prefix, msg);
-}
-
-void vwritef(int fd, const char *prefix, const char *err, va_list params)
-{
-	char msg[4096];
-	int len = vsnprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), err, params);
-	if (len > sizeof(msg))
-		len = sizeof(msg);
-
-	write_in_full(fd, prefix, strlen(prefix));
-	write_in_full(fd, msg, len);
-	write_in_full(fd, "\n", 1);
+	fprintf(fh, "%s%s\n", prefix, msg);
 }
 
 static NORETURN void usage_builtin(const char *err, va_list params)
@@ -76,6 +67,11 @@ void set_die_is_recursing_routine(int (*routine)(void))
 	die_is_recursing = routine;
 }
 
+void set_error_handle(FILE *fh)
+{
+	error_handle = fh;
+}
+
 void NORETURN usagef(const char *err, ...)
 {
 	va_list params;