diff --git a/src/Driver/Fuse/FuseService.cpp b/src/Driver/Fuse/FuseService.cpp
index 2df69514..812f6e87 100644
--- a/src/Driver/Fuse/FuseService.cpp
+++ b/src/Driver/Fuse/FuseService.cpp
@@ -823,6 +823,12 @@ namespace VeraCrypt
 
 	uint64 FuseService::Mount (shared_ptr <Volume> openVolume, VolumeSlotNumber slotNumber, const string &fuseMountPoint)
 	{
+#if defined(TC_MACOSX) && defined(VC_MACOSX_FUSET)
+		// Keep the descriptor in the service across fork, but do not let exec'd
+		// helpers retain the backing file after the service exits.
+		openVolume->GetFile()->SetCloseOnExec();
+#endif
+
 		list <string> args;
 		args.push_back (FuseService::GetDeviceType());
 		args.push_back (fuseMountPoint);
@@ -1079,7 +1085,15 @@ namespace VeraCrypt
 			_exit (0);
 		}
 
+#if defined(TC_MACOSX) && defined(VC_MACOSX_FUSET)
+		// Keep the backend from delaying EOF when the service exits.
+		int signalPipeWriteFd = SignalHandlerPipe->GetWriteFD();
+		int signalPipeFlags = fcntl (signalPipeWriteFd, F_GETFD);
+		throw_sys_if (signalPipeFlags == -1);
+		throw_sys_if (fcntl (signalPipeWriteFd, F_SETFD, signalPipeFlags | FD_CLOEXEC) == -1);
+#else
 		SignalHandlerPipe->GetWriteFD();
+#endif
 
 #if defined(TC_MACOSX) && defined(VC_MACOSX_FUSET)
 		_exit (fuse_service_main (argc, argv, &fuse_service_oper));
diff --git a/src/Platform/File.h b/src/Platform/File.h
index 6fd6d889..39b79bd7 100644
--- a/src/Platform/File.h
+++ b/src/Platform/File.h
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ namespace VeraCrypt
 		uint64 ReadAt (const BufferPtr &buffer, uint64 position) const;
 		void SeekAt (uint64 position) const;
 		void SeekEnd (int ofset) const;
+#ifndef TC_WINDOWS
+		void SetCloseOnExec ();
+#endif
 		void SetLength (uint64 length) const;
 		void Write (const ConstBufferPtr &buffer) const;
 		void Write (const ConstBufferPtr &buffer, size_t length) const { Write (buffer.GetRange (0, length)); }
diff --git a/src/Platform/Unix/File.cpp b/src/Platform/Unix/File.cpp
index 98108afd..c1eb3461 100644
--- a/src/Platform/Unix/File.cpp
+++ b/src/Platform/Unix/File.cpp
@@ -412,6 +412,14 @@ namespace VeraCrypt
 		throw_sys_sub_if (lseek (FileHandle, offset, SEEK_END) == -1, wstring (Path));
 	}
 
+	void File::SetCloseOnExec ()
+	{
+		if_debug (ValidateState());
+		int flags = fcntl (FileHandle, F_GETFD);
+		throw_sys_sub_if (flags == -1, wstring (Path));
+		throw_sys_sub_if (fcntl (FileHandle, F_SETFD, flags | FD_CLOEXEC) == -1, wstring (Path));
+	}
+
 	void File::SetLength (uint64 length) const
 	{
 		if_debug (ValidateState());