diff --git a/kitty/prewarm.py b/kitty/prewarm.py
index 4f272f7a1..35ca8da43 100644
--- a/kitty/prewarm.py
+++ b/kitty/prewarm.py
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ class SocketChild:
     def handle_death(self, status: int) -> None:
         if hasattr(os, 'waitstatus_to_exitcode'):
             status = os.waitstatus_to_exitcode(status)
-        self.conn.sendall(f'{status}:'.encode('ascii'))
+        self.conn.sendall(f'{status}'.encode('ascii'))
         self.conn.shutdown(socket.SHUT_RDWR)
         self.conn.close()
 
@@ -626,7 +626,7 @@ def main(stdin_fd: int, stdout_fd: int, notify_child_death_fd: int, unix_socket:
                                     poll.unregister(scq.fd)
                                     scq.conn.shutdown(socket.SHUT_RD)
                                     scq.fork(get_all_non_child_fds())
-                                    scq.child_id = child_pid_map[scq.pid] = next(child_id_counter)
+                                    scq.child_id = next(child_id_counter)
                             except SocketClosed:
                                 socket_children.pop(q)
                             continue
diff --git a/prewarm-launcher.h b/prewarm-launcher.h
index dfd977571..62298f723 100644
--- a/prewarm-launcher.h
+++ b/prewarm-launcher.h
@@ -289,10 +289,14 @@ read_child_data(void) {
         from_child_buf_pos += n;
         char *p = memchr(from_child_buf, ':', from_child_buf_pos);
         if (p && child_pid == 0) {
+            *p = 0;
             long cp = 0;
             if (!parse_long(from_child_buf, &cp)) { print_error("Could not parse child pid from prewarm socket", 0); return false; }
             if (cp == 0) { print_error("Got zero child pid from prewarm socket", 0); return false; }
             child_pid = cp;
+            memset(from_child_buf, 0, (p - from_child_buf) + 1);
+            from_child_buf_pos -= (p - from_child_buf) + 1;
+            if (from_child_buf_pos) memmove(from_child_buf, p + 1, from_child_buf_pos);
         }
     }
     return true;
@@ -344,7 +348,7 @@ loop(void) {
             if (!read_child_data()) fail("reading information about child failed");
         }
         if (poll_data[2].revents & POLLHUP) {
-            if (from_child_buf[0]) { char *p = memchr(from_child_buf, ':', sizeof(from_child_buf)); if (p) parse_int(p+1, &exit_status); }
+            if (from_child_buf[0]) { parse_int(from_child_buf, &exit_status); }
             return;
         }
         if (poll_data[2].revents & POLLOUT) {