diff --git a/FileUtils.h b/FileUtils.h
index a707b822..e203b720 100644
--- a/FileUtils.h
+++ b/FileUtils.h
@@ -292,14 +292,12 @@ public:
 		m_iPid = -1;
 	}
 
-	CExecSock(const CString& sExec) : Csock() {
-		Execute(sExec);
-	}
-
 	int Execute(const CString & sExec) {
 		int iReadFD, iWriteFD;
 		m_iPid = popen2(iReadFD, iWriteFD, sExec);
-		ConnectFD(iReadFD, iWriteFD, "0.0.0.0:0");
+		if (m_iPid != -1) {
+			ConnectFD(iReadFD, iWriteFD, "0.0.0.0:0");
+		}
 		return(m_iPid);
 	}
 	void Kill(int iSignal)
diff --git a/modules/shell.cpp b/modules/shell.cpp
index b64842d7..f16c9567 100644
--- a/modules/shell.cpp
+++ b/modules/shell.cpp
@@ -14,11 +14,18 @@ class CShellMod;
 
 class CShellSock : public CExecSock {
 public:
-	CShellSock(CShellMod* pShellMod, CClient* pClient, const CString& sExec) : CExecSock(sExec) {
+	CShellSock(CShellMod* pShellMod, CClient* pClient, const CString& sExec) : CExecSock() {
 		EnableReadLine();
 		m_pParent = pShellMod;
 		m_pClient = pClient;
 
+		if (Execute(sExec) == -1) {
+			CString s = "Failed to execute: ";
+			s += strerror(errno);
+			ReadLine(s);
+			return;
+		}
+
 		// Get rid of that write fd, we aren't going to use it
 		// (And clients expecting input will fail this way).
 		close(GetWSock());