diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 918f94dc..6a88c579 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 - Fixed a bad type conversion which could cause underflow on a window resize
 - Alacritty now spawns a login shell on macOS, as with Terminal.app and iTerm2
+- Fixed zombie processes sticking around after launching URLs
 
 ## Version 0.2.3
 
diff --git a/src/input.rs b/src/input.rs
index 051a38db..3eafa437 100644
--- a/src/input.rs
+++ b/src/input.rs
@@ -20,10 +20,7 @@
 //! determine what to do when a non-modifier key is pressed.
 use std::borrow::Cow;
 use std::mem;
-use std::process::Command;
 use std::time::Instant;
-#[cfg(not(windows))]
-use std::os::unix::process::CommandExt;
 
 use copypasta::{Clipboard, Load, Buffer as ClipboardBuffer};
 use glutin::{ElementState, MouseButton, TouchPhase, MouseScrollDelta, ModifiersState, KeyboardInput};
@@ -35,6 +32,7 @@ use index::{Line, Column, Side, Point};
 use term::SizeInfo;
 use term::mode::TermMode;
 use util::fmt::Red;
+use util::start_daemon;
 
 pub const FONT_SIZE_STEP: f32 = 0.5;
 
@@ -239,26 +237,9 @@ impl Action {
             Action::Command(ref program, ref args) => {
                 trace!("running command: {} {:?}", program, args);
 
-                #[cfg(not(windows))]
-                let spawned = Command::new(program)
-                    .args(args)
-                    .before_exec(|| {
-                        // Detach forked process from Alacritty. This will cause
-                        // init or whatever to clean up child processes for us.
-                        unsafe { ::libc::daemon(1, 0); }
-                        Ok(())
-                    })
-                    .spawn();
-
-                #[cfg(windows)]
-                let spawned = Command::new(program)
-                    .args(args)
-                    .spawn();
-
-                match spawned
-                {
-                    Ok(child) => {
-                        debug!("spawned new proc with pid: {}", child.id());
+                match start_daemon(program, args) {
+                    Ok(_) => {
+                        debug!("spawned new proc");
                     },
                     Err(err) => {
                         warn!("couldn't run command: {}", err);
@@ -557,7 +538,7 @@ impl<'a, A: ActionContext + 'a> Processor<'a, A> {
         let mut args = launcher.args().to_vec();
         args.push(text);
 
-        match Command::new(launcher.program()).args(&args).spawn() {
+        match start_daemon(launcher.program(), &args) {
             Ok(_) => debug!("Launched: {} {:?}", launcher.program(), args),
             Err(_) => warn!("Unable to launch: {} {:?}", launcher.program(), args),
         }
diff --git a/src/util.rs b/src/util.rs
index 6065e01b..3b981aa6 100644
--- a/src/util.rs
+++ b/src/util.rs
@@ -11,25 +11,20 @@
 // WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
-use std::cmp;
-
-#[cfg(not(feature = "nightly"))]
-#[inline(always)]
-pub unsafe fn unlikely(x: bool) -> bool {
-    x
-}
-
-#[cfg(feature = "nightly")]
-pub use ::std::intrinsics::unlikely;
+#[cfg(not(windows))]
+use std::os::unix::process::CommandExt;
+use std::process::Command;
+use std::{cmp, io};
 
 /// Threading utilities
 pub mod thread {
     /// Like `thread::spawn`, but with a `name` argument
     pub fn spawn_named<F, T, S>(name: S, f: F) -> ::std::thread::JoinHandle<T>
-        where F: FnOnce() -> T,
-              F: Send + 'static,
-              T: Send + 'static,
-              S: Into<String>
+    where
+        F: FnOnce() -> T,
+        F: Send + 'static,
+        T: Send + 'static,
+        S: Into<String>,
     {
         ::std::thread::Builder::new()
             .name(name.into())
@@ -37,7 +32,7 @@ pub mod thread {
             .expect("thread spawn works")
     }
 
-    pub use ::std::thread::*;
+    pub use std::thread::*;
 }
 
 pub fn limit<T: Ord>(value: T, min: T, max: T) -> T {
@@ -81,6 +76,24 @@ pub mod fmt {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(not(windows))]
+pub fn start_daemon(program: &str, args: &[String]) -> io::Result<()> {
+    Command::new(program)
+        .args(args)
+        .before_exec(|| unsafe {
+            ::libc::daemon(1, 0);
+            Ok(())
+        })
+        .spawn()?
+        .wait()
+        .map(|_| ())
+}
+
+#[cfg(windows)]
+pub fn start_daemon(program: &str, args: &[String]) -> io::Result<()> {
+    Command::new(program).args(args).spawn().map(|_| ())
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::limit;