diff --git a/src/calibre/library/database2.py b/src/calibre/library/database2.py
index 679637dbca..fd5809f937 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/database2.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/database2.py
@@ -456,9 +456,6 @@ class LibraryDatabase2(LibraryDatabase, SchemaUpgrade, CustomColumns):
                 parent = os.path.dirname(spath)
                 if len(os.listdir(parent)) == 0:
                     self.rmtree(parent, permanent=True)
-        '''
-        This is commented out as it can lead to book file loss if the second
-        rename fails. This makes it not worthwhile, IMO.
 
         curpath = self.library_path
         c1, c2 = current_path.split('/'), path.split('/')
@@ -474,24 +471,12 @@ class LibraryDatabase2(LibraryDatabase, SchemaUpgrade, CustomColumns):
             # handles files in the directories, so no need to do them here.
             for oldseg, newseg in zip(c1, c2):
                 if oldseg.lower() == newseg.lower() and oldseg != newseg:
-                    while True:
-                        # need a temp name in the current segment for renames
-                        tempname = os.path.join(curpath, 'TEMP.%f'%time.time())
-                        if not os.path.exists(tempname):
-                            break
                     try:
-                        os.rename(os.path.join(curpath, oldseg), tempname)
-                    except (IOError, OSError):
-                        # Windows (at least) sometimes refuses to do the rename
-                        # probably because a file such a cover is open in the
-                        # hierarchy. Just go on -- nothing is hurt beyond the
-                        # case of the filesystem not matching the case in
-                        # name stored by calibre
-                        print 'rename of library component failed'
-                    else:
-                        os.rename(tempname, os.path.join(curpath, newseg))
+                        os.rename(os.path.join(curpath, oldseg),
+                                os.path.join(curpath, newseg))
+                    except:
+                        break # Fail silently since nothing catastrophic has happened
                 curpath = os.path.join(curpath, newseg)
-        '''
 
     def add_listener(self, listener):
         '''
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/ipc/launch.py b/src/calibre/utils/ipc/launch.py
index aa93469119..9c50208935 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/ipc/launch.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/ipc/launch.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class Worker(object):
     Platform independent object for launching child processes. All processes
     have the environment variable :envvar:`CALIBRE_WORKER` set.
 
-    Useful attributes: ``is_alive``, ``returncode``
+    Useful attributes: ``is_alive``, ``returncode``, ``pid``
     Useful methods: ``kill``
 
     To launch child simply call the Worker object. By default, the child's
@@ -94,6 +94,11 @@ class Worker(object):
         self.child.poll()
         return self.child.returncode
 
+    @property
+    def pid(self):
+        if not hasattr(self, 'child'): return None
+        return getattr(self.child, 'pid', None)
+
     def kill(self):
         try:
             if self.is_alive:
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/__init__.py b/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/__init__.py
index b3f811faca..3b32a5a9f3 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/__init__.py
@@ -5,12 +5,16 @@ __license__   = 'GPL v3'
 __copyright__ = '2010, Kovid Goyal <kovid@kovidgoyal.net>'
 __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 
-import sys
+import sys, os
 
-from calibre import prints as prints_
+from calibre import prints as prints_, preferred_encoding, isbytestring
 from calibre.utils.config import Config, ConfigProxy, JSONConfig
 from calibre.utils.ipc.launch import Worker
+from calibre.constants import __appname__, __version__, iswindows
+from calibre.gui2 import error_dialog
 
+preferred_encoding, isbytestring, __appname__, __version__, error_dialog, \
+iswindows
 
 def console_config():
     desc='Settings to control the calibre console'
@@ -28,5 +32,11 @@ def prints(*args, **kwargs):
     prints_(*args, **kwargs)
 
 class Process(Worker):
-    pass
+
+    @property
+    def env(self):
+        env = dict(os.environ)
+        env.update(self._env)
+        return env
+
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/console.py b/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/console.py
index 81169140cd..77c8d9a2f6 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/console.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/console.py
@@ -14,11 +14,10 @@ from PyQt4.Qt import QTextEdit, Qt, QTextFrameFormat, pyqtSignal, \
 from pygments.lexers import PythonLexer, PythonTracebackLexer
 from pygments.styles import get_all_styles
 
-from calibre.constants import __appname__, __version__
 from calibre.utils.pyconsole.formatter import Formatter
 from calibre.utils.pyconsole.repl import Interpreter, DummyFile
-from calibre.utils.pyconsole import prints, prefs
-from calibre.gui2 import error_dialog
+from calibre.utils.pyconsole import prints, prefs, __appname__, \
+        __version__, error_dialog
 
 class EditBlock(object): # {{{
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/main.py b/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/main.py
index 4027897ddd..a64bc15ec7 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/main.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/main.py
@@ -11,8 +11,7 @@ from functools import partial
 from PyQt4.Qt import QDialog, QToolBar, QStatusBar, QLabel, QFont, Qt, \
     QApplication, QIcon, QVBoxLayout, QAction
 
-from calibre.constants import __appname__, __version__
-from calibre.utils.pyconsole import dynamic
+from calibre.utils.pyconsole import dynamic, __appname__, __version__
 from calibre.utils.pyconsole.console import Console
 
 class MainWindow(QDialog):