diff --git a/src/nnn.c b/src/nnn.c
index 11f201ff..c0f351f0 100644
--- a/src/nnn.c
+++ b/src/nnn.c
@@ -936,7 +936,15 @@ static int join(pid_t p, uchar flag)
 	if (!(flag & F_NOWAIT)) {
 		/* wait for the child to exit */
 		do {
-		} while (waitpid(p, &status, 0) == -1);
+			/* Exit if parent has exited */
+			if (getppid() == 1) {
+				/* Kill child */
+				kill(p, SIGKILL);
+
+				/* Exit */
+				_exit(0);
+			}
+		} while (waitpid(p, &status, WNOHANG) <= 0);
 
 		if (WIFEXITED(status)) {
 			status = WEXITSTATUS(status);
@@ -1000,6 +1008,8 @@ static int spawn(char *file, char *arg1, char *arg2, const char *dir, uchar flag
 		exitcurses();
 
 	pid = xfork(flag);
+
+	/* Child */
 	if (pid == 0) {
 		if (dir && chdir(dir) == -1)
 			_exit(1);
@@ -1015,18 +1025,19 @@ static int spawn(char *file, char *arg1, char *arg2, const char *dir, uchar flag
 
 		execvp(*argv, argv);
 		_exit(1);
-	} else {
-		retstatus = join(pid, flag);
-
-		DPRINTF_D(pid);
-		if (flag & F_NORMAL) {
-			nonl();
-			noecho();
-		}
-
-		free(cmd);
 	}
 
+	/* Parent */
+	retstatus = join(pid, flag);
+
+	DPRINTF_D(pid);
+	if (flag & F_NORMAL) {
+		nonl();
+		noecho();
+	}
+
+	free(cmd);
+
 	return retstatus;
 }