diff --git a/src/common/spawn.c b/src/common/spawn.c
index 41acd9f6..d42061b7 100644
--- a/src/common/spawn.c
+++ b/src/common/spawn.c
@@ -1,4 +1,14 @@
+#define _POSIX_C_SOURCE 200809L
+#include <assert.h>
 #include <glib.h>
+#include <signal.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <sys/wait.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include "common/log.h"
+#include "common/spawn.h"
 
 void
 spawn_async_no_shell(char const *command)
@@ -6,18 +16,45 @@ spawn_async_no_shell(char const *command)
 	GError *err = NULL;
 	gchar **argv = NULL;
 
+	assert(command);
+
+	/* Use glib's shell-parse to mimic Openbox's behaviour */
 	g_shell_parse_argv((gchar *)command, NULL, &argv, &err);
 	if (err) {
 		g_message("%s", err->message);
 		g_error_free(err);
 		return;
 	}
-	g_spawn_async(NULL, argv, NULL,
-		G_SPAWN_SEARCH_PATH | G_SPAWN_DO_NOT_REAP_CHILD, NULL, NULL,
-		NULL, &err);
-	if (err) {
-		g_message("%s", err->message);
-		g_error_free(err);
+
+	/*
+	 * Avoid zombie processes by using a double-fork, whereby the
+	 * grandchild becomes orphaned & the responsibility of the OS.
+	 */
+	pid_t child = 0, grandchild = 0;
+
+	child = fork();
+	switch (child) {
+	case -1:
+		warn("unable to fork()");
+		goto out;
+	case 0:
+		setsid();
+		sigset_t set;
+		sigemptyset(&set);
+		sigprocmask(SIG_SETMASK, &set, NULL);
+		grandchild = fork();
+		if (grandchild == 0) {
+			execvp(argv[0], argv);
+			exit(0);
+		} else if (grandchild < 0) {
+			warn("unable to fork()");
+		}
+		exit(0);
+	default:
+		break;
 	}
+	waitpid(child, NULL, 0);
+out:
 	g_strfreev(argv);
 }
+
diff --git a/src/server.c b/src/server.c
index 096267e3..54ebe931 100644
--- a/src/server.c
+++ b/src/server.c
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 
 static struct wlr_compositor *compositor;
 static struct wl_event_source *sighup_source;
-static struct wl_event_source *sigchld_source;
 static struct wl_event_source *sigint_source;
 static struct wl_event_source *sigterm_source;
 
@@ -34,19 +33,6 @@ handle_sighup(int signal, void *data)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int
-handle_sigchld(int signal, void *data)
-{
-	int status;
-	pid_t pid;
-
-	while ((pid = waitpid(-1, &status, WNOHANG)) > 0);
-	if (pid < 0) {
-		wlr_log_errno(WLR_ERROR, "waitpid");
-	}
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static int
 handle_sigterm(int signal, void *data)
 {
@@ -86,8 +72,6 @@ server_init(struct server *server)
 	event_loop = wl_display_get_event_loop(server->wl_display);
 	sighup_source = wl_event_loop_add_signal(
 		event_loop, SIGHUP, handle_sighup, &server->wl_display);
-	sigchld_source = wl_event_loop_add_signal(
-		event_loop, SIGCHLD, handle_sigchld, NULL);
 	sigint_source = wl_event_loop_add_signal(
 		event_loop, SIGINT, handle_sigterm, NULL);
 	sigterm_source = wl_event_loop_add_signal(
@@ -263,9 +247,6 @@ server_finish(struct server *server)
 	if (sighup_source) {
 		wl_event_source_remove(sighup_source);
 	}
-	if (sigchld_source) {
-		wl_event_source_remove(sigchld_source);
-	}
 	wl_display_destroy_clients(server->wl_display);
 
 	seat_finish(server);