diff --git a/src/Command.zig b/src/Command.zig
index 12068adca..264c20af7 100644
--- a/src/Command.zig
+++ b/src/Command.zig
@@ -49,7 +49,11 @@ stderr: ?File = null,
 /// If set, this will be executed /in the child process/ after fork but
 /// before exec. This is useful to setup some state in the child before the
 /// exec process takes over, such as signal handlers, setsid, setuid, etc.
-pre_exec: ?fn () void = null,
+pre_exec: ?fn (*Command) void = null,
+
+/// User data that is sent to the callback. Set with setData and getData
+/// for a more user-friendly API.
+data: ?*anyopaque = null,
 
 /// Process ID is set after start is called.
 pid: ?i32 = null,
@@ -121,7 +125,7 @@ pub fn start(self: *Command, alloc: Allocator) !void {
     if (self.stderr) |f| try setupFd(f.handle, os.STDERR_FILENO);
 
     // If the user requested a pre exec callback, call it now.
-    if (self.pre_exec) |f| f();
+    if (self.pre_exec) |f| f(self);
 
     // Finally, replace our process.
     _ = std.os.execveZ(pathZ, argsZ, envp) catch null;
@@ -140,6 +144,19 @@ pub fn wait(self: Command) !Exit {
     return Exit.init(res.status);
 }
 
+/// Sets command->data to data.
+pub fn setData(self: *Command, pointer: ?*anyopaque) void {
+    self.data = pointer;
+}
+
+/// Returns command->data.
+pub fn getData(self: Command, comptime DT: type) ?*DT {
+    return if (self.data) |ptr|
+        @ptrCast(?*DT, @alignCast(@alignOf(DT), ptr))
+    else
+        null;
+}
+
 /// Search for "cmd" in the PATH and return the absolute path. This will
 /// always allocate if there is a non-null result. The caller must free the
 /// resulting value.
diff --git a/src/Pty.zig b/src/Pty.zig
index cf03c823b..fc6a05b14 100644
--- a/src/Pty.zig
+++ b/src/Pty.zig
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const c = switch (builtin.os.tag) {
         @cInclude("util.h"); // openpty()
     }),
     else => @cImport({
+        @cInclude("sys/ioctl.h"); // ioctl and constants
         @cInclude("pty.h");
     }),
 };
@@ -27,6 +28,8 @@ const winsize = extern struct {
     ws_ypixel: u16,
 };
 
+pub extern "c" fn setsid() std.c.pid_t;
+
 /// The file descriptors for the master and slave side of the pty.
 master: fd_t,
 slave: fd_t,
@@ -73,6 +76,23 @@ pub fn setSize(self: Pty, size: winsize) !void {
         return error.IoctlFailed;
 }
 
+/// This should be called prior to exec in the forked child process
+/// in order to setup the tty properly.
+pub fn childPreExec(self: Pty) !void {
+    // Create a new process group
+    if (setsid() < 0) return error.ProcessGroupFailed;
+
+    // Set controlling terminal
+    if (std.os.linux.ioctl(self.slave, c.TIOCSCTTY, 0) < 0)
+        return error.SetControllingTerminalFailed;
+
+    // Can close master/slave pair now
+    std.os.close(self.slave);
+    std.os.close(self.master);
+
+    // TODO: reset signals
+}
+
 test {
     var ws: winsize = .{
         .ws_row = 50,
diff --git a/src/Window.zig b/src/Window.zig
index 6d7f4e969..0bbb7811b 100644
--- a/src/Window.zig
+++ b/src/Window.zig
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const glfw = @import("glfw");
 const gl = @import("opengl.zig");
 const libuv = @import("libuv/main.zig");
 const Pty = @import("Pty.zig");
+const Command = @import("Command.zig");
 const Terminal = @import("terminal/Terminal.zig");
 
 const log = std.log.scoped(.window);
@@ -30,6 +31,9 @@ grid: Grid,
 /// The underlying pty for this window.
 pty: Pty,
 
+/// The command we're running for our tty.
+command: Command,
+
 /// The terminal emulator internal state. This is the abstract "terminal"
 /// that manages input, grid updating, etc. and is renderer-agnostic. It
 /// just stores internal state about a grid. This is connected back to
@@ -104,6 +108,36 @@ pub fn create(alloc: Allocator, loop: libuv.Loop) !*Window {
     });
     errdefer pty.deinit();
 
+    // Create our child process
+    const path = (try Command.expandPath(alloc, "sh")) orelse
+        return error.CommandNotFound;
+    defer alloc.free(path);
+
+    var env = std.BufMap.init(alloc);
+    defer env.deinit();
+    try env.put("TERM", "dumb");
+
+    var cmd: Command = .{
+        .path = path,
+        .args = &[_][]const u8{path},
+        .env = &env,
+        .pre_exec = (struct {
+            fn callback(c: *Command) void {
+                const p = c.getData(Pty) orelse unreachable;
+                p.childPreExec() catch |err|
+                    log.err("error initializing child: {}", .{err});
+            }
+        }).callback,
+        .data = &pty,
+    };
+    // note: can't set these in the struct initializer because it
+    // sets the handle to "0". Probably a stage1 zig bug.
+    cmd.stdin = std.fs.File{ .handle = pty.slave };
+    cmd.stdout = cmd.stdin;
+    cmd.stderr = cmd.stdin;
+    try cmd.start(alloc);
+    log.debug("started subcommand path={s} pid={}", .{ path, cmd.pid });
+
     // Create our terminal
     var term = Terminal.init(grid.size.columns, grid.size.rows);
     errdefer term.deinit(alloc);
@@ -121,6 +155,7 @@ pub fn create(alloc: Allocator, loop: libuv.Loop) !*Window {
         .window = window,
         .grid = grid,
         .pty = pty,
+        .command = cmd,
         .terminal = term,
         .cursor_timer = timer,
     };
@@ -142,8 +177,14 @@ pub fn destroy(self: *Window) void {
             t.deinit(alloc);
         }
     }).callback);
-    self.terminal.deinit(self.alloc);
+
+    // Deinitialize the pty. This closes the pty handles. This should
+    // cause a close in the our subprocess so just wait for that.
     self.pty.deinit();
+    _ = self.command.wait() catch |err|
+        log.err("error waiting for command to exit: {}", .{err});
+
+    self.terminal.deinit(self.alloc);
     self.grid.deinit();
     self.window.destroy();
     self.alloc.destroy(self);