diff --git a/sway/commands/exec_always.c b/sway/commands/exec_always.c
index 8bc1048c..14566fc4 100644
--- a/sway/commands/exec_always.c
+++ b/sway/commands/exec_always.c
@@ -25,16 +25,6 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_exec_validate(int argc, char **argv) {
 	return error;
 }
 
-static void export_xdga_token(struct launcher_ctx *ctx) {
-	const char *token = launcher_ctx_get_token_name(ctx);
-	setenv("XDG_ACTIVATION_TOKEN", token, 1);
-}
-
-static void export_startup_id(struct launcher_ctx *ctx) {
-	const char *token = launcher_ctx_get_token_name(ctx);
-	setenv("DESKTOP_STARTUP_ID", token, 1);
-}
-
 struct cmd_results *cmd_exec_process(int argc, char **argv) {
 	struct cmd_results *error = NULL;
 	char *cmd = NULL;
@@ -56,67 +46,42 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_exec_process(int argc, char **argv) {
 
 	sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "Executing %s", cmd);
 
-	int fd[2];
-	if (pipe(fd) != 0) {
-		sway_log(SWAY_ERROR, "Unable to create pipe for fork");
-	}
-
-	pid_t pid, child;
 	struct launcher_ctx *ctx = launcher_ctx_create_internal();
+
 	// Fork process
-	if ((pid = fork()) == 0) {
-		// Fork child process again
+	pid_t child = fork();
+	if (child == 0) {
 		restore_nofile_limit();
 		setsid();
 		sigset_t set;
 		sigemptyset(&set);
 		sigprocmask(SIG_SETMASK, &set, NULL);
 		signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_DFL);
-		close(fd[0]);
-		if ((child = fork()) == 0) {
-			close(fd[1]);
-			if (ctx) {
-				export_xdga_token(ctx);
+
+		if (ctx) {
+			const char *token = launcher_ctx_get_token_name(ctx);
+			setenv("XDG_ACTIVATION_TOKEN", token, 1);
+			if (!no_startup_id) {
+				setenv("DESKTOP_STARTUP_ID", token, 1);
 			}
-			if (ctx && !no_startup_id) {
-				export_startup_id(ctx);
-			}
-			execlp("sh", "sh", "-c", cmd, (void *)NULL);
-			sway_log_errno(SWAY_ERROR, "execlp failed");
-			_exit(1);
 		}
-		ssize_t s = 0;
-		while ((size_t)s < sizeof(pid_t)) {
-			s += write(fd[1], ((uint8_t *)&child) + s, sizeof(pid_t) - s);
-		}
-		close(fd[1]);
+
+		execlp("sh", "sh", "-c", cmd, (void*)NULL);
+		sway_log_errno(SWAY_ERROR, "execve failed");
 		_exit(0); // Close child process
-	} else if (pid < 0) {
+	} else if (child < 0) {
+		launcher_ctx_destroy(ctx);
 		free(cmd);
-		close(fd[0]);
-		close(fd[1]);
 		return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE, "fork() failed");
 	}
-	free(cmd);
-	close(fd[1]); // close write
-	ssize_t s = 0;
-	while ((size_t)s < sizeof(pid_t)) {
-		s += read(fd[0], ((uint8_t *)&child) + s, sizeof(pid_t) - s);
-	}
-	close(fd[0]);
-	// cleanup child process
-	waitpid(pid, NULL, 0);
-	if (child > 0) {
-		sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "Child process created with pid %d", child);
-		if (ctx != NULL) {
-			sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "Recording workspace for process %d", child);
-			ctx->pid = child;
-		}
-	} else {
-		launcher_ctx_destroy(ctx);
-		return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE, "Second fork() failed");
+
+	sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "Child process created with pid %d", child);
+	if (ctx != NULL) {
+		sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "Recording workspace for process %d", child);
+		ctx->pid = child;
 	}
 
+	free(cmd);
 	return cmd_results_new(CMD_SUCCESS, NULL);
 }
 
diff --git a/sway/config/bar.c b/sway/config/bar.c
index ecefb61a..f7eddfbb 100644
--- a/sway/config/bar.c
+++ b/sway/config/bar.c
@@ -220,29 +220,21 @@ static void invoke_swaybar(struct bar_config *bar) {
 		signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_DFL);
 
 		restore_nofile_limit();
-
-		pid = fork();
-		if (pid < 0) {
-			sway_log_errno(SWAY_ERROR, "fork failed");
-			_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-		} else if (pid == 0) {
-			if (!sway_set_cloexec(sockets[1], false)) {
-				_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-			}
-
-			char wayland_socket_str[16];
-			snprintf(wayland_socket_str, sizeof(wayland_socket_str),
-					"%d", sockets[1]);
-			setenv("WAYLAND_SOCKET", wayland_socket_str, true);
-
-			// run custom swaybar
-			char *const cmd[] = {
-					bar->swaybar_command ? bar->swaybar_command : "swaybar",
-					"-b", bar->id, NULL};
-			execvp(cmd[0], cmd);
+		if (!sway_set_cloexec(sockets[1], false)) {
 			_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 		}
-		_exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
+
+		char wayland_socket_str[16];
+		snprintf(wayland_socket_str, sizeof(wayland_socket_str),
+				"%d", sockets[1]);
+		setenv("WAYLAND_SOCKET", wayland_socket_str, true);
+
+		// run custom swaybar
+		char *const cmd[] = {
+				bar->swaybar_command ? bar->swaybar_command : "swaybar",
+				"-b", bar->id, NULL};
+		execvp(cmd[0], cmd);
+		_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
 
 	if (close(sockets[1]) != 0) {
@@ -250,11 +242,6 @@ static void invoke_swaybar(struct bar_config *bar) {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (waitpid(pid, NULL, 0) < 0) {
-		sway_log_errno(SWAY_ERROR, "waitpid failed");
-		return;
-	}
-
 	sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "Spawned swaybar %s", bar->id);
 }
 
diff --git a/sway/config/output.c b/sway/config/output.c
index 9fb3a12a..4d4a47b4 100644
--- a/sway/config/output.c
+++ b/sway/config/output.c
@@ -1061,41 +1061,27 @@ static bool _spawn_swaybg(char **command) {
 		return false;
 	} else if (pid == 0) {
 		restore_nofile_limit();
-
-		pid = fork();
-		if (pid < 0) {
-			sway_log_errno(SWAY_ERROR, "fork failed");
-			_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-		} else if (pid == 0) {
-			if (!sway_set_cloexec(sockets[1], false)) {
-				_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-			}
-
-			char wayland_socket_str[16];
-			snprintf(wayland_socket_str, sizeof(wayland_socket_str),
-				"%d", sockets[1]);
-			setenv("WAYLAND_SOCKET", wayland_socket_str, true);
-
-			execvp(command[0], command);
-			sway_log_errno(SWAY_ERROR, "failed to execute '%s' "
-				"(background configuration probably not applied)",
-				command[0]);
+		if (!sway_set_cloexec(sockets[1], false)) {
 			_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 		}
-		_exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
+
+		char wayland_socket_str[16];
+		snprintf(wayland_socket_str, sizeof(wayland_socket_str),
+			"%d", sockets[1]);
+		setenv("WAYLAND_SOCKET", wayland_socket_str, true);
+
+		execvp(command[0], command);
+		sway_log_errno(SWAY_ERROR, "failed to execute '%s' "
+			"(background configuration probably not applied)",
+			command[0]);
+		_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
 
 	if (close(sockets[1]) != 0) {
 		sway_log_errno(SWAY_ERROR, "close failed");
 		return false;
 	}
-	int fork_status = 0;
-	if (waitpid(pid, &fork_status, 0) < 0) {
-		sway_log_errno(SWAY_ERROR, "waitpid failed");
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	return WIFEXITED(fork_status) && WEXITSTATUS(fork_status) == EXIT_SUCCESS;
+	return true;
 }
 
 bool spawn_swaybg(void) {
diff --git a/sway/main.c b/sway/main.c
index accffc71..0cc7623d 100644
--- a/sway/main.c
+++ b/sway/main.c
@@ -48,6 +48,13 @@ void sig_handler(int signal) {
 	sway_terminate(EXIT_SUCCESS);
 }
 
+void sigchld_handler(int signal) {
+	pid_t pid;
+	do {
+		pid = waitpid(-1, NULL, WNOHANG);
+	} while (pid > 0);
+}
+
 void run_as_ipc_client(char *command, char *socket_path) {
 	int socketfd = ipc_open_socket(socket_path);
 	uint32_t len = strlen(command);
@@ -325,6 +332,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	// handle SIGTERM signals
 	signal(SIGTERM, sig_handler);
 	signal(SIGINT, sig_handler);
+	signal(SIGCHLD, sigchld_handler);
 
 	// prevent ipc from crashing sway
 	signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN);
diff --git a/sway/swaynag.c b/sway/swaynag.c
index bc5e23ea..f0a31218 100644
--- a/sway/swaynag.c
+++ b/sway/swaynag.c
@@ -64,35 +64,27 @@ bool swaynag_spawn(const char *swaynag_command,
 		goto failed;
 	} else if (pid == 0) {
 		restore_nofile_limit();
-
-		pid = fork();
-		if (pid < 0) {
-			sway_log_errno(SWAY_ERROR, "fork failed");
-			_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-		} else if (pid == 0) {
-			if (!sway_set_cloexec(sockets[1], false)) {
-				_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-			}
-
-			if (swaynag->detailed) {
-				close(swaynag->fd[1]);
-				dup2(swaynag->fd[0], STDIN_FILENO);
-				close(swaynag->fd[0]);
-			}
-
-			char wayland_socket_str[16];
-			snprintf(wayland_socket_str, sizeof(wayland_socket_str),
-					"%d", sockets[1]);
-			setenv("WAYLAND_SOCKET", wayland_socket_str, true);
-
-			size_t length = strlen(swaynag_command) + strlen(swaynag->args) + 2;
-			char *cmd = malloc(length);
-			snprintf(cmd, length, "%s %s", swaynag_command, swaynag->args);
-			execlp("sh", "sh", "-c", cmd, NULL);
-			sway_log_errno(SWAY_ERROR, "execlp failed");
+		if (!sway_set_cloexec(sockets[1], false)) {
 			_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 		}
-		_exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
+
+		if (swaynag->detailed) {
+			close(swaynag->fd[1]);
+			dup2(swaynag->fd[0], STDIN_FILENO);
+			close(swaynag->fd[0]);
+		}
+
+		char wayland_socket_str[16];
+		snprintf(wayland_socket_str, sizeof(wayland_socket_str),
+				"%d", sockets[1]);
+		setenv("WAYLAND_SOCKET", wayland_socket_str, true);
+
+		size_t length = strlen(swaynag_command) + strlen(swaynag->args) + 2;
+		char *cmd = malloc(length);
+		snprintf(cmd, length, "%s %s", swaynag_command, swaynag->args);
+		execlp("sh", "sh", "-c", cmd, NULL);
+		sway_log_errno(SWAY_ERROR, "execlp failed");
+		_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
 
 	if (swaynag->detailed) {
@@ -107,11 +99,6 @@ bool swaynag_spawn(const char *swaynag_command,
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	if (waitpid(pid, NULL, 0) < 0) {
-		sway_log_errno(SWAY_ERROR, "waitpid failed");
-		return false;
-	}
-
 	return true;
 
 failed: