diff --git a/common.cpp b/common.cpp
index 825d25015..ae421de40 100644
--- a/common.cpp
+++ b/common.cpp
@@ -383,27 +383,6 @@ static char *wcs2str_internal(const wchar_t *in, char *out)
     return out;
 }
 
-char **wcsv2strv(const wchar_t * const *in)
-{
-    size_t i, count = 0;
-
-    while (in[count] != 0)
-        count++;
-    char **res = (char **)malloc(sizeof(char *)*(count+1));
-    if (res == 0)
-    {
-        DIE_MEM();
-    }
-
-    for (i=0; i<count; i++)
-    {
-        res[i]=wcs2str(in[i]);
-    }
-    res[count]=0;
-    return res;
-
-}
-
 wcstring format_string(const wchar_t *format, ...)
 {
     va_list va;
diff --git a/common.h b/common.h
index a5ec50abe..5c4629740 100644
--- a/common.h
+++ b/common.h
@@ -682,12 +682,6 @@ wcstring vformat_string(const wchar_t *format, va_list va_orig);
 void append_format(wcstring &str, const wchar_t *format, ...);
 void append_formatv(wcstring &str, const wchar_t *format, va_list ap);
 
-/**
-   Returns a newly allocated wide character string array equivalent of
-   the specified multibyte character string array
-*/
-char **wcsv2strv(const wchar_t * const *in);
-
 /**
    Test if the given string is a valid variable name.
 
diff --git a/exec.cpp b/exec.cpp
index 4b9e1f375..62523a8cd 100644
--- a/exec.cpp
+++ b/exec.cpp
@@ -361,12 +361,14 @@ static void launch_process_nofork(process_t *p)
     ASSERT_IS_MAIN_THREAD();
     ASSERT_IS_NOT_FORKED_CHILD();
 
-    char **argv = wcsv2strv(p->get_argv());
+    null_terminated_array_t<char> argv_array;
+    convert_wide_array_to_narrow(p->get_argv_array(), &argv_array);
+
     const char *const *envv = env_export_arr(false);
     char *actual_cmd = wcs2str(p->actual_cmd.c_str());
 
     /* Bounce to launch_process. This never returns. */
-    safe_launch_process(p, actual_cmd, argv, envv);
+    safe_launch_process(p, actual_cmd, argv_array.get(), envv);
 }