diff --git a/Assistant/WebApp/Control.hs b/Assistant/WebApp/Control.hs
index 904d3eded8..7521c1e75b 100644
--- a/Assistant/WebApp/Control.hs
+++ b/Assistant/WebApp/Control.hs
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ getRestartR = page "Restarting" Nothing $ do
 			error "restart failed"
 	$(widgetFile "control/restarting")
   where
-	restartcommand program = program ++ " assistant --stop; " ++
+	restartcommand program = program ++ " assistant --stop; exec " ++
 		program ++ " webapp"
 
 getRestartThreadR :: ThreadName -> Handler ()
diff --git a/standalone/linux/git-annex b/standalone/linux/git-annex
index 57eb343f95..d9ec8baa5c 100755
--- a/standalone/linux/git-annex
+++ b/standalone/linux/git-annex
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@ if [ -e "$base/bin/git-annex" ]; then
 	export GIT_ANNEX_APP_BASE
 fi
 
-"$base/runshell" git-annex "$@"
+exec "$base/runshell" git-annex "$@"
diff --git a/standalone/linux/git-annex-shell b/standalone/linux/git-annex-shell
index a4b7ef1192..44d5f694e8 100755
--- a/standalone/linux/git-annex-shell
+++ b/standalone/linux/git-annex-shell
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@ if [ -e "$base/bin/git-annex" ]; then
 	export GIT_ANNEX_APP_BASE
 fi
 
-"$base/runshell" git-annex-shell "$@"
+exec "$base/runshell" git-annex-shell "$@"
diff --git a/standalone/linux/git-annex-webapp b/standalone/linux/git-annex-webapp
index 40fc6399d1..2698af9b50 100755
--- a/standalone/linux/git-annex-webapp
+++ b/standalone/linux/git-annex-webapp
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@ if [ -e "$base/bin/git-annex" ]; then
 	export GIT_ANNEX_APP_BASE
 fi
 
-"$base/runshell" git-annex webapp "$@"
+exec "$base/runshell" git-annex webapp "$@"
diff --git a/standalone/osx/git-annex.app/Contents/MacOS/git-annex b/standalone/osx/git-annex.app/Contents/MacOS/git-annex
index 5c63d15c94..452a46694a 100755
--- a/standalone/osx/git-annex.app/Contents/MacOS/git-annex
+++ b/standalone/osx/git-annex.app/Contents/MacOS/git-annex
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@ if [ -e "$base/git-annex" ]; then
 	export GIT_ANNEX_APP_BASE
 fi
 
-"$base/runshell" git-annex "$@"
+exec "$base/runshell" git-annex "$@"
diff --git a/standalone/osx/git-annex.app/Contents/MacOS/git-annex-shell b/standalone/osx/git-annex.app/Contents/MacOS/git-annex-shell
index 1c705320ee..9e8c0ad69e 100755
--- a/standalone/osx/git-annex.app/Contents/MacOS/git-annex-shell
+++ b/standalone/osx/git-annex.app/Contents/MacOS/git-annex-shell
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@ if [ -e "$base/git-annex" ]; then
 	export GIT_ANNEX_APP_BASE
 fi
 
-"$base/runshell" git-annex-shell "$@"
+exec "$base/runshell" git-annex-shell "$@"
diff --git a/standalone/osx/git-annex.app/Contents/MacOS/git-annex-webapp b/standalone/osx/git-annex.app/Contents/MacOS/git-annex-webapp
index 73319d324e..cd93836d1e 100755
--- a/standalone/osx/git-annex.app/Contents/MacOS/git-annex-webapp
+++ b/standalone/osx/git-annex.app/Contents/MacOS/git-annex-webapp
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@ if [ -e "$base/git-annex" ]; then
 	export GIT_ANNEX_APP_BASE
 fi
 
-"$base/runshell" git-annex webapp "$@"
+exec "$base/runshell" git-annex webapp "$@"