diff --git a/openvpn.c b/openvpn.c
index 9f83225..8debf90 100644
--- a/openvpn.c
+++ b/openvpn.c
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
 #include "env_set.h"
 #include "echo.h"
 #include "pkcs11.h"
+#include "service.h"
 
 #define OPENVPN_SERVICE_PIPE_NAME_OVPN2 L"\\\\.\\pipe\\openvpn\\service"
 #define OPENVPN_SERVICE_PIPE_NAME_OVPN3 L"\\\\.\\pipe\\ovpnagent"
@@ -1874,6 +1875,26 @@ HandleServiceIO(DWORD err, DWORD bytes, LPOVERLAPPED lpo)
     /* Any error in the above call will get checked in next round */
 }
 
+static BOOL
+ValidatePipe(connection_t *c)
+{
+    ULONG ppid = 0, spid = 0;
+
+    if (!c->iserv.pipe)
+    {
+        return FALSE;
+    }
+    if (!GetNamedPipeServerProcessId(c->iserv.pipe, &ppid))
+    {
+        MsgToEventLog(EVENTLOG_ERROR_TYPE, L"%hs:%d Failed to get pipe server process id: (error = 0x%08x)",
+                      __func__, __LINE__, GetLastError());
+        return FALSE;
+    }
+    spid = GetServicePid();
+
+    return (ppid > 0) && (spid > 0) && (spid == ppid);
+}
+
 /*
  * Write size bytes in buf to the pipe with a timeout.
  * Retun value: TRUE on success FLASE on error
@@ -2737,6 +2758,13 @@ LaunchOpenVPN(connection_t *c)
     {
         BOOL res = FALSE;
 
+        if (!ValidatePipe(c))
+        {
+            CloseHandle(c->exit_event);
+            CloseServiceIO(&c->iserv);
+            goto out;
+        }
+
         if (o.ovpn_engine == OPENVPN_ENGINE_OVPN3)
         {
 #ifdef ENABLE_OVPN3
diff --git a/service.c b/service.c
index 9540ab4..13b1f4e 100644
--- a/service.c
+++ b/service.c
@@ -188,3 +188,40 @@ StartAutomaticService(void)
     }
     return;
 }
+
+/*
+ * Returns the processId of the Interactive Service or zero on error
+ * which includes service not running.
+ */
+ULONG
+GetServicePid(void)
+{
+    SC_HANDLE schManager;
+    SC_HANDLE schService;
+    ULONG pid = 0;
+
+    schManager = OpenSCManager(NULL, NULL, SC_MANAGER_CONNECT);
+    if (schManager)
+    {
+        schService = OpenService(schManager, o.ovpn_engine == OPENVPN_ENGINE_OVPN3 ?
+                                 OPENVPN_SERVICE_NAME_OVPN3 : OPENVPN_SERVICE_NAME_OVPN2, SERVICE_QUERY_STATUS);
+        if (schService)
+        {
+            SERVICE_STATUS_PROCESS ssp = {0};
+            DWORD nbytes = 0;
+            if (QueryServiceStatusEx(schService, SC_STATUS_PROCESS_INFO, (BYTE *)&ssp, sizeof(ssp), &nbytes)
+                && ssp.dwCurrentState == SERVICE_RUNNING)
+            {
+                pid = ssp.dwProcessId;
+            }
+            CloseServiceHandle(schService);
+        }
+        CloseServiceHandle(schManager);
+    }
+    if (pid == 0)
+    {
+        MsgToEventLog(EVENTLOG_ERROR_TYPE, L"%hs:%d Failed to get service process id: (error = 0x%08x)",
+                      __func__, __LINE__, GetLastError());
+    }
+    return pid;
+}
diff --git a/service.h b/service.h
index d7f0de5..471902f 100644
--- a/service.h
+++ b/service.h
@@ -25,3 +25,6 @@ BOOL CheckIServiceStatus(BOOL warn);
 
 /* Attempt to start OpenVPN Automatc Service */
 void StartAutomaticService(void);
+
+/* Get the processId of the Interactive Service */
+ULONG GetServicePid(void);