diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9f70c8d..aa483a1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -52,16 +52,21 @@ See also the [examples](examples).
 
 Once a process is started, its I/O streams will be constructed as instances of
 `React\Stream\ReadableStreamInterface` and `React\Stream\WritableStreamInterface`. 
-Before `start()` is called, these properties are `null`.Once a process terminates, 
+Before `start()` is called, these properties are not set. Once a process terminates, 
 the streams will become closed but not unset.
 
-* `$stdin`
-* `$stdout`
-* `$stderr`
+* `$stdin`  or `$pipes[0]` is a `WritableStreamInterface`
+* `$stdout` or `$pipes[1]` is a `ReadableStreamInterface`
+* `$stderr` or `$pipes[2]` is a `ReadableStreamInterface`
 
-Each of these implement the underlying
+Following common Unix conventions, this library will always start each child
+process with the three pipes matching the standard I/O streams as given above.
+You can use the named references for common use cases or access these as an
+array with all three pipes.
+
+Because each of these implement the underlying
 [`ReadableStreamInterface`](https://github.com/reactphp/stream#readablestreaminterface) or 
-[`WritableStreamInterface`](https://github.com/reactphp/stream#writablestreaminterface) and 
+[`WritableStreamInterface`](https://github.com/reactphp/stream#writablestreaminterface), 
 you can use any of their events and methods as usual:
 
 ```php
@@ -255,10 +260,10 @@ $process = new Process('sleep 10');
 $process->start($loop);
 
 $loop->addTimer(2.0, function () use ($process) {
-    $process->stdin->close();
-    $process->stdout->close();
-    $process->stderr->close();
-    $process->terminate(SIGKILL);
+    foreach ($process->pipes as $pipe) {
+        $pipe->close();
+    }
+    $process->terminate();
 });
 ```
 
diff --git a/examples/04-terminate.php b/examples/04-terminate.php
index b580c00..2c480ef 100644
--- a/examples/04-terminate.php
+++ b/examples/04-terminate.php
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@
 
 // forcefully terminate process after 2s
 $loop->addTimer(2.0, function () use ($process) {
-    $process->stdin->close();
-    $process->stdout->close();
-    $process->stderr->close();
+    foreach ($process->pipes as $pipe) {
+        $pipe->close();
+    }
     $process->terminate();
 });
 
diff --git a/src/Process.php b/src/Process.php
index 349938b..bb47741 100644
--- a/src/Process.php
+++ b/src/Process.php
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@
 use Evenement\EventEmitter;
 use React\EventLoop\LoopInterface;
 use React\Stream\ReadableResourceStream;
+use React\Stream\ReadableStreamInterface;
 use React\Stream\WritableResourceStream;
+use React\Stream\WritableStreamInterface;
 
 /**
  * Process component.
@@ -17,15 +19,36 @@
  */
 class Process extends EventEmitter
 {
+    /**
+     * @var ?WritableStreamInterface
+     */
     public $stdin;
+
+    /**
+     * @var ?ReadableStreamInterface
+     */
     public $stdout;
+
+    /**
+     * @var ?ReadableStreamInterface
+     */
     public $stderr;
 
+    /**
+     * Array with all process pipes (once started)
+     * - 0: STDIN (`WritableStreamInterface`)
+     * - 1: STDOUT (`ReadableStreamInterface`)
+     * - 2: STDERR (`ReadableStreamInterface`)
+     *
+     * @var ReadableStreamInterface|WritableStreamInterface
+     */
+    public $pipes = array();
+
     private $cmd;
     private $cwd;
     private $env;
     private $enhanceSigchildCompatibility;
-    private $pipes;
+    private $sigchildPipe;
 
     private $process;
     private $status;
@@ -90,13 +113,15 @@ public function start(LoopInterface $loop, $interval = 0.1)
             array('pipe', 'w'), // stderr
         );
 
+        $sigchild = null;
         // Read exit code through fourth pipe to work around --enable-sigchild
         if ($this->enhanceSigchildCompatibility) {
             $fdSpec[] = array('pipe', 'w');
-            $cmd = sprintf('(%s) 3>/dev/null; code=$?; echo $code >&3; exit $code', $cmd);
+            $sigchild = 3;
+            $cmd = sprintf('(%s) ' . $sigchild . '>/dev/null; code=$?; echo $code >&' . $sigchild . '; exit $code', $cmd);
         }
 
-        $this->process = proc_open($cmd, $fdSpec, $this->pipes, $this->cwd, $this->env);
+        $this->process = proc_open($cmd, $fdSpec, $pipes, $this->cwd, $this->env);
 
         if (!is_resource($this->process)) {
             throw new \RuntimeException('Unable to launch a new process.');
@@ -129,11 +154,24 @@ public function start(LoopInterface $loop, $interval = 0.1)
             });
         };
 
-        $this->stdin  = new WritableResourceStream($this->pipes[0], $loop);
-        $this->stdout = new ReadableResourceStream($this->pipes[1], $loop);
-        $this->stdout->on('close', $streamCloseHandler);
-        $this->stderr = new ReadableResourceStream($this->pipes[2], $loop);
-        $this->stderr->on('close', $streamCloseHandler);
+        if ($sigchild !== null) {
+            $this->sigchildPipe = $pipes[$sigchild];
+            unset($pipes[$sigchild]);
+        }
+
+        foreach ($pipes as $n => $fd) {
+            if ($n === 0) {
+                $stream = new WritableResourceStream($fd, $loop);
+            } else {
+                $stream = new ReadableResourceStream($fd, $loop);
+                $stream->on('close', $streamCloseHandler);
+            }
+            $this->pipes[$n] = $stream;
+        }
+
+        $this->stdin  = $this->pipes[0];
+        $this->stdout = $this->pipes[1];
+        $this->stderr = $this->pipes[2];
     }
 
     /**
@@ -337,11 +375,11 @@ public final static function setSigchildEnabled($sigchild)
      */
     private function pollExitCodePipe()
     {
-        if ( ! isset($this->pipes[3])) {
+        if ($this->sigchildPipe === null) {
             return;
         }
 
-        $r = array($this->pipes[3]);
+        $r = array($this->sigchildPipe);
         $w = $e = null;
 
         $n = @stream_select($r, $w, $e, 0);
@@ -364,12 +402,12 @@ private function pollExitCodePipe()
      */
     private function closeExitCodePipe()
     {
-        if ( ! isset($this->pipes[3])) {
+        if ($this->sigchildPipe === null) {
             return;
         }
 
-        fclose($this->pipes[3]);
-        unset($this->pipes[3]);
+        fclose($this->sigchildPipe);
+        $this->sigchildPipe = null;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/AbstractProcessTest.php b/tests/AbstractProcessTest.php
index a94b2d6..ce21caa 100644
--- a/tests/AbstractProcessTest.php
+++ b/tests/AbstractProcessTest.php
@@ -18,6 +18,30 @@ public function testGetCommand()
         $this->assertSame('echo foo', $process->getCommand());
     }
 
+    public function testPipesWillBeUnsetBeforeStarting()
+    {
+        $process = new Process('echo foo');
+
+        $this->assertNull($process->stdin);
+        $this->assertNull($process->stdout);
+        $this->assertNull($process->stderr);
+        $this->assertEquals(array(), $process->pipes);
+    }
+
+    public function testStartWillAssignPipes()
+    {
+        $process = new Process('echo foo');
+        $process->start($this->createLoop());
+
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('React\Stream\WritableStreamInterface', $process->stdin);
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('React\Stream\ReadableStreamInterface', $process->stdout);
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('React\Stream\ReadableStreamInterface', $process->stderr);
+        $this->assertCount(3, $process->pipes);
+        $this->assertSame($process->stdin, $process->pipes[0]);
+        $this->assertSame($process->stdout, $process->pipes[1]);
+        $this->assertSame($process->stderr, $process->pipes[2]);
+    }
+
     public function testIsRunning()
     {
         $process = new Process('sleep 1');