diff --git a/src/main/main.c b/src/main/main.c
index 05067e03d..1a28140a5 100644
--- a/src/main/main.c
+++ b/src/main/main.c
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@
 struct program program;
 int epoll_fd;
 int master_sem = -1;
-int slave_sem = -1;
 int shared_mem_ipc = -1;
 unsigned char *shared_mem = NULL;
 
@@ -119,18 +118,16 @@ init_master_ipc(void)
 {
 #if defined(HAVE_SYS_IPC_H) && defined(HAVE_SYS_SEM_H) && defined(HAVE_SYS_SHM_H)
 	struct string filename;
-	key_t k1, k2, k3;
+	key_t k1, k2;
 
 	if (!get_sun_path(&filename))
 		return;
 	k1 = ftok(filename.source, 1);
 	k2 = ftok(filename.source, 2);
-	k3 = ftok(filename.source, 3);
 	master_sem = sem_create(k1, 0);
-	slave_sem = sem_create(k2, 0);
-	shared_mem_ipc = shmget(k3, 4096, 0600 | IPC_CREAT | IPC_EXCL);
+	shared_mem_ipc = shmget(k2, 4096, 0600 | IPC_CREAT | IPC_EXCL);
 	if (shared_mem_ipc == -1 && errno == EEXIST)
-		shared_mem_ipc = shmget(k3, 4096, 0600);
+		shared_mem_ipc = shmget(k2, 4096, 0600);
 	if (shared_mem_ipc >= 0) {
 		shared_mem = shmat(shared_mem_ipc, NULL, 0);
 	}
@@ -143,16 +140,14 @@ init_slave_ipc(void)
 {
 #if defined(HAVE_SYS_IPC_H) && defined(HAVE_SYS_SEM_H) && defined(HAVE_SYS_SHM_H)
 	struct string filename;
-	key_t k1, k2, k3;
+	key_t k1, k2;
 
 	if (!get_sun_path(&filename))
 		return;
 	k1 = ftok(filename.source, 1);
 	k2 = ftok(filename.source, 2);
-	k3 = ftok(filename.source, 3);
 	master_sem = sem_open(k1);
-	slave_sem = sem_open(k2);
-	shared_mem_ipc = shmget(k3, 4096, 0600);
+	shared_mem_ipc = shmget(k2, 4096, 0600);
 	if (shared_mem_ipc >= 0) {
 		shared_mem = shmat(shared_mem_ipc, NULL, 0);
 	}
@@ -168,8 +163,6 @@ done_ipc(void)
 		shmdt(shared_mem);
 	if (master_sem >= 0)
 		sem_close(master_sem);
-	if (slave_sem >= 0)
-		sem_close(slave_sem);
 	/* shared_mem_ipc will be automatically done by sem_close() */
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/src/mime/backend/mailcap.c b/src/mime/backend/mailcap.c
index 8bda39fe7..65e0eb2a7 100644
--- a/src/mime/backend/mailcap.c
+++ b/src/mime/backend/mailcap.c
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@
 #include "util/string.h"
 
 extern int master_sem;
-extern int slave_sem;
 extern unsigned char *shared_mem;
 
 struct mailcap_hash_item {
@@ -678,10 +677,12 @@ get_mime_handler_mailcap(unsigned char *type, struct terminal *term)
 	unsigned char *desc, *data;
 	int block, len;
 #endif
-	if (!term || term->master || slave_sem == -1)
+	if (!term || term->master || master_sem == -1)
 		return get_mime_handler_mailcap_common(type);
 
 #if defined(HAVE_SYS_IPC_H) && defined(HAVE_SYS_SEM_H) && defined(HAVE_SYS_SHM_H)
+	if (!shared_mem)
+		return NULL;
 	len = strlen(type) + 1;
 	data = fmem_alloc(2 + len);
 	if (!data)
@@ -692,10 +693,7 @@ get_mime_handler_mailcap(unsigned char *type, struct terminal *term)
 	hard_write(term->fdout, data, len + 2);
 	fmem_free(data);
 
-	if (!shared_mem)
-		return NULL;
 	shared_mem[0] = '\0'; /* For unexpected death of slave. */
-	sem_signal(slave_sem);
 	sem_wait(master_sem);
 	if (!*shared_mem)
 		return NULL;
@@ -713,7 +711,6 @@ void
 get_slave_mailcap(unsigned char *type)
 {
 #if defined(HAVE_SYS_IPC_H) && defined(HAVE_SYS_SEM_H) && defined(HAVE_SYS_SHM_H)
-	sem_wait(slave_sem);
 	if (shared_mem) {
 		struct mailcap_entry *entry;
 		unsigned char *program;