diff --git a/scripts/arch-run.bash b/scripts/arch-run.bash
index ee807ab..de16d59 100644
--- a/scripts/arch-run.bash
+++ b/scripts/arch-run.bash
@@ -162,6 +162,11 @@
 	mkfifo ${src_outfifo}
 	mkfifo ${dst_outfifo}
 
+	# Holding both ends of the input fifo open prevents opens from
+	# blocking and readers getting EOF when a writer closes it.
+	mkfifo ${dst_infifo}
+	exec {dst_infifo_fd}<>${dst_infifo}
+
 	eval "$migcmdline" \
 		-chardev socket,id=mon,path=${src_qmp},server=on,wait=off \
 		-mon chardev=mon,mode=control > ${src_outfifo} &
@@ -195,14 +200,10 @@
 
 do_migration ()
 {
-	# We have to use cat to open the named FIFO, because named FIFO's,
-	# unlike pipes, will block on open() until the other end is also
-	# opened, and that totally breaks QEMU...
-	mkfifo ${dst_infifo}
 	eval "$migcmdline" \
 		-chardev socket,id=mon,path=${dst_qmp},server=on,wait=off \
 		-mon chardev=mon,mode=control -incoming unix:${dst_incoming} \
-		< <(cat ${dst_infifo}) > ${dst_outfifo} &
+		< ${dst_infifo} > ${dst_outfifo} &
 	incoming_pid=$!
 	cat ${dst_outfifo} | tee ${dst_out} | filter_quiet_msgs &
 
@@ -249,7 +250,6 @@
 
 	# keypress to dst so getchar completes and test continues
 	echo > ${dst_infifo}
-	rm ${dst_infifo}
 
 	# Wait for the incoming socket being removed, ready for next destination
 	while [ -S ${dst_incoming} ] ; do sleep 0.1 ; done