diff --git a/plugins/String/plugin.py b/plugins/String/plugin.py
index d6b4c0dbe..b836cbb1f 100644
--- a/plugins/String/plugin.py
+++ b/plugins/String/plugin.py
@@ -33,10 +33,12 @@ import binascii
 
 import supybot.utils as utils
 from supybot.commands import *
+import supybot.commands as commands
 import supybot.plugins as plugins
 import supybot.ircutils as ircutils
 import supybot.callbacks as callbacks
 
+import multiprocessing
 
 class String(callbacks.Plugin):
     def ord(self, irc, msg, args, letter):
@@ -136,10 +138,10 @@ class String(callbacks.Plugin):
             s = 'You probably don\'t want to match the empty string.'
             irc.error(s)
         else:
-            irc.reply(f(text))
-    re = wrap(re, [('checkCapability', 'trusted'),
-                   first('regexpMatcher', 'regexpReplacer'),
-                   'text'])
+            v = commands.process(f, text, timeout=10)
+            irc.reply(v)
+    re = thread(wrap(re, [first('regexpMatcher', 'regexpReplacer'),
+                   'text']))
 
     def xor(self, irc, msg, args, password, text):
         """<password> <text>
diff --git a/src/callbacks.py b/src/callbacks.py
index a836165e3..822e06616 100644
--- a/src/callbacks.py
+++ b/src/callbacks.py
@@ -976,6 +976,23 @@ class CommandThread(world.SupyThread):
         finally:
             self.cb.threaded = self.originalThreaded
 
+class CommandProcess(world.SupyProcess):
+    """Just does some extra logging and error-recovery for commands that need
+    to run in processes.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, target=None, args=(), kwargs={}):
+        self.command = args[0]
+        self.cb = target.im_self
+        procName = 'Process #%s (for %s.%s)' % (world.processesSpawned,
+                                                 self.cb.name(),
+                                                 self.command)
+        log.debug('Spawning process %s (args: %r)', procName, args)
+        self.__parent = super(CommandProcess, self)
+        self.__parent.__init__(target=target, name=procName,
+                               args=args, kwargs=kwargs)
+    
+    def run(self):
+        self.__parent.run()
 
 class CanonicalString(registry.NormalizedString):
     def normalize(self, s):
diff --git a/src/commands.py b/src/commands.py
index 717465a9c..1879082c2 100644
--- a/src/commands.py
+++ b/src/commands.py
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ import types
 import getopt
 import inspect
 import threading
+import multiprocessing #python2.6 or later!
+import Queue
 
 import supybot.log as log
 import supybot.conf as conf
@@ -67,6 +69,29 @@ def thread(f):
             f(self, irc, msg, args, *L, **kwargs)
     return utils.python.changeFunctionName(newf, f.func_name, f.__doc__)
 
+def process(f, *args, **kwargs):
+    """Runs a function in a subprocess.
+    Takes an extra timeout argument, which, if supplied, limits the length 
+    of execution of target function to <timeout> seconds."""
+    timeout = kwargs.pop('timeout')
+    q = multiprocessing.Queue()
+    def newf(f, q, *args, **kwargs):
+        r = f(*args, **kwargs)
+        q.put(r)
+    targetArgs = (f, q,) + args
+    p = world.SupyProcess(target=newf,
+                                args=targetArgs, kwargs=kwargs)
+    p.start()
+    p.join(timeout)
+    if p.is_alive():
+        p.terminate()
+        q.put("Function call aborted due to timeout.")
+    try:
+        v = q.get(block=False)
+    except Queue.Empty:
+        v = "Nothing returned."
+    return v
+
 class UrlSnarfThread(world.SupyThread):
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         assert 'url' in kwargs
diff --git a/src/world.py b/src/world.py
index 23ec3789e..c69d37a7a 100644
--- a/src/world.py
+++ b/src/world.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import sys
 import time
 import atexit
 import threading
+import multiprocessing # python 2.6 and later!
 
 if sys.version_info >= (2, 5, 0):
     import re as sre
@@ -67,6 +68,15 @@ class SupyThread(threading.Thread):
         super(SupyThread, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
         log.debug('Spawning thread %q.', self.getName())
 
+processesSpawned = 1 # Starts at one for the initial process.
+class SupyProcess(multiprocessing.Process):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        global processesSpawned
+        processesSpawned += 1
+        super(SupyProcess, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+        log.debug('Spawning process %q.', self.name)
+
+
 commandsProcessed = 0
 
 ircs = [] # A list of all the IRCs.