diff --git a/src/bin/ephoto_ipc.c b/src/bin/ephoto_ipc.c
index be1084f..35372d3 100644
--- a/src/bin/ephoto_ipc.c
+++ b/src/bin/ephoto_ipc.c
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@
 #undef ERR
 #define ERR(...)        do { printf(__VA_ARGS__); putc('\n', stdout); } while(0)
 
-char *e_ipc_socket = NULL;
-
 #ifdef USE_IPC
 /* local subsystem functions */
 static Eina_Bool _e_ipc_cb_client_del(void *data EINA_UNUSED, int type EINA_UNUSED, void *event);
@@ -17,53 +15,19 @@ static Ecore_Ipc_Server *_e_ipc_server = NULL;
 int
 e_ipc_init(void)
 {
-   char buf[4096], buf3[4096];
-   const char *tmp, *user, *base = NULL;
-   int pid, trynum = 0, id1 = 0;
-
-   tmp = eina_environment_tmp_get();
-   if (ecore_file_is_dir(tmp) && ecore_file_can_write(tmp))
-     base = tmp;
-   else
-     ERR("Temp dir could not be accessed");
-
-#ifdef _WIN32
-   user = getenv("USERNAME");
-#else
-   user = getenv("USER");
-#endif
-
-   setenv("EPHOTO_IPC_SOCKET", "", 1);
-
-   pid = (int)getpid();
-   for (trynum = 0; trynum <= 4096; trynum++)
-     {
-        snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s/e-%s@%x",
-                 base, user, id1);
-        if (!mkdir(buf, S_IRWXU))
-          {
-#ifdef USE_IPC
-             snprintf(buf3, sizeof(buf3), "%s/%i",
-                      buf, pid);
-             _e_ipc_server = ecore_ipc_server_add
-                (ECORE_IPC_LOCAL_SYSTEM, buf3, 0, NULL);
-             if (_e_ipc_server)
-#endif
-               {
-                  e_ipc_socket = strdup(ecore_file_file_get(buf));
-                  break;
-               }
-          }
-        id1 = rand();
-     }
 #ifdef USE_IPC
+   int port = getpid();
+   /* NOTE: windows has no getppid(), so use an envvar */
+   char port_str[sizeof("2147483648")] = "";
+   snprintf(port_str, sizeof(port_str), "%d", port);
+   setenv("EPHOTO_IPC_PORT", port_str, 1);
+   _e_ipc_server = ecore_ipc_server_add
+     (ECORE_IPC_LOCAL_SYSTEM, "ephoto", port, NULL);
    if (!_e_ipc_server)
      {
-        ERR("Gave up after 4096 sockets in '%s'. All failed", base);
+        ERR("Couldn't create Ephoto IPC server port=%d", port);
         return 0;
      }
-   setenv("EPHOTO_IPC_SOCKET", "", 1);
-   setenv("EPHOTO_IPC_SOCKET", buf3, 1);
    ecore_event_handler_add(ECORE_IPC_EVENT_CLIENT_DEL,
                            _e_ipc_cb_client_del, NULL);
    ecore_event_handler_add(ECORE_IPC_EVENT_CLIENT_DATA,
@@ -82,7 +46,6 @@ e_ipc_shutdown(void)
         _e_ipc_server = NULL;
      }
 #endif
-   free(e_ipc_socket);
    return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/bin/ephoto_thumbnailer.c b/src/bin/ephoto_thumbnailer.c
index 8454a03..acc7243 100644
--- a/src/bin/ephoto_thumbnailer.c
+++ b/src/bin/ephoto_thumbnailer.c
@@ -114,19 +114,20 @@ main(int argc,
 static int
 _e_ipc_init(void)
 {
-   char *sdir;
-
-   sdir = getenv("EPHOTO_IPC_SOCKET");
-   if (!sdir)
+   const char *port_str = getenv("EPHOTO_IPC_PORT");
+   int port;
+   if ((!port_str) || ((port = atoi(port_str)) == 0))
      {
-        printf("The EPHOTO_IPC_SOCKET environment variable is not set. This is\n"
-               "exported by Enlightenment to all processes it launches.\n"
-               "This environment variable must be set and must point to\n"
-               "Enlightenment's IPC socket file (minus port number).\n");
+        printf("Error: could not query Ephoto IPC port=%s\n", port_str);
+        return 0;
+     }
+   _e_ipc_server = ecore_ipc_server_connect
+     (ECORE_IPC_LOCAL_SYSTEM, "ephoto", port, NULL);
+   if (!_e_ipc_server)
+     {
+        printf("Error: could not connect to Ephoto IPC port=%d\n", port);
         return 0;
      }
-   _e_ipc_server = ecore_ipc_server_connect(ECORE_IPC_LOCAL_SYSTEM, sdir, 0, NULL);
-   if (!_e_ipc_server) return 0;
 
    ecore_event_handler_add(ECORE_IPC_EVENT_SERVER_ADD, _e_ipc_cb_server_add, NULL);
    ecore_event_handler_add(ECORE_IPC_EVENT_SERVER_DEL, _e_ipc_cb_server_del, NULL);