diff --git a/PBot/Factoids.pm b/PBot/Factoids.pm
index 9c516c88..b95cb3e1 100644
--- a/PBot/Factoids.pm
+++ b/PBot/Factoids.pm
@@ -845,7 +845,17 @@ sub interpreter {
         return "";
     }
 
-    return $self->handle_action($stuff, $action);
+    if ($self->{factoids}->get_data($channel, $keyword, 'background-process')) {
+        my $timeout = $self->{factoids}->get_data($channel, $keyword, 'process-timeout') // $self->{pbot}->{registry}->get_value('processmanager', 'default_timeout');
+        $self->{pbot}->{process_manager}->execute_process(
+            $stuff,
+            sub { $stuff->{result} = $self->handle_action($stuff, $action); },
+            $timeout
+        );
+        return "";
+    } else {
+        return $self->handle_action($stuff, $action);
+    }
 }
 
 sub handle_action {
diff --git a/PBot/ProcessManager.pm b/PBot/ProcessManager.pm
index 3910af04..d34a7b9a 100644
--- a/PBot/ProcessManager.pm
+++ b/PBot/ProcessManager.pm
@@ -148,6 +148,12 @@ sub execute_process {
 
     if (not exists $stuff->{commands}) { $stuff->{commands} = [$stuff->{command}]; }
 
+    # don't fork again if we're already a forked process
+    if (exists $stuff->{pid}) {
+        $subref->($stuff);
+        return $stuff->{result};
+    }
+
     pipe(my $reader, my $writer);
     $stuff->{pid} = fork;