diff --git a/parsl/executors/high_throughput/executor.py b/parsl/executors/high_throughput/executor.py
index 5407346ad8..762ab62c66 100644
--- a/parsl/executors/high_throughput/executor.py
+++ b/parsl/executors/high_throughput/executor.py
@@ -4,10 +4,9 @@
 import typeguard
 import logging
 import threading
-import queue
 import pickle
 from dataclasses import dataclass
-from multiprocessing import Process, Queue
+from multiprocessing import Process
 from typing import Dict, Sequence
 from typing import List, Optional, Tuple, Union, Callable
 import math
@@ -21,6 +20,7 @@
 from parsl.jobs.states import JobStatus, JobState, TERMINAL_STATES
 from parsl.executors.high_throughput import zmq_pipes
 from parsl.executors.high_throughput import interchange
+from parsl.executors.high_throughput.errors import CommandClientTimeoutError
 from parsl.executors.errors import (
     BadMessage, ScalingFailed,
 )
@@ -531,9 +531,7 @@ def _start_local_interchange_process(self):
         Starts the interchange process locally and uses an internal command queue to
         get the worker task and result ports that the interchange has bound to.
         """
-        comm_q = Queue(maxsize=10)
         self.interchange_proc = ForkProcess(target=interchange.starter,
-                                            args=(comm_q,),
                                             kwargs={"client_ports": (self.outgoing_q.port,
                                                                      self.incoming_q.port,
                                                                      self.command_client.port),
@@ -552,9 +550,10 @@ def _start_local_interchange_process(self):
                                             name="HTEX-Interchange"
                                             )
         self.interchange_proc.start()
+
         try:
-            (self.worker_task_port, self.worker_result_port) = comm_q.get(block=True, timeout=120)
-        except queue.Empty:
+            (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")
             raise Exception("Interchange failed to start")
 
diff --git a/parsl/executors/high_throughput/interchange.py b/parsl/executors/high_throughput/interchange.py
index fe7a081c40..7034d703c7 100644
--- a/parsl/executors/high_throughput/interchange.py
+++ b/parsl/executors/high_throughput/interchange.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
-import multiprocessing
 import zmq
 import os
 import sys
@@ -328,6 +327,9 @@ def _command_server(self) -> NoReturn:
 
                     reply = None
 
+                elif command_req == "WORKER_PORTS":
+                    reply = (self.worker_task_port, self.worker_result_port)
+
                 else:
                     logger.error(f"Received unknown command: {command_req}")
                     reply = None
@@ -672,7 +674,7 @@ def start_file_logger(filename: str, level: int = logging.DEBUG, format_string:
 
 
 @wrap_with_logs(target="interchange")
-def starter(comm_q: multiprocessing.Queue, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> None:
+def starter(*args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> None:
     """Start the interchange process
 
     The executor is expected to call this function. The args, kwargs match that of the Interchange.__init__
@@ -680,6 +682,4 @@ def starter(comm_q: multiprocessing.Queue, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> None:
     setproctitle("parsl: HTEX interchange")
     # logger = multiprocessing.get_logger()
     ic = Interchange(*args, **kwargs)
-    comm_q.put((ic.worker_task_port,
-                ic.worker_result_port))
     ic.start()