diff --git a/vis-subprocess.c b/vis-subprocess.c
index 3fe1dde71..beac99984 100644
--- a/vis-subprocess.c
+++ b/vis-subprocess.c
@@ -230,3 +230,19 @@ void vis_process_tick(Vis *vis, fd_set *readfds) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+/**
+ * Checks if each subprocess from the pool is dead or needs to be
+ * killed then raises an event or kills it if necessary.
+ */
+void vis_process_waitall(Vis *vis) {
+	for (Process **pointer = &process_pool; *pointer; ) {
+		Process *current = *pointer;
+		if (!wait_or_kill_process(vis, current)) {
+			pointer = &current->next;
+		} else {
+			/* update our iteration pointer */
+			*pointer = destroy_process(current);
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/vis-subprocess.h b/vis-subprocess.h
index 2e4c22209..79a043e9a 100644
--- a/vis-subprocess.h
+++ b/vis-subprocess.h
@@ -27,4 +27,5 @@ Process *vis_process_communicate(Vis *, const char *command, const char *name,
                                  Invalidator **invalidator);
 int vis_process_before_tick(fd_set *);
 void vis_process_tick(Vis *, fd_set *);
+void vis_process_waitall(Vis *);
 #endif
diff --git a/vis.c b/vis.c
index 10c3df575..d1c0dab08 100644
--- a/vis.c
+++ b/vis.c
@@ -623,6 +623,7 @@ void vis_free(Vis *vis) {
 	while (vis->windows)
 		vis_window_close(vis->windows);
 	vis_event_emit(vis, VIS_EVENT_QUIT);
+	vis_process_waitall(vis);
 	file_free(vis, vis->command_file);
 	file_free(vis, vis->search_file);
 	file_free(vis, vis->error_file);