diff --git a/cmd-pipe-pane.c b/cmd-pipe-pane.c
index 411d21e5..48e66add 100644
--- a/cmd-pipe-pane.c
+++ b/cmd-pipe-pane.c
@@ -157,7 +157,10 @@ cmd_pipe_pane_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 		close(pipe_fd[1]);
 
 		wp->pipe_fd = pipe_fd[0];
-		wp->pipe_off = EVBUFFER_LENGTH(wp->event->input);
+		if (wp->fd != -1)
+			wp->pipe_off = EVBUFFER_LENGTH(wp->event->input);
+		else
+			wp->pipe_off = 0;
 
 		setblocking(wp->pipe_fd, 0);
 		wp->pipe_event = bufferevent_new(wp->pipe_fd,
diff --git a/server-fn.c b/server-fn.c
index 9c348341..6cf0dc44 100644
--- a/server-fn.c
+++ b/server-fn.c
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ server_destroy_pane(struct window_pane *wp, int notify)
 		utempter_remove_record(wp->fd);
 #endif
 		bufferevent_free(wp->event);
+		wp->event = NULL;
 		close(wp->fd);
 		wp->fd = -1;
 	}
diff --git a/window.c b/window.c
index 3dc0f0e3..e186c021 100644
--- a/window.c
+++ b/window.c
@@ -925,6 +925,7 @@ window_pane_spawn(struct window_pane *wp, int argc, char **argv,
 	sigprocmask(SIG_BLOCK, &set, &oldset);
 	switch (wp->pid = fdforkpty(ptm_fd, &wp->fd, wp->tty, NULL, &ws)) {
 	case -1:
+		wp->event = NULL;
 		wp->fd = -1;
 
 		xasprintf(cause, "%s: %s", cmd, strerror(errno));
@@ -1013,6 +1014,9 @@ window_pane_spawn(struct window_pane *wp, int argc, char **argv,
 	if (wp->event == NULL)
 		fatalx("out of memory");
 
+	wp->pipe_off = 0;
+	wp->flags &= ~PANE_EXITED;
+
 	bufferevent_setwatermark(wp->event, EV_READ, 0, READ_SIZE);
 	bufferevent_enable(wp->event, EV_READ|EV_WRITE);