diff --git a/src/main-process/atom-application.js b/src/main-process/atom-application.js
index 0346aaa498e..f05d4924496 100644
--- a/src/main-process/atom-application.js
+++ b/src/main-process/atom-application.js
@@ -133,6 +133,13 @@ const decryptOptions = (optionsMessage, secret) => {
   return JSON.parse(message);
 };
 
+ipcMain.handle('isDefaultProtocolClient', (_, { protocol, path, args }) => {
+  return app.isDefaultProtocolClient(protocol, path, args);
+});
+
+ipcMain.handle('setAsDefaultProtocolClient', (_, { protocol, path, args }) => {
+  return app.setAsDefaultProtocolClient(protocol, path, args);
+});
 // The application's singleton class.
 //
 // It's the entry point into the Atom application and maintains the global state
diff --git a/src/protocol-handler-installer.js b/src/protocol-handler-installer.js
index 2f3c0740df1..6b904fc7a49 100644
--- a/src/protocol-handler-installer.js
+++ b/src/protocol-handler-installer.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const { remote } = require('electron');
+const { ipcRenderer } = require('electron');
 
 const SETTING = 'core.uriHandlerRegistration';
 const PROMPT = 'prompt';
@@ -10,26 +10,28 @@ module.exports = class ProtocolHandlerInstaller {
     return ['win32', 'darwin'].includes(process.platform);
   }
 
-  isDefaultProtocolClient() {
-    return remote.app.isDefaultProtocolClient('atom', process.execPath, [
-      '--uri-handler',
-      '--'
-    ]);
+  async isDefaultProtocolClient() {
+    return ipcRenderer.invoke('isDefaultProtocolClient', {
+      protocol: 'atom',
+      path: process.execPath,
+      args: ['--uri-handler', '--']
+    });
   }
 
-  setAsDefaultProtocolClient() {
+  async setAsDefaultProtocolClient() {
     // This Electron API is only available on Windows and macOS. There might be some
     // hacks to make it work on Linux; see https://github.com/electron/electron/issues/6440
     return (
       this.isSupported() &&
-      remote.app.setAsDefaultProtocolClient('atom', process.execPath, [
-        '--uri-handler',
-        '--'
-      ])
+      ipcRenderer.invoke('setAsDefaultProtocolClient', {
+        protocol: 'atom',
+        path: process.execPath,
+        args: ['--uri-handler', '--']
+      })
     );
   }
 
-  initialize(config, notifications) {
+  async initialize(config, notifications) {
     if (!this.isSupported()) {
       return;
     }
@@ -37,12 +39,12 @@ module.exports = class ProtocolHandlerInstaller {
     const behaviorWhenNotProtocolClient = config.get(SETTING);
     switch (behaviorWhenNotProtocolClient) {
       case PROMPT:
-        if (!this.isDefaultProtocolClient()) {
+        if (await !this.isDefaultProtocolClient()) {
           this.promptToBecomeProtocolClient(config, notifications);
         }
         break;
       case ALWAYS:
-        if (!this.isDefaultProtocolClient()) {
+        if (await !this.isDefaultProtocolClient()) {
           this.setAsDefaultProtocolClient();
         }
         break;