diff --git a/run-command.c b/run-command.c
index 1fb7fa5a8d..a866a06694 100644
--- a/run-command.c
+++ b/run-command.c
@@ -2,13 +2,12 @@
 #include "run-command.h"
 #include "exec_cmd.h"
 
-int run_command(struct child_process *cmd)
+int start_command(struct child_process *cmd)
 {
-	pid_t pid = fork();
-
-	if (pid < 0)
+	cmd->pid = fork();
+	if (cmd->pid < 0)
 		return -ERR_RUN_COMMAND_FORK;
-	if (!pid) {
+	if (!cmd->pid) {
 		if (cmd->no_stdin) {
 			int fd = open("/dev/null", O_RDWR);
 			dup2(fd, 0);
@@ -23,9 +22,14 @@ int run_command(struct child_process *cmd)
 		}
 		die("exec %s failed.", cmd->argv[0]);
 	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int finish_command(struct child_process *cmd)
+{
 	for (;;) {
 		int status, code;
-		pid_t waiting = waitpid(pid, &status, 0);
+		pid_t waiting = waitpid(cmd->pid, &status, 0);
 
 		if (waiting < 0) {
 			if (errno == EINTR)
@@ -33,7 +37,7 @@ int run_command(struct child_process *cmd)
 			error("waitpid failed (%s)", strerror(errno));
 			return -ERR_RUN_COMMAND_WAITPID;
 		}
-		if (waiting != pid)
+		if (waiting != cmd->pid)
 			return -ERR_RUN_COMMAND_WAITPID_WRONG_PID;
 		if (WIFSIGNALED(status))
 			return -ERR_RUN_COMMAND_WAITPID_SIGNAL;
@@ -47,6 +51,14 @@ int run_command(struct child_process *cmd)
 	}
 }
 
+int run_command(struct child_process *cmd)
+{
+	int code = start_command(cmd);
+	if (code)
+		return code;
+	return finish_command(cmd);
+}
+
 int run_command_v_opt(const char **argv, int opt)
 {
 	struct child_process cmd;
diff --git a/run-command.h b/run-command.h
index f9db2a7f8c..24cdb4eb19 100644
--- a/run-command.h
+++ b/run-command.h
@@ -12,11 +12,14 @@ enum {
 
 struct child_process {
 	const char **argv;
+	pid_t pid;
 	unsigned no_stdin:1;
 	unsigned git_cmd:1; /* if this is to be git sub-command */
 	unsigned stdout_to_stderr:1;
 };
 
+int start_command(struct child_process *);
+int finish_command(struct child_process *);
 int run_command(struct child_process *);
 
 #define RUN_COMMAND_NO_STDIN 1