diff --git a/job.c b/job.c
index 5675eec3..0b348eda 100644
--- a/job.c
+++ b/job.c
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ job_run(const char *cmd, struct session *s, int cwd,
 	close(out[1]);
 
 	job = xmalloc(sizeof *job);
+	job->state = JOB_RUNNING;
+
 	job->cmd = xstrdup(cmd);
 	job->pid = pid;
 	job->status = 0;
@@ -167,14 +169,13 @@ job_callback(unused struct bufferevent *bufev, unused short events, void *data)
 
 	log_debug("job error %p: %s, pid %ld", job, job->cmd, (long) job->pid);
 
-	if (job->pid == -1) {
+	if (job->state == JOB_DEAD) {
 		if (job->callbackfn != NULL)
 			job->callbackfn(job);
 		job_free(job);
 	} else {
 		bufferevent_disable(job->event, EV_READ);
-		close(job->fd);
-		job->fd = -1;
+		job->state = JOB_CLOSED;
 	}
 }
 
@@ -186,10 +187,12 @@ job_died(struct job *job, int status)
 
 	job->status = status;
 
-	if (job->fd == -1) {
+	if (job->state == JOB_CLOSED) {
 		if (job->callbackfn != NULL)
 			job->callbackfn(job);
 		job_free(job);
-	} else
+	} else {
 		job->pid = -1;
+		job->state = JOB_DEAD;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index da91d4db..ff0b4c84 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -714,6 +714,12 @@ struct options {
 
 /* Scheduled job. */
 struct job {
+	enum {
+		JOB_RUNNING,
+		JOB_DEAD,
+		JOB_CLOSED
+	} state;
+
 	char		*cmd;
 	pid_t		 pid;
 	int		 status;