diff --git a/core/emperor.c b/core/emperor.c
index 3944a01a..b59fb299 100644
--- a/core/emperor.c
+++ b/core/emperor.c
@@ -790,15 +790,10 @@ void emperor_add(struct uwsgi_emperor_scanner *ues, char *name, time_t born, cha
 	}
 }
 
+static void uwsgi_emperor_spawn_vassal(struct uwsgi_instance *);
 
 int uwsgi_emperor_vassal_start(struct uwsgi_instance *n_ui) {
 
-	int i;
-	char *colon = NULL;
-	int counter;
-	char **uenvs;
-	char *uef;
-	char **vassal_argv;
 	pid_t pid;
 
 	if (socketpair(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0, n_ui->pipe)) {
@@ -822,7 +817,17 @@ int uwsgi_emperor_vassal_start(struct uwsgi_instance *n_ui) {
 	// TODO pre-start hook
 
 	// a new uWSGI instance will start 
+#if defined(__linux__) && !defined(OBSOLETE_LINUX_KERNEL)
+	if (uwsgi.emperor_clone) {
+		char stack[PTHREAD_STACK_MIN];
+		pid = clone((int (*)(void *))uwsgi_emperor_spawn_vassal, stack + PTHREAD_STACK_MIN, SIGCHLD | uwsgi.emperor_clone, (void *) n_ui);
+	}
+	else {
+#endif
 	pid = fork();
+#if defined(__linux__) && !defined(OBSOLETE_LINUX_KERNEL)
+	}
+#endif
 	if (pid < 0) {
 		uwsgi_error("fork()")
 	}
@@ -857,6 +862,12 @@ int uwsgi_emperor_vassal_start(struct uwsgi_instance *n_ui) {
 		return 0;
 	}
 	else {
+		uwsgi_emperor_spawn_vassal(n_ui);
+	}
+	return -1;
+}
+
+static void uwsgi_emperor_spawn_vassal(struct uwsgi_instance *n_ui) {
 
 		if (uwsgi.emperor_tyrant) {
 			uwsgi_log("[emperor-tyrant] dropping privileges to %d %d for instance %s\n", (int) n_ui->uid, (int) n_ui->gid, n_ui->name);
@@ -879,7 +890,7 @@ int uwsgi_emperor_vassal_start(struct uwsgi_instance *n_ui) {
 		unsetenv("UWSGI_RELOADS");
 		unsetenv("NOTIFY_SOCKET");
 
-		uef = uwsgi_num2str(n_ui->pipe[1]);
+		char *uef = uwsgi_num2str(n_ui->pipe[1]);
 		if (setenv("UWSGI_EMPEROR_FD", uef, 1)) {
 			uwsgi_error("setenv()");
 			exit(1);
@@ -905,7 +916,7 @@ int uwsgi_emperor_vassal_start(struct uwsgi_instance *n_ui) {
 			free(uef);
 		}
 
-		uenvs = environ;
+		char **uenvs = environ;
 		while (*uenvs) {
 			if (!strncmp(*uenvs, "UWSGI_VASSAL_", 13) && strchr(*uenvs, '=')) {
 				char *oe = uwsgi_concat2n(*uenvs, strchr(*uenvs, '=') - *uenvs, "", 0), *ne;
@@ -942,17 +953,19 @@ int uwsgi_emperor_vassal_start(struct uwsgi_instance *n_ui) {
 			close(n_ui->pipe_config[0]);
 		}
 
-		counter = 4;
+		int counter = 4;
 		struct uwsgi_string_list *uct = uwsgi.vassals_templates;
 		while (uct) {
 			counter += 2;
 			uct = uct->next;
 		}
 
-		vassal_argv = uwsgi_malloc(sizeof(char *) * counter);
+		char **vassal_argv = uwsgi_malloc(sizeof(char *) * counter);
 		// set args
 		vassal_argv[0] = uwsgi.binary_path;
 
+		char *colon = NULL;
+
 		if (uwsgi.emperor_broodlord) {
 			colon = strchr(n_ui->name, ':');
 			if (colon) {
@@ -1037,6 +1050,7 @@ int uwsgi_emperor_vassal_start(struct uwsgi_instance *n_ui) {
 		}
 
 		// close all of the unneded fd
+		int i;
 		for (i = 3; i < (int) uwsgi.max_fd; i++) {
 			if (uwsgi_fd_is_safe(i)) continue;
 			if (n_ui->use_config) {
@@ -1094,9 +1108,6 @@ int uwsgi_emperor_vassal_start(struct uwsgi_instance *n_ui) {
 		uwsgi_log("[emperor] is the uwsgi binary in your system PATH ?\n");
 		// never here
 		exit(UWSGI_EXILE_CODE);
-	}
-
-	return -1;
 }
 
 void uwsgi_imperial_monitor_glob_init(struct uwsgi_emperor_scanner *ues) {
diff --git a/core/utils.c b/core/utils.c
index 4ebe5744..c46996ce 100644
--- a/core/utils.c
+++ b/core/utils.c
@@ -2413,7 +2413,7 @@ static int uwsgi_get_unshare_id(char *name) {
 	return -1;
 }
 
-void uwsgi_build_unshare(char *what) {
+void uwsgi_build_unshare(char *what, int *mask) {
 
 	char *list = uwsgi_str(what);
 
@@ -2421,7 +2421,7 @@ void uwsgi_build_unshare(char *what) {
 	while (p != NULL) {
 		int u_id = uwsgi_get_unshare_id(p);
 		if (u_id != -1) {
-			uwsgi.unshare |= u_id;
+			*mask |= u_id;
 		}
 		p = strtok(NULL, ",");
 	}
diff --git a/core/uwsgi.c b/core/uwsgi.c
index 454dad9d..50d88c87 100644
--- a/core/uwsgi.c
+++ b/core/uwsgi.c
@@ -194,6 +194,9 @@ static struct uwsgi_option uwsgi_base_options[] = {
 	{"emperor-on-demand-exec", required_argument, 0, "use the output of the specified command as on demand socket name (the vassal name is passed as the only argument)", uwsgi_opt_set_str, &uwsgi.emperor_on_demand_exec, 0},
 	{"emperor-extra-extension", required_argument, 0, "allows the specified extension in the Emperor (vassal will be called with --config)", uwsgi_opt_add_string_list, &uwsgi.emperor_extra_extension, 0},
 	{"emperor-extra-ext", required_argument, 0, "allows the specified extension in the Emperor (vassal will be called with --config)", uwsgi_opt_add_string_list, &uwsgi.emperor_extra_extension, 0},
+#if defined(__linux__) && !defined(OBSOLETE_LINUX_KERNEL)
+	{"emperor-use-clone", required_argument, 0, "use clone() instead of fork() passing the specified unshare() flags", uwsgi_opt_set_unshare, &uwsgi.emperor_clone, 0},
+#endif
 	{"imperial-monitor-list", no_argument, 0, "list enabled imperial monitors", uwsgi_opt_true, &uwsgi.imperial_monitor_list, 0},
 	{"imperial-monitors-list", no_argument, 0, "list enabled imperial monitors", uwsgi_opt_true, &uwsgi.imperial_monitor_list, 0},
 	{"vassals-inherit", required_argument, 0, "add config templates to vassals config", uwsgi_opt_add_string_list, &uwsgi.vassals_templates, 0},
@@ -295,7 +298,7 @@ static struct uwsgi_option uwsgi_base_options[] = {
 	{"cap", required_argument, 0, "set process capability", uwsgi_opt_set_cap, NULL, 0},
 #endif
 #ifdef __linux__
-	{"unshare", required_argument, 0, "unshare() part of the processes and put it in a new namespace", uwsgi_opt_set_unshare, NULL, 0},
+	{"unshare", required_argument, 0, "unshare() part of the processes and put it in a new namespace", uwsgi_opt_set_unshare, &uwsgi.unshare, 0},
 #endif
 	{"refork", no_argument, 0, "fork() again after privileges drop. Useful for jailing systems", uwsgi_opt_true, &uwsgi.refork, 0},
 	{"re-fork", no_argument, 0, "fork() again after privileges drop. Useful for jailing systems", uwsgi_opt_true, &uwsgi.refork, 0},
@@ -3785,8 +3788,8 @@ void uwsgi_opt_set_cap(char *opt, char *value, void *none) {
 }
 #endif
 #ifdef __linux__
-void uwsgi_opt_set_unshare(char *opt, char *value, void *none) {
-	uwsgi_build_unshare(value);
+void uwsgi_opt_set_unshare(char *opt, char *value, void *mask) {
+	uwsgi_build_unshare(value, (int *) mask);
 }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/uwsgi.h b/uwsgi.h
index c9f0bc24..d329898d 100644
--- a/uwsgi.h
+++ b/uwsgi.h
@@ -1808,6 +1808,7 @@ struct uwsgi_server {
 
 #ifdef __linux__
 	int unshare;
+	int emperor_clone;
 #endif
 	int refork;
 
@@ -3283,7 +3284,7 @@ int uwsgi_is_bad_connection(int);
 int uwsgi_long2str2n(unsigned long long, char *, int);
 
 #ifdef __linux__
-void uwsgi_build_unshare(char *);
+void uwsgi_build_unshare(char *, int *);
 #ifdef MADV_MERGEABLE
 void uwsgi_linux_ksm_map(void);
 #endif