diff --git a/header_checks/meson.build b/header_checks/meson.build
index ff5b21ee0c..4cc855e218 100644
--- a/header_checks/meson.build
+++ b/header_checks/meson.build
@@ -123,6 +123,20 @@ function_checks = [
   ['dladdr', ['dlfcn.h'],                               ['dl'],  '-D_GNU_SOURCE=1']
 ]
 
+open_cloexec = cc.run('''#include <sys/types.h>
+                      #include <sys/stat.h>
+                      #include <fcntl.h>
+                      int main(int argc, char **argv) {
+                        int res = open(argv[0], O_RDONLY | O_CLOEXEC);
+                        if (res < 0) return 1;
+                        return 0;
+                      }
+                      ''',
+                      name : 'open works with O_CLOEXEC')
+if open_cloexec.compiled() and open_cloexec.returncode() == 0
+  config_h.set10('HAVE_OPEN_CLOEXEC', true)
+endif
+
 strerror_r_char_p = cc.compiles('''#define _GNU_SOURCE
                   #include <string.h>
                   int func (void)
diff --git a/src/lib/eina/eina_file.c b/src/lib/eina/eina_file.c
index cc53f65cce..068aa12e14 100644
--- a/src/lib/eina/eina_file.c
+++ b/src/lib/eina/eina_file.c
@@ -802,19 +802,28 @@ eina_file_open(const char *path, Eina_Bool shared)
    if (!filename) return NULL;
 
    if (shared)
+     {
 #ifdef HAVE_SHM_OPEN
-     fd = shm_open(filename, O_RDONLY, S_IRWXU | S_IRWXG | S_IRWXO);
+        fd = shm_open(filename, O_RDONLY, S_IRWXU | S_IRWXG | S_IRWXO);
+        if ((fd != -1)  && (!eina_file_close_on_exec(fd, EINA_TRUE)))
+          goto on_error;
 #else
-     goto on_error;
+        goto on_error;
 #endif
+     }
    else
-     fd = open(filename, O_RDONLY, S_IRWXU | S_IRWXG | S_IRWXO);
+     {
+#ifdef HAVE_OPEN_CLOEXEC
+        fd = open(filename, O_RDONLY, S_IRWXU | S_IRWXG | S_IRWXO | O_CLOEXEC);
+#else
+        fd = open(filename, O_RDONLY, S_IRWXU | S_IRWXG | S_IRWXO);
+        if ((fd != -1)  && (!eina_file_close_on_exec(fd, EINA_TRUE)))
+          goto on_error;
+#endif
+     }
 
    if (fd < 0) goto on_error;
 
-   if (!eina_file_close_on_exec(fd, EINA_TRUE))
-     goto on_error;
-
    if (fstat(fd, &file_stat))
      goto on_error;
 
diff --git a/src/lib/eina/eina_mmap.c b/src/lib/eina/eina_mmap.c
index 11d8804759..23386dac1d 100644
--- a/src/lib/eina/eina_mmap.c
+++ b/src/lib/eina/eina_mmap.c
@@ -198,10 +198,16 @@ eina_mmap_safety_enabled_set(Eina_Bool enabled)
         /* no zero page device - open it */
         if (_eina_mmap_zero_fd < 0)
           {
+#ifdef HAVE_OPEN_CLOEXEC
+             _eina_mmap_zero_fd = open("/dev/zero", O_RDWR | O_CLOEXEC);
+             /* if we don;'t have one - fail to set up mmap safety */
+             if (_eina_mmap_zero_fd < 0) return EINA_FALSE;
+#else
              _eina_mmap_zero_fd = open("/dev/zero", O_RDWR);
              /* if we don;'t have one - fail to set up mmap safety */
              if (_eina_mmap_zero_fd < 0) return EINA_FALSE;
              eina_file_close_on_exec(_eina_mmap_zero_fd, EINA_TRUE);
+#endif
           }
         /* set up signal handler for SIGBUS */
         sa.sa_sigaction = _eina_mmap_safe_sigbus;