diff --git a/source3/printing/nt_printing.c b/source3/printing/nt_printing.c
index 65b66130a9b..b172ed92c6e 100644
--- a/source3/printing/nt_printing.c
+++ b/source3/printing/nt_printing.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 #include "includes.h"
 #include "printing/nt_printing_tdb.h"
+#include "printing/queue_process.h"
 #include "../librpc/gen_ndr/ndr_spoolss.h"
 #include "rpc_server/spoolss/srv_spoolss_util.h"
 #include "nt_printing.h"
@@ -29,7 +30,6 @@
 #include "../libcli/security/security.h"
 #include "passdb/machine_sid.h"
 #include "smbd/smbd.h"
-#include "smbd/globals.h"
 #include "auth.h"
 #include "messages.h"
 #include "rpc_server/spoolss/srv_spoolss_nt.h"
@@ -201,18 +201,7 @@ static void forward_drv_upgrade_printer_msg(struct messaging_context *msg,
 				struct server_id server_id,
 				DATA_BLOB *data)
 {
-	extern pid_t background_lpq_updater_pid;
-
-	if (background_lpq_updater_pid == -1) {
-		DEBUG(3,("no background lpq queue updater\n"));
-		return;
-	}
-
-	messaging_send_buf(msg,
-			pid_to_procid(background_lpq_updater_pid),
-			MSG_PRINTER_DRVUPGRADE,
-			data->data,
-			data->length);
+	send_to_bgqd(msg, msg_type, data->data, data->length);
 }
 
 /****************************************************************************
diff --git a/source3/printing/printing.c b/source3/printing/printing.c
index 219e9050eb6..982eb4f9cdd 100644
--- a/source3/printing/printing.c
+++ b/source3/printing/printing.c
@@ -1553,8 +1553,6 @@ void print_queue_receive(struct messaging_context *msg,
 update the internal database from the system print queue for a queue
 ****************************************************************************/
 
-extern pid_t background_lpq_updater_pid;
-
 static void print_queue_update(struct messaging_context *msg_ctx,
 			       int snum, bool force)
 {
@@ -1679,8 +1677,7 @@ static void print_queue_update(struct messaging_context *msg_ctx,
 
 	/* finally send the message */
 
-	messaging_send_buf(msg_ctx, pid_to_procid(background_lpq_updater_pid),
-			   MSG_PRINTER_UPDATE, (uint8_t *)buffer, len);
+	send_to_bgqd(msg_ctx, MSG_PRINTER_UPDATE, (uint8_t *)buffer, len);
 
 	SAFE_FREE( buffer );
 
diff --git a/source3/printing/queue_process.c b/source3/printing/queue_process.c
index 0867784bf89..9e1d21469ff 100644
--- a/source3/printing/queue_process.c
+++ b/source3/printing/queue_process.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 #include "nt_printing.h"
 #include "util_event.h"
 #include "lib/global_contexts.h"
+#include "lib/util/pidfile.h"
 
 /**
  * @brief Purge stale printers and reload from pre-populated pcap cache.
@@ -483,3 +484,17 @@ void printing_subsystem_update(struct tevent_context *ev_ctx,
 	pcap_cache_reload(ev_ctx, msg_ctx,
 			  delete_and_reload_printers_full);
 }
+
+void send_to_bgqd(struct messaging_context *msg_ctx,
+		  uint32_t msg_type,
+		  const uint8_t *buf,
+		  size_t buflen)
+{
+	pid_t bgqd = pidfile_pid(lp_pid_directory(), "samba-bgqd");
+
+	if (bgqd == -1) {
+		return;
+	}
+	messaging_send_buf(
+		msg_ctx, pid_to_procid(bgqd), msg_type, buf, buflen);
+}
diff --git a/source3/printing/queue_process.h b/source3/printing/queue_process.h
index 9e87d862166..a414f7d7edc 100644
--- a/source3/printing/queue_process.h
+++ b/source3/printing/queue_process.h
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ void printing_subsystem_update(struct tevent_context *ev_ctx,
 pid_t start_background_queue(struct tevent_context *ev,
 			     struct messaging_context *msg,
 			     char *logfile);
+void send_to_bgqd(struct messaging_context *msg_ctx,
+		  uint32_t msg_type,
+		  const uint8_t *buf,
+		  size_t buflen);
 
 struct bq_state;
 struct bq_state *register_printing_bq_handlers(
diff --git a/source3/printing/spoolssd.c b/source3/printing/spoolssd.c
index 67cd20684fd..6eb1a82627f 100644
--- a/source3/printing/spoolssd.c
+++ b/source3/printing/spoolssd.c
@@ -554,8 +554,7 @@ static void print_queue_forward(struct messaging_context *msg,
 				struct server_id server_id,
 				DATA_BLOB *data)
 {
-	messaging_send_buf(msg, pid_to_procid(background_lpq_updater_pid),
-			   MSG_PRINTER_UPDATE, data->data, data->length);
+	send_to_bgqd(msg, msg_type, data->data, data->length);
 }
 
 static char *get_bq_logfile(void)