diff --git a/src/apps/terminal/Shell.cpp b/src/apps/terminal/Shell.cpp
index 79dfb2f6e7..858d3a8e47 100644
--- a/src/apps/terminal/Shell.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/terminal/Shell.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2007-2009, Haiku, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright 2007-2010, Haiku, Inc. All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2003-4 Kian Duffy <myob@users.sourceforge.net>
  * Copyright (c) 2004 Daniel Furrer <assimil8or@users.sourceforge.net>
  * Parts Copyright (C) 1998,99 Kazuho Okui and Takashi Murai.
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
  *
  */
 
+
 #include "Shell.h"
 
 #include <dirent.h>
@@ -398,6 +399,9 @@ Shell::_Spawn(int row, int col, const char *encoding, int argc, const char **arg
 	if (fProcessID == 0) {
 		// Now in child process.
 
+		// close the PTY master side
+		close(master);
+
 		/*
 		 * Make our controlling tty the pseudo tty. This hapens because
 		 * we cleared our original controlling terminal above.