diff --git a/chef/lib/chef/provider/erl_call.rb b/chef/lib/chef/provider/erl_call.rb
index 0f2be3e94c0..4ab621a6ba5 100644
--- a/chef/lib/chef/provider/erl_call.rb
+++ b/chef/lib/chef/provider/erl_call.rb
@@ -55,22 +55,26 @@ def action_run
 
         command = "erl_call -e #{distributed} #{node} #{cookie}"
         
-        pid, stdin, stdout, stderr = popen4(command, :waitlast => true)
-
-        Chef::Log.debug("Running erl_call[#{@new_resource.name}]")
-        Chef::Log.debug("erl_call[#{@new_resource.name}] command: #{command}")
-        Chef::Log.debug("erl_call[#{@new_resource.name}] code: #{@new_resource.code}")
-
-        @new_resource.code.each_line { |line| stdin.puts "#{line.chomp!}" }
-        stdin.close
-
-        Chef::Log.info("Ran erl_call[#{@new_resource.name}] successfully")
-        Chef::Log.debug("erl_call[#{@new_resource.name}] output: ")
-
-        stdout.each_line { |line| Chef::Log.debug("#{line}")}
-        stderr.each_line { |line| Chef::Log.debug("#{line}")}
-        stdout.close
-        stderr.close
+        begin
+          pid, stdin, stdout, stderr = popen4(command, :waitlast => true)
+          
+          Chef::Log.debug("Running erl_call[#{@new_resource.name}]")
+          Chef::Log.debug("erl_call[#{@new_resource.name}] command: #{command}")
+          Chef::Log.debug("erl_call[#{@new_resource.name}] code: #{@new_resource.code}")
+          
+          @new_resource.code.each_line { |line| stdin.puts "#{line.chomp!}" }
+          stdin.close
+          
+          Chef::Log.info("Ran erl_call[#{@new_resource.name}] successfully")
+          Chef::Log.debug("erl_call[#{@new_resource.name}] output: ")
+          
+          stdout.each_line { |line| Chef::Log.debug("#{line}")}
+          stderr.each_line { |line| Chef::Log.debug("#{line}")}
+          stdout.close
+          stderr.close
+        ensure
+          Process.wait(pid) if pid
+        end
         
       end