diff --git a/include/boost/process/detail/posix/async_pipe.hpp b/include/boost/process/detail/posix/async_pipe.hpp
index 1766ce2f9..6c41a740c 100644
--- a/include/boost/process/detail/posix/async_pipe.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/process/detail/posix/async_pipe.hpp
@@ -45,8 +45,6 @@ class async_pipe
     inline async_pipe(const async_pipe& lhs);
     async_pipe(async_pipe&& lhs)  : _source(std::move(lhs._source)), _sink(std::move(lhs._sink))
     {
-        lhs._source.assign (-1);
-        lhs._sink  .assign (-1);
     }
 
     template<class CharT, class Traits = std::char_traits<CharT>>
@@ -182,13 +180,11 @@ class async_pipe
 
     handle_type source(::boost::asio::io_context& ios) const &
     {
-        auto source_in = const_cast<::boost::asio::posix::stream_descriptor &>(_source).native_handle();
-        return ::boost::asio::posix::stream_descriptor(ios, ::dup(source_in));
+        return ::boost::asio::posix::stream_descriptor(ios, ::dup(native_source()));
     }
     handle_type sink  (::boost::asio::io_context& ios) const &
     {
-        auto sink_in = const_cast<::boost::asio::posix::stream_descriptor &>(_sink).native_handle();
-        return ::boost::asio::posix::stream_descriptor(ios, ::dup(sink_in));
+        return ::boost::asio::posix::stream_descriptor(ios, ::dup(native_sink()));
     }
 };
 
@@ -198,80 +194,43 @@ async_pipe::async_pipe(boost::asio::io_context & ios_source,
                        const std::string & name) : _source(ios_source), _sink(ios_sink)
 {
     auto fifo = mkfifo(name.c_str(), 0666 );
-
     if (fifo != 0)
         boost::process::detail::throw_last_error("mkfifo() failed");
 
-
-    int  read_fd = open(name.c_str(), O_RDWR);
-
+    int  read_fd = ::open(name.c_str(), O_RDWR);
     if (read_fd == -1)
         boost::process::detail::throw_last_error();
+    _source.assign(read_fd);
 
-    int write_fd = dup(read_fd);
-
+    int write_fd = ::dup(_source.native_handle());
     if (write_fd == -1)
         boost::process::detail::throw_last_error();
-
-    _source.assign(read_fd);
-    _sink  .assign(write_fd);
+    _sink.assign(write_fd);
 }
 
 async_pipe::async_pipe(const async_pipe & p) :
         _source(const_cast<async_pipe&>(p)._source.get_executor()),
         _sink(  const_cast<async_pipe&>(p)._sink.get_executor())
 {
-
-    //cannot get the handle from a const object.
-    auto source_in = const_cast<::boost::asio::posix::stream_descriptor &>(_source).native_handle();
-    auto sink_in   = const_cast<::boost::asio::posix::stream_descriptor &>(_sink).native_handle();
-    if (source_in == -1)
-        _source.assign(-1);
-    else
-    {
-        _source.assign(::dup(source_in));
-        if (_source.native_handle()== -1)
+    if (p._source.is_open()) {
+        int fd = ::dup(p.native_source());
+        if (fd == -1)
             ::boost::process::detail::throw_last_error("dup()");
+        _source.assign(fd);
     }
 
-    if (sink_in   == -1)
-        _sink.assign(-1);
-    else
-    {
-        _sink.assign(::dup(sink_in));
-        if (_sink.native_handle() == -1)
+    if (p._sink.is_open()) {
+        int fd = ::dup(p.native_sink());
+        if (fd == -1)
             ::boost::process::detail::throw_last_error("dup()");
+        _sink.assign(fd);
     }
 }
 
 async_pipe& async_pipe::operator=(const async_pipe & p)
 {
-    int source;
-    int sink;
-
-    //cannot get the handle from a const object.
-    auto source_in = const_cast<::boost::asio::posix::stream_descriptor &>(p._source).native_handle();
-    auto sink_in   = const_cast<::boost::asio::posix::stream_descriptor &>(p._sink).native_handle();
-    if (source_in == -1)
-        source = -1;
-    else
-    {
-        source = ::dup(source_in);
-        if (source == -1)
-            ::boost::process::detail::throw_last_error("dup()");
-    }
-
-    if (sink_in   == -1)
-        sink = -1;
-    else
-    {
-        sink  = ::dup(sink_in);
-        if (sink == -1)
-            ::boost::process::detail::throw_last_error("dup()");
-    }
-    _source.assign(source);
-    _sink.  assign(sink);
-
+    async_pipe copy{p};
+    std::swap(*this, copy);
     return *this;
 }
 
@@ -285,33 +244,23 @@ async_pipe& async_pipe::operator=(async_pipe && lhs)
 template<class CharT, class Traits>
 async_pipe::operator basic_pipe<CharT, Traits>() const
 {
-    int source;
-    int sink;
-
-    //cannot get the handle from a const object.
-    auto source_in = const_cast<::boost::asio::posix::stream_descriptor &>(_source).native_handle();
-    auto sink_in   = const_cast<::boost::asio::posix::stream_descriptor &>(_sink).native_handle();
-
+    basic_pipe<CharT, Traits> pipe{-1, -1};
 
-    if (source_in == -1)
-        source = -1;
-    else
-    {
-        source = ::dup(source_in);
-        if (source == -1)
+    if (_source.is_open()) {
+        int fd = ::dup(native_source());
+        if (fd == -1)
             ::boost::process::detail::throw_last_error("dup()");
+        pipe.assign_source(fd);
     }
 
-    if (sink_in   == -1)
-        sink = -1;
-    else
-    {
-        sink = ::dup(sink_in);
-        if (sink == -1)
+    if (_sink.is_open()) {
+        int fd = ::dup(native_sink());
+        if (fd == -1)
             ::boost::process::detail::throw_last_error("dup()");
+        pipe.assign_sink(fd);
     }
 
-    return basic_pipe<CharT, Traits>{source, sink};
+    return pipe;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/include/boost/process/detail/posix/basic_pipe.hpp b/include/boost/process/detail/posix/basic_pipe.hpp
index f9d0a4545..d1595ac21 100644
--- a/include/boost/process/detail/posix/basic_pipe.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/process/detail/posix/basic_pipe.hpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <memory>
+#include <utility>
 
 namespace boost { namespace process { namespace detail { namespace posix {
 
@@ -48,10 +49,9 @@ class basic_pipe
     }
     inline basic_pipe(const basic_pipe& rhs);
     explicit inline basic_pipe(const std::string& name);
-    basic_pipe(basic_pipe&& lhs)  : _source(lhs._source), _sink(lhs._sink)
+    basic_pipe(basic_pipe&& lhs)
     {
-        lhs._source = -1;
-        lhs._sink   = -1;
+        *this = std::move(lhs);
     }
     inline basic_pipe& operator=(const basic_pipe& );
     basic_pipe& operator=(basic_pipe&& lhs)
@@ -66,10 +66,7 @@ class basic_pipe
     }
     ~basic_pipe()
     {
-        if (_sink   != -1)
-            ::close(_sink);
-        if (_source != -1)
-            ::close(_source);
+        close();
     }
     native_handle_type native_source() const {return _source;}
     native_handle_type native_sink  () const {return _sink;}
@@ -125,37 +122,23 @@ class basic_pipe
 template<class CharT, class Traits>
 basic_pipe<CharT, Traits>::basic_pipe(const basic_pipe & rhs)
 {
-       if (rhs._source != -1)
-       {
-           _source = ::dup(rhs._source);
-           if (_source == -1)
-               ::boost::process::detail::throw_last_error("dup() failed");
-       }
-    if (rhs._sink != -1)
-    {
+    if (rhs._source != -1) {
+        _source = ::dup(rhs._source);
+        if (_source == -1)
+            ::boost::process::detail::throw_last_error("dup() failed");
+    }
+    if (rhs._sink != -1) {
         _sink = ::dup(rhs._sink);
         if (_sink == -1)
             ::boost::process::detail::throw_last_error("dup() failed");
-
     }
 }
 
 template<class CharT, class Traits>
 basic_pipe<CharT, Traits> &basic_pipe<CharT, Traits>::operator=(const basic_pipe & rhs)
 {
-       if (rhs._source != -1)
-       {
-           _source = ::dup(rhs._source);
-           if (_source == -1)
-               ::boost::process::detail::throw_last_error("dup() failed");
-       }
-    if (rhs._sink != -1)
-    {
-        _sink = ::dup(rhs._sink);
-        if (_sink == -1)
-            ::boost::process::detail::throw_last_error("dup() failed");
-
-    }
+    basic_pipe<CharT, Traits> copy{rhs};
+    std::swap(*this, copy);
     return *this;
 }
 
@@ -164,23 +147,19 @@ template<class CharT, class Traits>
 basic_pipe<CharT, Traits>::basic_pipe(const std::string & name)
 {
     auto fifo = mkfifo(name.c_str(), 0666 );
-            
     if (fifo != 0) 
         boost::process::detail::throw_last_error("mkfifo() failed");
 
-    
     int  read_fd = open(name.c_str(), O_RDWR);
-        
     if (read_fd == -1)
         boost::process::detail::throw_last_error();
-    
-    int write_fd = dup(read_fd);
-    
+    _source = read_fd;
+
+    int write_fd = dup(_source);
     if (write_fd == -1)
         boost::process::detail::throw_last_error();
-
     _sink = write_fd;
-    _source = read_fd;
+
     ::unlink(name.c_str());
 }
 
diff --git a/test/async_pipe.cpp b/test/async_pipe.cpp
index ef6cab4be..d556d1469 100644
--- a/test/async_pipe.cpp
+++ b/test/async_pipe.cpp
@@ -94,8 +94,11 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(move_pipe)
     asio::io_context ios;
 
     bp::async_pipe ap{ios};
+    BOOST_CHECK(ap.is_open());
     BOOST_TEST_CHECKPOINT("First move");
     bp::async_pipe ap2{std::move(ap)};
+    BOOST_CHECK(!ap.is_open());
+    BOOST_CHECK(ap2.is_open());
 #if defined(BOOST_WINDOWS_API)
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(ap.native_source(), ::boost::winapi::INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE_);
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(ap.native_sink  (), ::boost::winapi::INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE_);