diff --git a/spawn.c b/spawn.c
index 3f8a8fd3..99f1dc7e 100644
--- a/spawn.c
+++ b/spawn.c
@@ -35,28 +35,39 @@ spawn(struct reaper *reaper, const char *cwd, char *const argv[],
         /* Child */
         close(pipe_fds[0]);
 
+        if (setsid() < 0)
+            goto child_err;
+
         /* Clear signal mask */
         sigset_t mask;
         sigemptyset(&mask);
-        if (sigprocmask(SIG_SETMASK, &mask, NULL) < 0) {
-            const int errno_copy = errno;
-            LOG_ERRNO("failed to restore signals");
-            (void)!write(pipe_fds[1], &errno_copy, sizeof(errno_copy));
-            _exit(errno_copy);
-        }
+        if (sigprocmask(SIG_SETMASK, &mask, NULL) < 0)
+            goto child_err;
 
-        if ((stdin_fd >= 0 && (dup2(stdin_fd, STDIN_FILENO) < 0 || close(stdin_fd) < 0)) ||
-            (stdout_fd >= 0 && (dup2(stdout_fd, STDOUT_FILENO) < 0 || close(stdout_fd) < 0)) ||
-            (stderr_fd >= 0 && (dup2(stderr_fd, STDERR_FILENO) < 0 || close(stderr_fd) < 0)) ||
+        bool close_stderr = stderr_fd >= 0;
+        bool close_stdout = stdout_fd >= 0 && stdout_fd != stderr_fd;
+        bool close_stdin = stdin_fd >= 0 && stdin_fd != stdout_fd && stdin_fd != stderr_fd;
+
+        if ((stdin_fd >= 0 && (dup2(stdin_fd, STDIN_FILENO) < 0
+                               || (close_stdin && close(stdin_fd) < 0))) ||
+            (stdout_fd >= 0 && (dup2(stdout_fd, STDOUT_FILENO) < 0
+                                || (close_stdout && close(stdout_fd) < 0))) ||
+            (stderr_fd >= 0 && (dup2(stderr_fd, STDERR_FILENO) < 0
+                                || (close_stderr && close(stderr_fd) < 0))) ||
             (cwd != NULL && chdir(cwd) < 0) ||
             execvp(argv[0], argv) < 0)
         {
-            const int errno_copy = errno;
-            (void)!write(pipe_fds[1], &errno_copy, sizeof(errno_copy));
-            _exit(errno_copy);
+            goto child_err;
         }
+
         xassert(false);
         _exit(errno);
+
+    child_err:
+        ;
+        const int errno_copy = errno;
+        (void)!write(pipe_fds[1], &errno_copy, sizeof(errno_copy));
+        _exit(errno_copy);
     }
 
     /* Parent */
diff --git a/url-mode.c b/url-mode.c
index bc6e7722..cea099e9 100644
--- a/url-mode.c
+++ b/url-mode.c
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <wctype.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
 
 #define LOG_MODULE "url-mode"
 #define LOG_ENABLE_DBG 0
@@ -81,18 +85,27 @@ activate_url(struct seat *seat, struct terminal *term, const struct url *url)
         size_t argc;
         char **argv;
 
+        int dev_null = open("/dev/null", O_RDWR);
+
+        if (dev_null < 0) {
+            LOG_ERRNO("failed to open /dev/null");
+            break;
+        }
+
         if (spawn_expand_template(
                 &term->conf->url_launch, 1,
                 (const char *[]){"url"},
                 (const char *[]){url_string},
                 &argc, &argv))
         {
-            spawn(term->reaper, term->cwd, argv, -1, -1, -1);
+            spawn(term->reaper, term->cwd, argv, dev_null, dev_null, dev_null);
 
             for (size_t i = 0; i < argc; i++)
                 free(argv[i]);
             free(argv);
         }
+
+        close(dev_null);
         break;
     }
     }