diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/serve_coffee.py b/src/calibre/utils/serve_coffee.py
index 6548fec637..6faaeb4cf2 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/serve_coffee.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/serve_coffee.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ Utilities to help with developing coffeescript based apps.
 A coffeescript compiler and a simple web server that automatically serves
 coffeescript files as javascript.
 '''
-import sys, traceback, importlib, io
+import sys, traceback, io
 if sys.version_info.major > 2:
     print('This script is not Python 3 compatible. Run it with Python 2',
             file=sys.stderr)
@@ -24,43 +24,15 @@ from SimpleHTTPServer import SimpleHTTPRequestHandler
 
 from PyQt4.Qt import QCoreApplication, QScriptEngine, QScriptValue
 
-# Infrastructure {{{
-def import_from_calibre(mod):
-    try:
-        return importlib.import_module(mod)
-    except ImportError:
-        import init_calibre
-        init_calibre
-        return importlib.import_module(mod)
-
-_store_app = gui_thread = None
-def fork_job(*args, **kwargs):
-    try:
-        return import_from_calibre('calibre.utils.ipc.simple_worker').fork_job(*args,
-            **kwargs)
-    except ImportError:
-        # We aren't running in calibre
-        import subprocess
-        raw, filename = kwargs['args']
-        cs = ''
-        try:
-            p = subprocess.Popen([sys.executable, __file__, 'compile', '-'],
-                    stdin=subprocess.PIPE, stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
-                    stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
-            if isinstance(raw, unicode):
-                raw = raw.encode('utf-8')
-            stdout, stderr = p.communicate(raw)
-            cs = stdout.decode('utf-8')
-            errors = [stderr]
-        except:
-            errors = [traceback.format_exc()]
-
-        return {'result':(cs, errors)}
-
-# }}}
-
 class Compiler(QScriptEngine): # {{{
 
+    '''
+    You can use this class in any thread, but make sure you instantiate it in
+    the main thread. Alternatively, construct a QCoreApplication in the main
+    thread, after which you can instantiate this class and use it in any
+    thread.
+    '''
+
     def __init__(self):
         if QCoreApplication.instance() is None:
             self.__app_ = QCoreApplication([])
@@ -87,27 +59,11 @@ class Compiler(QScriptEngine): # {{{
                 return '', [unicode(res.toString())]
             return unicode(res.toString()), []
 
-def forked_compile(raw, fname):
-    # Entry point for the compile worker
-    try:
-        ans, errors = Compiler()(raw, fname)
-    except:
-        ans, errors = '', [traceback.format_exc()]
-    return ans, errors
-
 
 # }}}
 
 def compile_coffeescript(raw, filename=None):
-    try:
-        cs, errors = fork_job('calibre.utils.serve_coffee',
-                'forked_compile', args=(raw, filename), timeout=5,
-                no_output=True)['result']
-    except Exception as e:
-        cs = None
-        errors = [getattr(e, 'orig_tb', traceback.format_exc())]
-
-    return cs, errors
+    return Compiler()(raw, filename)
 
 class HTTPRequestHandler(SimpleHTTPRequestHandler): # {{{
     '''
@@ -284,7 +240,7 @@ class Handler(HTTPRequestHandler): # {{{
             mtime = time.time()
             with open(src, 'rb') as f:
                 raw = f.read()
-            cs, errors = compile_coffeescript(raw, src)
+            cs, errors = self.compiler(raw, src)
             for line in errors:
                 print(line, file=sys.stderr)
             if not cs:
@@ -318,6 +274,7 @@ class Server(SocketServer.ThreadingMixIn, BaseHTTPServer.HTTPServer): # {{{
 
 def serve(resources={}, port=8000, host='0.0.0.0'):
     Handler.special_resources = resources
+    Handler.compiler = Compiler()
     httpd = Server((host, port), Handler)
     print('serving %s at %s:%d with PID=%d'%(os.getcwdu(), host, port, os.getpid()))
     try: