diff --git a/src/lib/fd.c b/src/lib/fd.c
index 8480f0a32..f24fefd2c 100644
--- a/src/lib/fd.c
+++ b/src/lib/fd.c
@@ -259,6 +259,7 @@ ncsubproc* ncsubproc_createv(ncplane* n, const ncsubproc_options* opts,
   if(ret->pid == 0){
     execv(bin, arg);
 //fprintf(stderr, "Error execv()ing %s\n", bin);
+    raise(SIGKILL);
     exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
   }else if(ret->pid < 0){
     free(ret);
@@ -288,6 +289,7 @@ ncsubproc* ncsubproc_createvp(ncplane* n, const ncsubproc_options* opts,
   if(ret->pid == 0){
     execvp(bin, arg);
 //fprintf(stderr, "Error execv()ing %s\n", bin);
+    raise(SIGKILL);
     exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
   }else if(ret->pid < 0){
     free(ret);
@@ -321,6 +323,7 @@ ncsubproc* ncsubproc_createvpe(ncplane* n, const ncsubproc_options* opts,
     execvpe(bin, arg, env);
 #endif
 //fprintf(stderr, "Error execv()ing %s\n", bin);
+    raise(SIGKILL);
     exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
   }else if(ret->pid < 0){
     free(ret);