diff --git a/R/class_clustermq.R b/R/class_clustermq.R
index 72f5f5b0d..d1cef9396 100644
--- a/R/class_clustermq.R
+++ b/R/class_clustermq.R
@@ -107,33 +107,19 @@ clustermq_class <- R6::R6Class(
     # Cannot use multicore clustermq backend
     # due to https://github.com/ropensci/targets/discussions/780
     # nocov start
-    set_common_data = function() {
-      self$worker_list$set_common_data(
-        fun = identity,
-        const = list(),
-        export = self$produce_exports(
-          envir = self$envir,
-          path_store = self$meta$store
-        ),
-        rettype = list(),
-        pkgs = "targets",
-        common_seed = 0L,
-        token = "set_common_data_token"
-      )
-    },
-    create_worker_list = function() {
-      worker_list <- clustermq::workers(
+    start_workers = function() {
+      self$worker_list <- clustermq::workers(
         n_jobs = self$workers,
         template = tar_option_get("resources")$clustermq$template %|||%
           tar_option_get("resources") %|||%
           list(),
         log_worker = self$log_worker
       )
-      self$worker_list <- worker_list
-    },
-    start_worker_list = function() {
-      self$create_worker_list()
-      self$set_common_data()
+      exports <- self$produce_exports(
+        envir = self$envir,
+        path_store = self$meta$store
+      )
+      do.call(what = self$worker_list$env, args = exports)
     },
     any_upcoming_jobs = function() {
       need_workers <- fltr(
@@ -146,20 +132,17 @@ clustermq_class <- R6::R6Class(
       if (self$garbage_collection) {
         gc()
       }
-      args <- list(
-        expr = quote(
-          targets::target_run_worker(
-            target = target,
-            envir = .tar_envir_5048826d,
-            path_store = .tar_path_store_5048826d,
-            fun = .tar_fun_5048826d,
-            options = .tar_options_5048826d,
-            envvars = .tar_envvars_5048826d
-          )
+      self$worker_list$send(
+        cmd = targets::target_run_worker(
+          target = target,
+          envir = .tar_envir_5048826d,
+          path_store = .tar_path_store_5048826d,
+          fun = .tar_fun_5048826d,
+          options = .tar_options_5048826d,
+          envvars = .tar_envvars_5048826d
         ),
-        env = list(target = target)
+        target = target
       )
-      do.call(what = self$worker_list$send_call, args = args)
     },
     run_main = function(target) {
       self$wait_or_shutdown()
@@ -199,7 +182,7 @@ clustermq_class <- R6::R6Class(
     },
     shut_down_worker = function() {
       if (self$workers > 0L) {
-        self$worker_list$send_shutdown_worker()
+        self$worker_list$send_shutdown()
         self$workers <- self$workers - 1L
         self$scheduler$backoff$reset()
       }
@@ -247,16 +230,9 @@ clustermq_class <- R6::R6Class(
     },
     iterate = function() {
       self$sync_meta_time()
-      message <- if_any(
-        self$workers > 0L,
-        self$worker_list$receive_data(),
-        list()
-      )
-      self$conclude_worker_target(message$result)
-      token <- message$token
-      if (self$workers > 0L && !identical(token, "set_common_data_token")) {
-        self$worker_list$send_common_data()
-      } else if (self$scheduler$queue$is_nonempty()) {
+      target <- self$worker_list$recv()
+      self$conclude_worker_target(target)
+      if (self$scheduler$queue$is_nonempty()) {
         self$next_target()
       } else {
         self$shut_down_worker()
@@ -278,14 +254,11 @@ clustermq_class <- R6::R6Class(
       )
     },
     run_clustermq = function() {
-      on.exit(try(self$worker_list$finalize()))
-      self$start_worker_list()
+      on.exit(try(self$worker_list$cleanup()))
+      self$start_workers()
       while (self$scheduler$progress$any_remaining()) {
         self$iterate()
       }
-      if (identical(try(self$worker_list$cleanup()), TRUE)) {
-        on.exit()
-      }
     },
     run = function() {
       self$start()