diff --git a/run-command.c b/run-command.c
index 620a06ca2f..99dc93e730 100644
--- a/run-command.c
+++ b/run-command.c
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ static void child_err_spew(struct child_process *cmd, struct child_err *cerr)
 	switch (cerr->err) {
 	case CHILD_ERR_CHDIR:
 		error_errno("exec '%s': cd to '%s' failed",
-			    cmd->argv[0], cmd->dir);
+			    cmd->args.v[0], cmd->dir);
 		break;
 	case CHILD_ERR_DUP2:
 		error_errno("dup2() in child failed");
@@ -392,12 +392,12 @@ static void child_err_spew(struct child_process *cmd, struct child_err *cerr)
 		error_errno("sigprocmask failed restoring signals");
 		break;
 	case CHILD_ERR_ENOENT:
-		error_errno("cannot run %s", cmd->argv[0]);
+		error_errno("cannot run %s", cmd->args.v[0]);
 		break;
 	case CHILD_ERR_SILENT:
 		break;
 	case CHILD_ERR_ERRNO:
-		error_errno("cannot exec '%s'", cmd->argv[0]);
+		error_errno("cannot exec '%s'", cmd->args.v[0]);
 		break;
 	}
 	set_error_routine(old_errfn);
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ static void child_err_spew(struct child_process *cmd, struct child_err *cerr)
 
 static int prepare_cmd(struct strvec *out, const struct child_process *cmd)
 {
-	if (!cmd->argv[0])
+	if (!cmd->args.v[0])
 		BUG("command is empty");
 
 	/*
@@ -415,11 +415,11 @@ static int prepare_cmd(struct strvec *out, const struct child_process *cmd)
 	strvec_push(out, SHELL_PATH);
 
 	if (cmd->git_cmd) {
-		prepare_git_cmd(out, cmd->argv);
+		prepare_git_cmd(out, cmd->args.v);
 	} else if (cmd->use_shell) {
-		prepare_shell_cmd(out, cmd->argv);
+		prepare_shell_cmd(out, cmd->args.v);
 	} else {
-		strvec_pushv(out, cmd->argv);
+		strvec_pushv(out, cmd->args.v);
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -663,7 +663,7 @@ static void trace_run_command(const struct child_process *cp)
 		trace_add_env(&buf, cp->env);
 	if (cp->git_cmd)
 		strbuf_addstr(&buf, " git");
-	sq_quote_argv_pretty(&buf, cp->argv);
+	sq_quote_argv_pretty(&buf, cp->args.v);
 
 	trace_printf("%s", buf.buf);
 	strbuf_release(&buf);
@@ -676,8 +676,6 @@ int start_command(struct child_process *cmd)
 	int failed_errno;
 	char *str;
 
-	if (!cmd->argv)
-		cmd->argv = cmd->args.v;
 	if (!cmd->env)
 		cmd->env = cmd->env_array.v;
 
@@ -729,7 +727,7 @@ int start_command(struct child_process *cmd)
 			str = "standard error";
 fail_pipe:
 			error("cannot create %s pipe for %s: %s",
-				str, cmd->argv[0], strerror(failed_errno));
+				str, cmd->args.v[0], strerror(failed_errno));
 			child_process_clear(cmd);
 			errno = failed_errno;
 			return -1;
@@ -758,7 +756,7 @@ fail_pipe:
 		failed_errno = errno;
 		cmd->pid = -1;
 		if (!cmd->silent_exec_failure)
-			error_errno("cannot run %s", cmd->argv[0]);
+			error_errno("cannot run %s", cmd->args.v[0]);
 		goto end_of_spawn;
 	}
 
@@ -868,7 +866,7 @@ fail_pipe:
 	}
 	atfork_parent(&as);
 	if (cmd->pid < 0)
-		error_errno("cannot fork() for %s", cmd->argv[0]);
+		error_errno("cannot fork() for %s", cmd->args.v[0]);
 	else if (cmd->clean_on_exit)
 		mark_child_for_cleanup(cmd->pid, cmd);
 
@@ -885,7 +883,7 @@ fail_pipe:
 		 * At this point we know that fork() succeeded, but exec()
 		 * failed. Errors have been reported to our stderr.
 		 */
-		wait_or_whine(cmd->pid, cmd->argv[0], 0);
+		wait_or_whine(cmd->pid, cmd->args.v[0], 0);
 		child_err_spew(cmd, &cerr);
 		failed_errno = errno;
 		cmd->pid = -1;
@@ -902,7 +900,7 @@ end_of_spawn:
 #else
 {
 	int fhin = 0, fhout = 1, fherr = 2;
-	const char **sargv = cmd->argv;
+	const char **sargv = cmd->args.v;
 	struct strvec nargv = STRVEC_INIT;
 
 	if (cmd->no_stdin)
@@ -929,20 +927,20 @@ end_of_spawn:
 		fhout = dup(cmd->out);
 
 	if (cmd->git_cmd)
-		cmd->argv = prepare_git_cmd(&nargv, cmd->argv);
+		cmd->args.v = prepare_git_cmd(&nargv, sargv);
 	else if (cmd->use_shell)
-		cmd->argv = prepare_shell_cmd(&nargv, cmd->argv);
+		cmd->args.v = prepare_shell_cmd(&nargv, sargv);
 
-	cmd->pid = mingw_spawnvpe(cmd->argv[0], cmd->argv, (char**) cmd->env,
+	cmd->pid = mingw_spawnvpe(cmd->args.v[0], cmd->args.v, (char**) cmd->env,
 			cmd->dir, fhin, fhout, fherr);
 	failed_errno = errno;
 	if (cmd->pid < 0 && (!cmd->silent_exec_failure || errno != ENOENT))
-		error_errno("cannot spawn %s", cmd->argv[0]);
+		error_errno("cannot spawn %s", cmd->args.v[0]);
 	if (cmd->clean_on_exit && cmd->pid >= 0)
 		mark_child_for_cleanup(cmd->pid, cmd);
 
 	strvec_clear(&nargv);
-	cmd->argv = sargv;
+	cmd->args.v = sargv;
 	if (fhin != 0)
 		close(fhin);
 	if (fhout != 1)
@@ -992,7 +990,7 @@ end_of_spawn:
 
 int finish_command(struct child_process *cmd)
 {
-	int ret = wait_or_whine(cmd->pid, cmd->argv[0], 0);
+	int ret = wait_or_whine(cmd->pid, cmd->args.v[0], 0);
 	trace2_child_exit(cmd, ret);
 	child_process_clear(cmd);
 	invalidate_lstat_cache();
@@ -1001,7 +999,7 @@ int finish_command(struct child_process *cmd)
 
 int finish_command_in_signal(struct child_process *cmd)
 {
-	int ret = wait_or_whine(cmd->pid, cmd->argv[0], 1);
+	int ret = wait_or_whine(cmd->pid, cmd->args.v[0], 1);
 	trace2_child_exit(cmd, ret);
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/run-command.h b/run-command.h
index 4987826258..c0d1210cc6 100644
--- a/run-command.h
+++ b/run-command.h
@@ -44,21 +44,17 @@
 struct child_process {
 
 	/**
-	 * The .argv member is set up as an array of string pointers (NULL
-	 * terminated), of which .argv[0] is the program name to run (usually
-	 * without a path). If the command to run is a git command, set argv[0] to
-	 * the command name without the 'git-' prefix and set .git_cmd = 1.
+	 * The .args is a `struct strvec', use that API to manipulate
+	 * it, e.g. strvec_pushv() to add an existing "const char **"
+	 * vector.
 	 *
-	 * Note that the ownership of the memory pointed to by .argv stays with the
-	 * caller, but it should survive until `finish_command` completes. If the
-	 * .argv member is NULL, `start_command` will point it at the .args
-	 * `strvec` (so you may use one or the other, but you must use exactly
-	 * one). The memory in .args will be cleaned up automatically during
+	 * If the command to run is a git command, set the first
+	 * element in the strvec to the command name without the
+	 * 'git-' prefix and set .git_cmd = 1.
+	 *
+	 * The memory in .args will be cleaned up automatically during
 	 * `finish_command` (or during `start_command` when it is unsuccessful).
-	 *
 	 */
-	const char **argv;
-
 	struct strvec args;
 	struct strvec env_array;
 	pid_t pid;
diff --git a/sub-process.c b/sub-process.c
index dfa790d3ff..cae56ae6b8 100644
--- a/sub-process.c
+++ b/sub-process.c
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ static int handshake_capabilities(struct child_process *process,
 				*supported_capabilities |= capabilities[i].flag;
 		} else {
 			die("subprocess '%s' requested unsupported capability '%s'",
-			    process->argv[0], p);
+			    process->args.v[0], p);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/trace2/tr2_tgt_event.c b/trace2/tr2_tgt_event.c
index 3a0014417c..bd17ecdc32 100644
--- a/trace2/tr2_tgt_event.c
+++ b/trace2/tr2_tgt_event.c
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ static void fn_child_start_fl(const char *file, int line,
 	jw_object_inline_begin_array(&jw, "argv");
 	if (cmd->git_cmd)
 		jw_array_string(&jw, "git");
-	jw_array_argv(&jw, cmd->argv);
+	jw_array_argv(&jw, cmd->args.v);
 	jw_end(&jw);
 	jw_end(&jw);
 
diff --git a/trace2/tr2_tgt_normal.c b/trace2/tr2_tgt_normal.c
index 58d9e430f0..6e429a3fb9 100644
--- a/trace2/tr2_tgt_normal.c
+++ b/trace2/tr2_tgt_normal.c
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ static void fn_child_start_fl(const char *file, int line,
 	strbuf_addch(&buf_payload, ' ');
 	if (cmd->git_cmd)
 		strbuf_addstr(&buf_payload, "git ");
-	sq_append_quote_argv_pretty(&buf_payload, cmd->argv);
+	sq_append_quote_argv_pretty(&buf_payload, cmd->args.v);
 
 	normal_io_write_fl(file, line, &buf_payload);
 	strbuf_release(&buf_payload);
diff --git a/trace2/tr2_tgt_perf.c b/trace2/tr2_tgt_perf.c
index e4acca13d6..2ff9cf7083 100644
--- a/trace2/tr2_tgt_perf.c
+++ b/trace2/tr2_tgt_perf.c
@@ -335,10 +335,10 @@ static void fn_child_start_fl(const char *file, int line,
 	strbuf_addstr(&buf_payload, " argv:[");
 	if (cmd->git_cmd) {
 		strbuf_addstr(&buf_payload, "git");
-		if (cmd->argv[0])
+		if (cmd->args.nr)
 			strbuf_addch(&buf_payload, ' ');
 	}
-	sq_append_quote_argv_pretty(&buf_payload, cmd->argv);
+	sq_append_quote_argv_pretty(&buf_payload, cmd->args.v);
 	strbuf_addch(&buf_payload, ']');
 
 	perf_io_write_fl(file, line, event_name, NULL, &us_elapsed_absolute,