diff --git a/src/buildstream/_scheduler/scheduler.py b/src/buildstream/_scheduler/scheduler.py
index f2ae736a2..3172fce8b 100644
--- a/src/buildstream/_scheduler/scheduler.py
+++ b/src/buildstream/_scheduler/scheduler.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 import datetime
 import multiprocessing.forkserver
 import sys
+import threading
 from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
 
 # Local imports
@@ -138,12 +139,6 @@ def run(self, queues, casd_process_manager):
         # Hold on to the queues to process
         self.queues = queues
 
-        # NOTE: Enforce use of `SafeChildWatcher` as we generally don't want
-        # background threads.
-        # In Python 3.8+, `ThreadedChildWatcher` is the default watcher, and
-        # not `SafeChildWatcher`.
-        asyncio.set_child_watcher(asyncio.SafeChildWatcher())  # pylint: disable=deprecated-class
-
         # Ensure that we have a fresh new event loop, in case we want
         # to run another test in this thread.
         self.loop = asyncio.new_event_loop()
@@ -160,12 +155,7 @@ def run(self, queues, casd_process_manager):
 
         # Watch casd while running to ensure it doesn't die
         self._casd_process = casd_process_manager.process
-        _watcher = asyncio.get_child_watcher()
-
-        def abort_casd(pid, returncode):
-            asyncio.get_event_loop().call_soon(self._abort_on_casd_failure, pid, returncode)
-
-        _watcher.add_child_handler(self._casd_process.pid, abort_casd)
+        threading.Thread(target=self._watch_casd, name="watch-casd", daemon=True).start()
 
         # Start the profiler
         with PROFILER.profile(Topics.SCHEDULER, "_".join(queue.action_name for queue in self.queues)):
@@ -185,8 +175,6 @@ def abort_casd(pid, returncode):
             # Invoke the ticker callback a final time to render pending messages
             self._ticker_callback()
 
-        # Stop watching casd
-        _watcher.remove_child_handler(self._casd_process.pid)
         self._casd_process = None
 
         # Stop handling unix signals
@@ -309,16 +297,24 @@ def job_completed(self, job, status):
     # This will terminate immediately all jobs, since buildbox-casd is dead,
     # we can't do anything with them anymore.
     #
-    # Args:
-    #   pid (int): the process id under which buildbox-casd was running
-    #   returncode (int): the return code with which buildbox-casd exited
-    #
-    def _abort_on_casd_failure(self, pid, returncode):
+    def _abort_on_casd_failure(self):
         self.context.messenger.bug("buildbox-casd died while the pipeline was active.")
-
-        self._casd_process.returncode = returncode
         self.terminate()
 
+    # _watch_casd()
+    #
+    # This runs in a separate thread to detect casd exiting while the loop is
+    # still running.
+    #
+    def _watch_casd(self):
+        loop = self.loop
+        proc = self._casd_process
+        if loop and proc:
+            # This sets the `returncode` attribute
+            proc.wait()
+            if not loop.is_closed():
+                loop.call_soon_threadsafe(self._abort_on_casd_failure)
+
     # _start_job()
     #
     # Spanws a job