diff --git a/drivers/serial/serial.c b/drivers/serial/serial.c
index d68c8a89a6..2fa17c6ede 100644
--- a/drivers/serial/serial.c
+++ b/drivers/serial/serial.c
@@ -1604,21 +1604,20 @@ static void uart_launch_worker(void *arg)
   nxsched_foreach(uart_launch_foreach, &found);
   if (!found)
     {
-#ifdef CONFIG_TTY_LAUNCH_ENTRY
-      nxtask_create(CONFIG_TTY_LAUNCH_ENTRYNAME,
-                    CONFIG_TTY_LAUNCH_PRIORITY,
-                    NULL, CONFIG_TTY_LAUNCH_STACKSIZE,
-                    CONFIG_TTY_LAUNCH_ENTRYPOINT,
-                    argv, NULL);
-#else
       posix_spawnattr_t attr;
 
       posix_spawnattr_init(&attr);
-
       attr.priority  = CONFIG_TTY_LAUNCH_PRIORITY;
       attr.stacksize = CONFIG_TTY_LAUNCH_STACKSIZE;
-      exec_spawn(CONFIG_TTY_LAUNCH_FILEPATH, argv, NULL, 0, &attr);
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_TTY_LAUNCH_ENTRY
+      task_spawn(CONFIG_TTY_LAUNCH_ENTRYNAME,
+                 CONFIG_TTY_LAUNCH_ENTRYPOINT,
+                 NULL, &attr, argv, NULL);
+#else
+      exec_spawn(CONFIG_TTY_LAUNCH_FILEPATH, argv, NULL, NULL, 0, &attr);
 #endif
+      posix_spawnattr_destroy(&attr);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/sched/init/nx_bringup.c b/sched/init/nx_bringup.c
index f712a10f10..14a88d7eec 100644
--- a/sched/init/nx_bringup.c
+++ b/sched/init/nx_bringup.c
@@ -234,9 +234,7 @@ static inline void nx_start_application(void)
 #  endif
     NULL,
   };
-#endif
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_INIT_FILE
   posix_spawnattr_t attr;
 #endif
   int ret;
@@ -249,6 +247,10 @@ static inline void nx_start_application(void)
   board_late_initialize();
 #endif
 
+  posix_spawnattr_init(&attr);
+  attr.priority  = CONFIG_INIT_PRIORITY;
+  attr.stacksize = CONFIG_INIT_STACKSIZE;
+
 #if defined(CONFIG_INIT_ENTRY)
 
   /* Start the application initialization task.  In a flat build, this is
@@ -261,16 +263,14 @@ static inline void nx_start_application(void)
 
 #  ifdef CONFIG_BUILD_PROTECTED
   DEBUGASSERT(USERSPACE->us_entrypoint != NULL);
-  ret = nxtask_create(CONFIG_INIT_ENTRYNAME, CONFIG_INIT_PRIORITY,
-                      NULL, CONFIG_INIT_STACKSIZE,
-                      USERSPACE->us_entrypoint, argv, NULL);
+  ret = task_spawn(CONFIG_INIT_ENTRYNAME,
+                   USERSPACE->us_entrypoint,
+                   NULL, &attr, argv, NULL);
 #  else
-  ret = nxtask_create(CONFIG_INIT_ENTRYNAME, CONFIG_INIT_PRIORITY,
-                      NULL, CONFIG_INIT_STACKSIZE,
-                      CONFIG_INIT_ENTRYPOINT, argv, NULL);
+  ret = task_spawn(CONFIG_INIT_ENTRYNAME,
+                   CONFIG_INIT_ENTRYPOINT,
+                   NULL, &attr, argv, NULL);
 #  endif
-  DEBUGASSERT(ret > 0);
-
 #elif defined(CONFIG_INIT_FILE)
 
 #  ifdef CONFIG_INIT_MOUNT
@@ -296,10 +296,9 @@ static inline void nx_start_application(void)
 
   ret = exec_spawn(CONFIG_INIT_FILEPATH, argv, NULL,
                    CONFIG_INIT_SYMTAB, CONFIG_INIT_NEXPORTS, &attr);
-  DEBUGASSERT(ret >= 0);
 #endif
-
-  UNUSED(ret);
+  posix_spawnattr_destroy(&attr);
+  DEBUGASSERT(ret > 0);
 }
 
 /****************************************************************************