diff --git a/rc/wmiirc b/rc/wmiirc
index 2fb9d9a1..96921ce4 100644
--- a/rc/wmiirc
+++ b/rc/wmiirc
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 # configure wmii
 
-pidfile=/tmp/ns.$USER.$DISPLAY/wmiircpid
-
 xwrite() {
 	file="$1"; shift
 	echo -n "$@" | wmiir write "$file"
@@ -18,9 +16,6 @@ proglist() {
 	done | sort | uniq
 }
 
-test -f $pidfile && kill `cat $pidfile` 2>/dev/null
-echo $$ >$pidfile
-
 MODKEY=Alt
 WMII_FONT='fixed' export WMII_FONT
 WMII_NORMCOLORS='#222222 #eeeeee #666666' export WMII_NORMCOLORS
@@ -126,7 +121,7 @@ do
 		$MODKEY-Control-c)
 			xwrite /ws/sel/sel/ctl kill;;
 		$MODKEY-Control-w,y)
-			wmiirc &;;
+			exec wmiirc;;
 		$MODKEY-Control-q,y)
 			xwrite /ctl quit;;
 		$MODKEY-Control-p)
@@ -168,4 +163,3 @@ do
 		esac;;
 	esac
 done &
-echo $! >$pidfile