diff --git a/src/common/util.c b/src/common/util.c
index 517cc3e499..48e48ce813 100644
--- a/src/common/util.c
+++ b/src/common/util.c
@@ -3058,6 +3058,9 @@ tor_spawn_background(const char *const filename, const char **argv)
   HANDLE stderr_pipe_read = NULL;
   HANDLE stderr_pipe_write = NULL;
 
+  STARTUPINFO siStartInfo;
+  BOOL retval = FALSE; 
+ 
   SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES saAttr;
   smartlist_t *argv_list;
   char *joined_argv;
@@ -3105,9 +3108,6 @@ tor_spawn_background(const char *const filename, const char **argv)
 
   joined_argv = smartlist_join_strings(argv_list, " ", 0, NULL);
 
-  STARTUPINFO siStartInfo;
-  BOOL retval = FALSE; 
- 
   ZeroMemory(&process_handle.pid, sizeof(PROCESS_INFORMATION));
   ZeroMemory(&siStartInfo, sizeof(STARTUPINFO));
   siStartInfo.cb = sizeof(STARTUPINFO); 
@@ -3592,7 +3592,7 @@ tor_check_port_forwarding(const char *filename, int dir_port, int or_port,
 #define TIME_TO_EXEC_FWHELPER_FAIL 60
 
 #ifdef MS_WINDOWS
-  static process_handle_t child_handle = {0, NULL, NULL, {NULL}};
+  static process_handle_t child_handle = {0, NULL, NULL, {NULL, NULL, 0, 0}};
 #else
   static process_handle_t child_handle;
 #endif
diff --git a/src/test/test_util.c b/src/test/test_util.c
index 6f875606ec..40de76ac3b 100644
--- a/src/test/test_util.c
+++ b/src/test/test_util.c
@@ -1493,6 +1493,8 @@ test_util_spawn_background_partial_read(void *ptr)
   process_handle_t process_handle;
   char stdout_buf[100], stderr_buf[100];
 
+  (void)ptr;
+
   /* Start the program */
   process_handle = tor_spawn_background(argv[0], argv);
   tt_int_op(process_handle.status, ==, expected_status);