diff --git a/changes/ticket28847 b/changes/ticket28847
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..63100c5813
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/ticket28847
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+  o Minor features (process):
+    - Use the subsystem module to initialize and shut down the process module.
+      Closes ticket 28847.
diff --git a/src/app/main/main.c b/src/app/main/main.c
index aa322046fe..d71e43ec30 100644
--- a/src/app/main/main.c
+++ b/src/app/main/main.c
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@
 #include "lib/net/resolve.h"
 
 #include "lib/process/waitpid.h"
-#include "lib/process/process.h"
 
 #include "lib/meminfo/meminfo.h"
 #include "lib/osinfo/uname.h"
@@ -560,9 +559,6 @@ tor_init(int argc, char *argv[])
   addressmap_init(); /* Init the client dns cache. Do it always, since it's
                       * cheap. */
 
-  /* Initialize Process subsystem. */
-  process_init();
-
   /* Initialize the HS subsystem. */
   hs_init();
 
@@ -790,7 +786,6 @@ tor_free_all(int postfork)
   circuitmux_ewma_free_all();
   accounting_free_all();
   protover_summary_cache_free_all();
-  process_free_all();
 
   if (!postfork) {
     config_free_all();
diff --git a/src/app/main/subsystem_list.c b/src/app/main/subsystem_list.c
index 8640329e92..122f7af215 100644
--- a/src/app/main/subsystem_list.c
+++ b/src/app/main/subsystem_list.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "lib/time/time_sys.h"
 #include "lib/tls/tortls_sys.h"
 #include "lib/wallclock/wallclock_sys.h"
+#include "lib/process/process_sys.h"
 
 #include <stddef.h>
 
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ const subsys_fns_t *tor_subsystems[] = {
   &sys_logging, /* -90 */
   &sys_time, /* -90 */
   &sys_network, /* -90 */
+  &sys_process, /* -80 */
   &sys_compress, /* -70 */
   &sys_crypto, /* -60 */
   &sys_tortls, /* -50 */
diff --git a/src/lib/process/include.am b/src/lib/process/include.am
index a2d54b6238..83b67bf029 100644
--- a/src/lib/process/include.am
+++ b/src/lib/process/include.am
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ src_lib_libtor_process_a_SOURCES =		\
 	src/lib/process/env.c			\
 	src/lib/process/pidfile.c		\
 	src/lib/process/process.c		\
+	src/lib/process/process_sys.c		\
 	src/lib/process/process_unix.c		\
 	src/lib/process/process_win32.c		\
 	src/lib/process/restrict.c		\
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ noinst_HEADERS +=				\
 	src/lib/process/env.h			\
 	src/lib/process/pidfile.h		\
 	src/lib/process/process.h		\
+	src/lib/process/process_sys.h		\
 	src/lib/process/process_unix.h		\
 	src/lib/process/process_win32.h		\
 	src/lib/process/restrict.h		\
diff --git a/src/lib/process/process.h b/src/lib/process/process.h
index 179db19aeb..956d34ab29 100644
--- a/src/lib/process/process.h
+++ b/src/lib/process/process.h
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ const char *process_protocol_to_string(process_protocol_t protocol);
 
 void tor_disable_spawning_background_processes(void);
 
+struct smartlist_t;
+
 struct process_t;
 typedef struct process_t process_t;
 
@@ -61,7 +63,7 @@ typedef bool
 
 void process_init(void);
 void process_free_all(void);
-const smartlist_t *process_get_all_processes(void);
+const struct smartlist_t *process_get_all_processes(void);
 
 process_t *process_new(const char *command);
 void process_free_(process_t *process);
@@ -82,10 +84,11 @@ void process_set_exit_callback(process_t *,
 const char *process_get_command(const process_t *process);
 
 void process_append_argument(process_t *process, const char *argument);
-const smartlist_t *process_get_arguments(const process_t *process);
+const struct smartlist_t *process_get_arguments(const process_t *process);
 char **process_get_argv(const process_t *process);
 
-void process_reset_environment(process_t *process, const smartlist_t *env);
+void process_reset_environment(process_t *process,
+                               const struct smartlist_t *env);
 void process_set_environment(process_t *process,
                              const char *key,
                              const char *value);
diff --git a/src/lib/process/process_sys.c b/src/lib/process/process_sys.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a880ff146e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/process/process_sys.c
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+/* Copyright (c) 2018, The Tor Project, Inc. */
+/* See LICENSE for licensing information */
+
+/**
+ * \file process_sys.c
+ * \brief Subsystem object for process setup.
+ **/
+
+#include "orconfig.h"
+#include "lib/subsys/subsys.h"
+#include "lib/process/process_sys.h"
+#include "lib/process/process.h"
+
+static int
+subsys_process_initialize(void)
+{
+  process_init();
+  return 0;
+}
+
+static void
+subsys_process_shutdown(void)
+{
+  process_free_all();
+}
+
+const subsys_fns_t sys_process = {
+  .name = "process",
+  .level = -80,
+  .supported = true,
+  .initialize = subsys_process_initialize,
+  .shutdown = subsys_process_shutdown
+};
diff --git a/src/lib/process/process_sys.h b/src/lib/process/process_sys.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b299334b6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/process/process_sys.h
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+/* Copyright (c) 2018, The Tor Project, Inc. */
+/* See LICENSE for licensing information */
+
+/**
+ * \file process_sys.h
+ * \brief Declare subsystem object for the process module.
+ **/
+
+#ifndef TOR_PROCESS_SYS_H
+#define TOR_PROCESS_SYS_H
+
+extern const struct subsys_fns_t sys_process;
+
+#endif /* !defined(TOR_PROCESS_SYS_H) */
diff --git a/src/lib/time/time_sys.h b/src/lib/time/time_sys.h
index 0f1aebc268..5f5982a33b 100644
--- a/src/lib/time/time_sys.h
+++ b/src/lib/time/time_sys.h
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 /* See LICENSE for licensing information */
 
 /**
- * \file log_time.h
+ * \file time_sys.h
  * \brief Declare subsystem object for the time module.
  **/
 
diff --git a/src/test/test_process.c b/src/test/test_process.c
index 9b62862f04..27c9935e0d 100644
--- a/src/test/test_process.c
+++ b/src/test/test_process.c
@@ -142,8 +142,6 @@ static void
 test_default_values(void *arg)
 {
   (void)arg;
-  process_init();
-
   process_t *process = process_new("/path/to/nothing");
 
   /* We are not running by default. */
@@ -171,14 +169,12 @@ test_default_values(void *arg)
 
  done:
   process_free(process);
-  process_free_all();
 }
 
 static void
 test_environment(void *arg)
 {
   (void)arg;
-  process_init();
 
   process_t *process = process_new("");
   process_environment_t *env = NULL;
@@ -221,7 +217,6 @@ test_environment(void *arg)
  done:
   process_environment_free(env);
   process_free(process);
-  process_free_all();
 }
 
 static void
@@ -249,7 +244,6 @@ static void
 test_line_protocol_simple(void *arg)
 {
   (void)arg;
-  process_init();
 
   process_data_t *process_data = process_data_new();
 
@@ -289,7 +283,6 @@ test_line_protocol_simple(void *arg)
  done:
   process_data_free(process_data);
   process_free(process);
-  process_free_all();
 
   UNMOCK(process_read_stdout);
   UNMOCK(process_read_stderr);
@@ -299,7 +292,6 @@ static void
 test_line_protocol_multi(void *arg)
 {
   (void)arg;
-  process_init();
 
   process_data_t *process_data = process_data_new();
 
@@ -349,7 +341,6 @@ test_line_protocol_multi(void *arg)
  done:
   process_data_free(process_data);
   process_free(process);
-  process_free_all();
 
   UNMOCK(process_read_stdout);
   UNMOCK(process_read_stderr);
@@ -359,7 +350,6 @@ static void
 test_line_protocol_partial(void *arg)
 {
   (void)arg;
-  process_init();
 
   process_data_t *process_data = process_data_new();
 
@@ -431,7 +421,6 @@ test_line_protocol_partial(void *arg)
  done:
   process_data_free(process_data);
   process_free(process);
-  process_free_all();
 
   UNMOCK(process_read_stdout);
   UNMOCK(process_read_stderr);
@@ -441,7 +430,6 @@ static void
 test_raw_protocol_simple(void *arg)
 {
   (void)arg;
-  process_init();
 
   process_data_t *process_data = process_data_new();
 
@@ -499,7 +487,6 @@ test_raw_protocol_simple(void *arg)
  done:
   process_data_free(process_data);
   process_free(process);
-  process_free_all();
 
   UNMOCK(process_read_stdout);
   UNMOCK(process_read_stderr);
@@ -510,8 +497,6 @@ test_write_simple(void *arg)
 {
   (void)arg;
 
-  process_init();
-
   process_data_t *process_data = process_data_new();
 
   process_t *process = process_new("");
@@ -530,7 +515,6 @@ test_write_simple(void *arg)
  done:
   process_data_free(process_data);
   process_free(process);
-  process_free_all();
 
   UNMOCK(process_write_stdin);
 }
@@ -540,8 +524,6 @@ test_exit_simple(void *arg)
 {
   (void)arg;
 
-  process_init();
-
   process_data_t *process_data = process_data_new();
 
   process_t *process = process_new("");
@@ -566,14 +548,12 @@ test_exit_simple(void *arg)
   process_set_data(process, process_data);
   process_data_free(process_data);
   process_free(process);
-  process_free_all();
 }
 
 static void
 test_argv_simple(void *arg)
 {
   (void)arg;
-  process_init();
 
   process_t *process = process_new("/bin/cat");
   char **argv = NULL;
@@ -600,7 +580,6 @@ test_argv_simple(void *arg)
  done:
   tor_free(argv);
   process_free(process);
-  process_free_all();
 }
 
 static void
@@ -608,8 +587,6 @@ test_unix(void *arg)
 {
   (void)arg;
 #ifndef _WIN32
-  process_init();
-
   process_t *process = process_new("");
 
   /* On Unix all processes should have a Unix process handle. */
@@ -617,7 +594,6 @@ test_unix(void *arg)
 
  done:
   process_free(process);
-  process_free_all();
 #endif
 }
 
@@ -626,8 +602,6 @@ test_win32(void *arg)
 {
   (void)arg;
 #ifdef _WIN32
-  process_init();
-
   process_t *process = process_new("");
   char *joined_argv = NULL;
 
@@ -675,7 +649,6 @@ test_win32(void *arg)
  done:
   tor_free(joined_argv);
   process_free(process);
-  process_free_all();
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/src/test/test_process_slow.c b/src/test/test_process_slow.c
index 3f8c07f312..c28ade033c 100644
--- a/src/test/test_process_slow.c
+++ b/src/test/test_process_slow.c
@@ -203,9 +203,6 @@ test_callbacks(void *arg)
   filename = TEST_PROCESS;
 #endif
 
-  /* Initialize Process subsystem. */
-  process_init();
-
   /* Process callback data. */
   process_data_t *process_data = process_data_new();
 
@@ -286,7 +283,6 @@ test_callbacks(void *arg)
  done:
   process_data_free(process_data);
   process_free(process);
-  process_free_all();
 }
 
 static void
@@ -301,9 +297,6 @@ test_callbacks_terminate(void *arg)
   filename = TEST_PROCESS;
 #endif
 
-  /* Initialize Process subsystem. */
-  process_init();
-
   /* Process callback data. */
   process_data_t *process_data = process_data_new();
 
@@ -333,7 +326,6 @@ test_callbacks_terminate(void *arg)
  done:
   process_data_free(process_data);
   process_free(process);
-  process_free_all();
 }
 
 struct testcase_t slow_process_tests[] = {
diff --git a/src/test/test_pt.c b/src/test/test_pt.c
index 8de687c866..60a044aeca 100644
--- a/src/test/test_pt.c
+++ b/src/test/test_pt.c
@@ -151,8 +151,6 @@ test_pt_get_transport_options(void *arg)
   config_line_t *cl = NULL;
   (void)arg;
 
-  process_init();
-
   execve_args = tor_malloc(sizeof(char*)*2);
   execve_args[0] = tor_strdup("cheeseshop");
   execve_args[1] = NULL;
@@ -192,7 +190,6 @@ test_pt_get_transport_options(void *arg)
   config_free_lines(cl);
   managed_proxy_destroy(mp, 0);
   smartlist_free(transport_list);
-  process_free_all();
 }
 
 static void
@@ -256,8 +253,6 @@ test_pt_get_extrainfo_string(void *arg)
   char *s = NULL;
   (void) arg;
 
-  process_init();
-
   argv1 = tor_malloc_zero(sizeof(char*)*3);
   argv1[0] = tor_strdup("ewige");
   argv1[1] = tor_strdup("Blumenkraft");
@@ -291,7 +286,6 @@ test_pt_get_extrainfo_string(void *arg)
   smartlist_free(t1);
   smartlist_free(t2);
   tor_free(s);
-  process_free_all();
 }
 
 static int
@@ -355,8 +349,6 @@ test_pt_configure_proxy(void *arg)
   managed_proxy_t *mp = NULL;
   (void) arg;
 
-  process_init();
-
   dummy_state = tor_malloc_zero(sizeof(or_state_t));
 
   MOCK(process_read_stdout, process_read_stdout_replacement);
@@ -501,7 +493,6 @@ test_pt_configure_proxy(void *arg)
   tor_free(mp->argv[0]);
   tor_free(mp->argv);
   tor_free(mp);
-  process_free_all();
 }
 
 /* Test the get_pt_proxy_uri() function. */