diff --git a/Lib/multiprocessing/popen_spawn_win32.py b/Lib/multiprocessing/popen_spawn_win32.py
index ea9c555da39..9c4098d0fa4 100644
--- a/Lib/multiprocessing/popen_spawn_win32.py
+++ b/Lib/multiprocessing/popen_spawn_win32.py
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ class Popen(object):
             try:
                 hp, ht, pid, tid = _winapi.CreateProcess(
                     python_exe, cmd,
-                    env, None, False, 0, None, None, None)
+                    None, None, False, 0, env, None, None)
                 _winapi.CloseHandle(ht)
             except:
                 _winapi.CloseHandle(rhandle)
diff --git a/Lib/multiprocessing/spawn.py b/Lib/multiprocessing/spawn.py
index 7cc129e2610..075f3455478 100644
--- a/Lib/multiprocessing/spawn.py
+++ b/Lib/multiprocessing/spawn.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ else:
 if WINSERVICE:
     _python_exe = os.path.join(sys.exec_prefix, 'python.exe')
 else:
-    _python_exe = sys.executable
+    _python_exe = sys._base_executable
 
 def set_executable(exe):
     global _python_exe
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Windows/2019-09-13-14-11-42.bpo-38092.x31ehI.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Windows/2019-09-13-14-11-42.bpo-38092.x31ehI.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..48e83c8d156
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Windows/2019-09-13-14-11-42.bpo-38092.x31ehI.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Reduce overhead when using multiprocessing in a Windows virtual environment.