diff --git a/parsl/executors/high_throughput/executor.py b/parsl/executors/high_throughput/executor.py
index 4b4180b46b..87f90fa234 100644
--- a/parsl/executors/high_throughput/executor.py
+++ b/parsl/executors/high_throughput/executor.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import base64
 import logging
 import math
 import pickle
@@ -9,7 +8,7 @@
 from collections import defaultdict
 from concurrent.futures import Future
 from dataclasses import dataclass
-from typing import Callable, Dict, List, Optional, Sequence, Tuple, Union
+from typing import IO, Callable, Dict, List, Optional, Sequence, Tuple, Union
 
 import typeguard
 
@@ -543,18 +542,22 @@ def _start_local_interchange_process(self) -> None:
                               "cert_dir": self.cert_dir,
                               }
 
-        encoded = base64.b64encode(pickle.dumps(interchange_config))
+        config_pickle = pickle.dumps(interchange_config)
 
-        cmd: List[bytes] = [b"interchange.py",
-                            encoded
-                            ]
-        self.interchange_proc = subprocess.Popen(cmd)
+        self.interchange_proc = subprocess.Popen(b"interchange.py", stdin=subprocess.PIPE)
+        stdin = self.interchange_proc.stdin
+        assert isinstance(stdin, IO)
 
+        logger.debug("Popened interchange process. Writing config object")
+        stdin.write(config_pickle)
+        stdin.flush()
+        logger.debug("Sent config object. Requesting worker ports")
         try:
             (self.worker_task_port, self.worker_result_port) = self.command_client.run("WORKER_PORTS", timeout_s=120)
         except CommandClientTimeoutError:
-            logger.error("Interchange has not completed initialization in 120s. Aborting")
+            logger.error("Interchange has not completed initialization. Aborting")
             raise Exception("Interchange failed to start")
+        logger.debug("Got worker ports")
 
     def _start_queue_management_thread(self):
         """Method to start the management thread as a daemon.
diff --git a/parsl/executors/high_throughput/interchange.py b/parsl/executors/high_throughput/interchange.py
index b196c49814..9fe94dbabd 100644
--- a/parsl/executors/high_throughput/interchange.py
+++ b/parsl/executors/high_throughput/interchange.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
-import base64
 import datetime
 import json
 import logging
@@ -676,7 +675,7 @@ def start_file_logger(filename: str, level: int = logging.DEBUG, format_string:
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     setproctitle("parsl: HTEX interchange")
 
-    config = pickle.loads(base64.b64decode(sys.argv[1]))
+    config = pickle.load(sys.stdin.buffer)
 
     ic = Interchange(**config)
     ic.start()