diff --git a/exec.c b/exec.c
index b819c9dd0..b25b9b746 100644
--- a/exec.c
+++ b/exec.c
@@ -389,11 +389,11 @@ static int handle_child_io( io_data_t *io, int exit_on_error )
 
    \return 1 on sucess, 0 on failiure
 */
-static int setup_child_process( job_t *j, int exit_on_error )
+static int setup_child_process( job_t *j, process_t *p )
 {
 	int res;
 	
-	if( is_interactive && !is_subshell && !is_block)
+	if( is_interactive  && p->type==EXTERNAL )
     {
 		pid_t pid;
 		/* 
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ static int setup_child_process( job_t *j, int exit_on_error )
 		}
 	}
 	
-	res = handle_child_io( j->io, exit_on_error );
+	res = handle_child_io( j->io, (p==0) );
 
 	/* Set the handling for job control signals back to the default.  */
 	if( res )
@@ -601,7 +601,7 @@ static void internal_exec_helper( const wchar_t *def,
 static int handle_new_child( job_t *j, process_t *p )
 {
 	
-	if(is_interactive  && !is_subshell && !is_block)
+	if( is_interactive  && p->type==EXTERNAL )
 	{
 		int new_pgid=0;
 		
@@ -1020,7 +1020,7 @@ void exec( job_t *j )
 						  This is the child process. Write out the contents of the pipeline.
 						*/
 						p->pid = getpid();
-						setup_child_process( j, 1 );
+						setup_child_process( j, p );
 						write( io_buffer->fd, 
 							   io_buffer->param2.out_buffer->buff, 
 							   io_buffer->param2.out_buffer->used );
@@ -1108,7 +1108,7 @@ void exec( job_t *j )
 					  This is the child process. 
 					*/
 					p->pid = getpid();
-					setup_child_process( j, 1 );
+					setup_child_process( j, p );
 					if( sb_out->used )
 						fwprintf( stdout, L"%ls", sb_out->buff );
 					if( sb_err->used )
@@ -1150,7 +1150,7 @@ void exec( job_t *j )
 					  This is the child process. 
 					*/
 					p->pid = getpid();
-					setup_child_process( j, 1 );
+					setup_child_process( j, p );
 					launch_process( p );
 
 					/*
diff --git a/proc.c b/proc.c
index a0486a898..677e36782 100644
--- a/proc.c
+++ b/proc.c
@@ -60,10 +60,14 @@ Some of the code in this file is based on code from the Glibc manual.
 */
 #define BUFFER_SIZE 4096
 
-/** Status of last process to exit */
+/** 
+	Status of last process to exit 
+*/
 static int last_status=0;
 
-/** Signal flag */
+/**
+   Signal flag 
+*/
 static sig_atomic_t got_signal=0;
 
 job_t *first_job=0;
@@ -85,6 +89,7 @@ static event_t event;
   Stringbuffer used to create arguments when firing events
 */
 static string_buffer_t event_pid;
+
 /**
   Stringbuffer used to create arguments when firing events
 */
@@ -127,8 +132,9 @@ static void free_process( process_t *p )
 	free( p );
 }
 
-/** Remove job from list of jobs */
-
+/**
+   Remove job from list of jobs 
+*/
 static int job_remove( job_t *j )
 {
 	job_t *prev=0, *curr=first_job;
@@ -258,6 +264,8 @@ job_t *job_get_from_pid( int pid )
 
 /* 
    Return true if all processes in the job have stopped or completed.  
+
+   \param j the job to test
 */
 int job_is_stopped( const job_t *j )
 {
@@ -276,6 +284,8 @@ int job_is_stopped( const job_t *j )
 
 /* 
    Return true if all processes in the job have completed.  
+
+   \param j the job to test
 */
 int job_is_completed( const job_t *j )
 {
@@ -294,6 +304,8 @@ int job_is_completed( const job_t *j )
 
 /**
    Return true if all processes in the job have completed.  
+
+   \param j the job to test
 */
 static int job_last_is_completed( const job_t *j )
 {
@@ -339,7 +351,11 @@ static void mark_process_status( job_t *j,
 
 /**
    Handle status update for child \c pid. This function is called by
-   the signal handler, so it mustn't use malloc or any such nonsense.
+   the signal handler, so it mustn't use malloc or any such hitech
+   nonsense.
+
+   \param pid the pid of the process whose status changes
+   \param status the status as returned by wait
 */
 static void handle_child_status( pid_t pid, int status )
 {
@@ -475,6 +491,9 @@ void job_handle_signal ( int signal, siginfo_t *info, void *con )
 
 /** 
 	Format information about job status for the user to look at.  
+
+	\param j the job to test
+	\param status a string description of the job exit type
 */
 static void format_job_info( const job_t *j, const wchar_t *status )
 {
@@ -733,6 +752,8 @@ void proc_update_jiffies()
    Check if there are buffers associated with the job, and select on
    them for a while if available. 
    
+   \param j the job to test
+
    \return 1 if buffers were avaialble, zero otherwise
 */
 static int select_try( job_t *j )
@@ -772,6 +793,8 @@ static int select_try( job_t *j )
 
 /**
    Read from descriptors until they are empty. 
+
+   \param j the job to test
 */
 static void read_try( job_t *j )
 {
@@ -823,6 +846,23 @@ static void read_try( job_t *j )
 	}
 }
 
+/**
+   Test if a specified job contains external commands
+
+   \param j the job to test
+*/
+static int job_is_external( job_t *j )
+{
+	process_t *p;
+	for( p=j->first_process; p; p=p->next )
+	{
+		if( p->type == EXTERNAL )
+			return 1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+
 void job_continue (job_t *j, int cont)
 {
 	/*
@@ -842,7 +882,7 @@ void job_continue (job_t *j, int cont)
 
 	if( !job_is_completed( j ) )
 	{
-		if( !is_subshell && is_interactive && !is_block)
+		if( is_interactive  && job_is_external( j ) )
 		{
 							
 			/* Put the job into the foreground.  */
@@ -942,8 +982,7 @@ void job_continue (job_t *j, int cont)
 					}
 				}					
 			}
-		}
-	
+		}	
 	}
 			
 	if( j->fg )
@@ -971,7 +1010,7 @@ void job_continue (job_t *j, int cont)
 		/* 
 		   Put the shell back in the foreground.  
 		*/
-		if( !is_subshell && is_interactive && !is_block)
+		if( is_interactive  && job_is_external( j ) )
 		{
 			signal_block();
 			if( tcsetpgrp (0, getpid()) )