diff --git a/backend/beh.c b/backend/beh.c
index 225fd27d5..8d51235b1 100644
--- a/backend/beh.c
+++ b/backend/beh.c
@@ -22,12 +22,13 @@
 #include "backend-private.h"
 #include <cups/array.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
+#include <sys/wait.h>
 
 /*
  * Local globals...
  */
 
-static int		job_canceled = 0; /* Set to 1 on SIGTERM */
+static volatile int	job_canceled = 0; /* Set to 1 on SIGTERM */
 
 /*
  * Local functions...
@@ -213,21 +214,40 @@ call_backend(char *uri,                 /* I - URI of final destination */
 	     char **argv,		/* I - Command-line arguments */
 	     char *filename) {          /* I - File name of input data */
   const char	*cups_serverbin;	/* Location of programs */
+  char          *backend_argv[8];	/* Arguments for backend */
   char		scheme[1024],           /* Scheme from URI */
                 *ptr,			/* Pointer into scheme */
-		cmdline[65536];		/* Backend command line */
-  int           retval;
+		backend_path[2048];	/* Backend path */
+  int           pid = 0, 		/* Process ID of backend */
+                wait_pid,		/* Process ID from wait() */
+                wait_status, 		/* Status from child */
+                retval = 0;
+  int           bytes;
 
  /*
   * Build the backend command line...
   */
 
-  strncpy(scheme, uri, sizeof(scheme) - 1);
-  if (strlen(uri) > 1023)
-    scheme[1023] = '\0';
+  scheme[0] = '\0';
+  strncat(scheme, uri, sizeof(scheme) - 1);
   if ((ptr = strchr(scheme, ':')) != NULL)
     *ptr = '\0';
-
+  else {
+    fprintf(stderr,
+	    "ERROR: beh: Invalid URI, no colon (':') to mark end of scheme part.\n");
+    exit (CUPS_BACKEND_FAILED);
+  }
+  if (strchr(scheme, '/')) {
+    fprintf(stderr,
+	    "ERROR: beh: Invalid URI, scheme contains a slash ('/').\n");
+    exit (CUPS_BACKEND_FAILED);
+  }
+  if (!strcmp(scheme, ".") || !strcmp(scheme, "..")) {
+    fprintf(stderr,
+	    "ERROR: beh: Invalid URI, scheme (\"%s\") is a directory.\n",
+	    scheme);
+    exit (CUPS_BACKEND_FAILED);
+  }
   if ((cups_serverbin = getenv("CUPS_SERVERBIN")) == NULL)
     cups_serverbin = CUPS_SERVERBIN;
 
@@ -235,16 +255,29 @@ call_backend(char *uri,                 /* I - URI of final destination */
     fprintf(stderr,
 	    "ERROR: beh: Direct output into a file not supported.\n");
     exit (CUPS_BACKEND_FAILED);
-  } else
-    snprintf(cmdline, sizeof(cmdline),
-	     "%s/backend/%s '%s' '%s' '%s' '%s' '%s' %s",
-	     cups_serverbin, scheme, argv[1], argv[2], argv[3],
-	     /* Apply number of copies only if beh was called with a
-		file name and not with the print data in stdin, as
-	        backends should handle copies only if they are called
-	        with a file name */
-	     (argc == 6 ? "1" : argv[4]),
-	     argv[5], filename);
+  }
+
+  backend_argv[0] = uri;
+  backend_argv[1] = argv[1];
+  backend_argv[2] = argv[2];
+  backend_argv[3] = argv[3];
+  /* Apply number of copies only if beh was called with a file name
+     and not with the print data in stdin, as backends should handle
+     copies only if they are called with a file name */
+  backend_argv[4] = (argc == 6 ? "1" : argv[4]);
+  backend_argv[5] = argv[5];
+  backend_argv[6] = filename;
+  backend_argv[7] = NULL;
+
+  bytes = snprintf(backend_path, sizeof(backend_path),
+		   "%s/backend/%s", cups_serverbin, scheme);
+  if (bytes < 0 || bytes >= sizeof(backend_path))
+  {
+    fprintf(stderr,
+	    "ERROR: beh: Invalid scheme (\"%s\"), could not determing backend path.\n",
+	    scheme);
+    return (CUPS_BACKEND_FAILED);
+  }
 
  /*
   * Overwrite the device URI and run the actual backend...
@@ -253,18 +286,44 @@ call_backend(char *uri,                 /* I - URI of final destination */
   setenv("DEVICE_URI", uri, 1);
 
   fprintf(stderr,
-	  "DEBUG: beh: Executing backend command line \"%s\"...\n",
-	  cmdline);
+	  "DEBUG: beh: Executing backend command line \"%s '%s' '%s' '%s' '%s' '%s' %s\"...\n",
+	  backend_path, backend_argv[1], backend_argv[2], backend_argv[3],
+	  backend_argv[4], backend_argv[5], backend_argv[6]);
   fprintf(stderr,
 	  "DEBUG: beh: Using device URI: %s\n",
 	  uri);
 
-  retval = system(cmdline) >> 8;
+  if ((pid = fork()) == 0) {
+   /*
+    * Child comes here...
+    */
+
+    /* Run the backend */
+    execv(backend_path, backend_argv);
 
-  if (retval == -1)
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: Unable to execute backend command line: %s\n",
 	    strerror(errno));
 
+    exit(1);
+  } else if (pid < 0) {
+   /*
+    * Unable to fork!
+    */
+
+    return (CUPS_BACKEND_FAILED);
+  }
+
+  while ((wait_pid = wait(&wait_status)) < 0 && errno == EINTR);
+
+  if (wait_pid >= 0 && wait_status) {
+    if (WIFEXITED(wait_status))
+      retval = WEXITSTATUS(wait_status);
+    else if (WTERMSIG(wait_status) != SIGTERM)
+      retval = WTERMSIG(wait_status);
+    else
+      retval = 0;
+  }
+
   return (retval);
 }
 
@@ -277,8 +336,10 @@ static void
 sigterm_handler(int sig) {		/* I - Signal number (unused) */
   (void)sig;
 
-  fprintf(stderr,
-	  "DEBUG: beh: Job canceled.\n");
+  const char * const msg = "DEBUG: beh: Job canceled.\n";
+  /* The if() is to eliminate the return value and silence the warning
+     about an unused return value. */
+  if (write(2, msg, strlen(msg)));
 
   if (job_canceled)
     _exit(CUPS_BACKEND_OK);
