diff --git a/lib/System/Unix/Program.inc b/lib/System/Unix/Program.inc
index d0dade1f8ca..6ff69ca133e 100644
--- a/lib/System/Unix/Program.inc
+++ b/lib/System/Unix/Program.inc
@@ -84,8 +84,16 @@ Program::FindProgramByName(const std::string& progName) {
   return Path();
 }
 
-static bool RedirectFD(const std::string &File, int FD, std::string* ErrMsg) {
-  if (File.empty()) return false;  // Noop
+static bool RedirectIO(const Path *Path, int FD, std::string* ErrMsg) {
+  if (Path == 0)
+    // Noop
+    return false;
+  std::string File;
+  if (Path->isEmpty())
+    // Redirect empty paths to /dev/null
+    File = "/dev/null";
+  else
+    File = Path->toString();
 
   // Open the file
   int InFD = open(File.c_str(), FD == 0 ? O_RDONLY : O_WRONLY|O_CREAT, 0666);
@@ -162,27 +170,11 @@ Program::ExecuteAndWait(const Path& path,
     case 0: {
       // Redirect file descriptors...
       if (redirects) {
-        if (redirects[0]) {
-          if (redirects[0]->isEmpty()) {
-            if (RedirectFD("/dev/null",0,ErrMsg)) { return -1; }
-          } else {
-            if (RedirectFD(redirects[0]->toString(), 0,ErrMsg)) { return -1; }
-          }
-        }
-        if (redirects[1]) {
-          if (redirects[1]->isEmpty()) {
-            if (RedirectFD("/dev/null",1,ErrMsg)) { return -1; }
-          } else {
-            if (RedirectFD(redirects[1]->toString(),1,ErrMsg)) { return -1; }
-          }
-        }
+        if (RedirectIO(redirects[0], 0, ErrMsg)) { return -1; }
+        if (RedirectIO(redirects[1], 1, ErrMsg)) { return -1; }
         if (redirects[1] && redirects[2] && 
             *(redirects[1]) != *(redirects[2])) {
-          if (redirects[2]->isEmpty()) {
-            if (RedirectFD("/dev/null",2,ErrMsg)) { return -1; }
-          } else {
-            if (RedirectFD(redirects[2]->toString(), 2,ErrMsg)) { return -1; }
-          }
+          if (RedirectIO(redirects[2], 2, ErrMsg)) { return -1; }
         } else if (-1 == dup2(1,2)) {
           MakeErrMsg(ErrMsg, "Can't redirect");
           return -1;
diff --git a/lib/System/Win32/Program.inc b/lib/System/Win32/Program.inc
index cb002132bfe..52eb9677ffb 100644
--- a/lib/System/Win32/Program.inc
+++ b/lib/System/Win32/Program.inc
@@ -77,10 +77,12 @@ static HANDLE RedirectIO(const Path *path, int fd, std::string* ErrMsg) {
                     0, TRUE, DUPLICATE_SAME_ACCESS);
     return h;
   }
-
-  const char *fname = path->toString().c_str();
-  if (*fname == 0)
+  
+  const char *fname;
+  if (path->isEmpty())
     fname = "NUL";
+  else
+    fname = path->toString().c_str();
 
   SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES sa;
   sa.nLength = sizeof(sa);