diff --git a/src/common/libsubprocess/Makefile.am b/src/common/libsubprocess/Makefile.am
index 3e731d3b8962..0b9c1bef35dd 100644
--- a/src/common/libsubprocess/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/common/libsubprocess/Makefile.am
@@ -41,7 +41,9 @@ libsubprocess_la_SOURCES = \
 	fbuf.h \
 	fbuf.c \
 	fbuf_watcher.h \
-	fbuf_watcher.c
+	fbuf_watcher.c \
+	bulk-exec.h \
+	bulk-exec.c
 
 fluxcoreinclude_HEADERS = \
 	command.h \
@@ -63,7 +65,8 @@ check_PROGRAMS = \
 	test_echo \
 	test_multi_echo \
 	test_fork_sleep \
-	test_fdcopy
+	test_fdcopy \
+	bulk-exec
 
 check_LTLIBRARIES = test/libutil.la
 
@@ -91,6 +94,14 @@ test_libutil_la_SOURCES = \
 	test/rcmdsrv.h \
 	test/rcmdsrv.c
 
+bulk_exec_SOURCES = test/bulk-exec.c
+bulk_exec_CPPFLAGS = $(test_cppflags)
+bulk_exec_LDADD = \
+	$(test_ldadd) \
+	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libflux-optparse.la
+
+bulk_exec_LDFLAGS = $(test_ldflags)
+
 test_command_t_SOURCES = test/command.c
 test_command_t_CPPFLAGS = $(test_cppflags)
 test_command_t_LDADD = $(test_ldadd)
diff --git a/src/modules/job-exec/bulk-exec.c b/src/common/libsubprocess/bulk-exec.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/modules/job-exec/bulk-exec.c
rename to src/common/libsubprocess/bulk-exec.c
diff --git a/src/modules/job-exec/bulk-exec.h b/src/common/libsubprocess/bulk-exec.h
similarity index 99%
rename from src/modules/job-exec/bulk-exec.h
rename to src/common/libsubprocess/bulk-exec.h
index 0442a789bd3e..63fcfee380f7 100644
--- a/src/modules/job-exec/bulk-exec.h
+++ b/src/common/libsubprocess/bulk-exec.h
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #define HAVE_JOB_EXEC_BULK_EXEC_H 1
 
 #include <flux/core.h>
+#include <flux/idset.h>
 
 struct bulk_exec;
 
diff --git a/src/modules/job-exec/test/bulk-exec.c b/src/common/libsubprocess/test/bulk-exec.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/modules/job-exec/test/bulk-exec.c
rename to src/common/libsubprocess/test/bulk-exec.c
diff --git a/src/modules/Makefile.am b/src/modules/Makefile.am
index 3dd5a3628ceb..eabed0b50a9e 100644
--- a/src/modules/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/modules/Makefile.am
@@ -152,7 +152,6 @@ job_archive_la_LDFLAGS = $(fluxmod_ldflags) -module
 job_exec_la_SOURCES =
 job_exec_la_LIBADD = \
 	$(builddir)/job-exec/libjob-exec.la \
-	$(builddir)/job-exec/libbulk-exec.la \
 	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libjob/libjob.la \
 	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libsubprocess/libsubprocess.la \
 	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libflux-internal.la \
diff --git a/src/modules/job-exec/Makefile.am b/src/modules/job-exec/Makefile.am
index 51222e74d684..b07827ebc22b 100644
--- a/src/modules/job-exec/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/modules/job-exec/Makefile.am
@@ -13,11 +13,7 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = \
 	$(JANSSON_CFLAGS)
 
 noinst_LTLIBRARIES = \
-	libjob-exec.la \
-	libbulk-exec.la
-
-noinst_PROGRAMS = \
-	bulk-exec
+	libjob-exec.la
 
 libjob_exec_la_SOURCES = \
 	job-exec.h \
@@ -31,21 +27,6 @@ libjob_exec_la_SOURCES = \
 	testexec.c \
 	exec.c
 
-libbulk_exec_la_SOURCES = \
-	bulk-exec.h \
-	bulk-exec.c
-
-bulk_exec_SOURCES = \
-	test/bulk-exec.c
-
-bulk_exec_LDADD = \
-	libbulk-exec.la \
-	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libflux-internal.la \
-	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libflux-core.la \
-	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libflux-idset.la \
-	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libflux-optparse.la \
-	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libutil/libutil.la
-
 test_ldadd = \
 	$(builddir)/libjob-exec.la \
 	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libtap/libtap.la \
diff --git a/src/modules/job-exec/exec.c b/src/modules/job-exec/exec.c
index 53f38e4301ac..afd7d3959d83 100644
--- a/src/modules/job-exec/exec.c
+++ b/src/modules/job-exec/exec.c
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@
 #include "ccan/str/str.h"
 #include "src/common/libutil/errprintf.h"
 #include "src/common/libutil/errno_safe.h"
+#include "src/common/libsubprocess/bulk-exec.h"
 
 #include "job-exec.h"
 #include "exec_config.h"
-#include "bulk-exec.h"
 #include "rset.h"
 
 /*  Numeric severity used for a non-fatal, critical job exception: