diff --git a/HISTORY.rdoc b/HISTORY.rdoc
index b67712a..857d284 100644
--- a/HISTORY.rdoc
+++ b/HISTORY.rdoc
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 == Version 2.2.0 - 2013-XX-XX
 
 * Chagne XFCE detection to not depend on grep (copiousfreetime/launchy#52 - thanks bogdan)
-
+* Suppress forked process output (copiousfreetime/launchy#51)
 
 == Version 2.1.2 - 2012-08-06
 
diff --git a/lib/launchy/detect/runner.rb b/lib/launchy/detect/runner.rb
index 880674c..0f8a868 100644
--- a/lib/launchy/detect/runner.rb
+++ b/lib/launchy/detect/runner.rb
@@ -102,11 +102,21 @@ def wet_run( cmd, *args )
     class Forkable < Runner
       def wet_run( cmd, *args )
         child_pid = fork do
+          close_file_descriptors unless Launchy.debug?
+          Launchy.log("wet_run: before exec in child process")
           exec( *shell_commands( cmd, *args ))
           exit!
         end
         Process.detach( child_pid )
       end
+
+      def close_file_descriptors
+        [$stdin, $stdout, $stderr].each do |io|
+          io.reopen( "/dev/null", "r+" )
+        end
+      end
+
+      private :close_file_descriptors
     end
   end
 end