diff --git a/src/allmydata/scripts/startstop_node.py b/src/allmydata/scripts/startstop_node.py
index bc2616e..467f42e 100644
--- a/src/allmydata/scripts/startstop_node.py
+++ b/src/allmydata/scripts/startstop_node.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class RunOptions(BasedirMixin, BaseOptions):
         ["multiple", "m", None, "['tahoe run' cannot accept multiple node directories]"],
     ]
 
-def do_start(basedir, opts, out=sys.stdout, err=sys.stderr):
+def do_start(basedir, opts, out=sys.stdout, err=sys.stderr, fork=False):
     print >>out, "STARTING", quote_output(basedir)
     if not os.path.isdir(basedir):
         print >>err, "%s does not look like a directory at all" % quote_output(basedir)
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ def do_start(basedir, opts, out=sys.stdout, err=sys.stderr):
     if opts["profile"]:
         args.extend(["--profile=profiling_results.prof", "--savestats",])
     # now we're committed
+    if fork:
+        if os.fork() != 0:
+            return 0 # parent
+        # we're in the child
     os.chdir(basedir)
     from twisted.scripts import twistd
     sys.argv = args
@@ -123,8 +127,11 @@ def do_stop(basedir, out=sys.stdout, err=sys.stderr):
 
 def start(config, stdout, stderr):
     rc = 0
-    for basedir in config['basedirs']:
-        rc = do_start(basedir, config, stdout, stderr) or rc
+    for basedir in config['basedirs'][:-1]:
+        # fork before starting all but the last one
+        rc = do_start(basedir, config, stdout, stderr, fork=True) or rc
+    # start the last one in the current process, to capture its exit code
+    rc = do_start(config['basedirs'][-1], config, stdout, stderr, fork=False) or rc
     return rc
 
 def stop(config, stdout, stderr):
@@ -143,8 +150,7 @@ def restart(config, stdout, stderr):
     if rc:
         print >>stderr, "not restarting"
         return rc
-    for basedir in config['basedirs']:
-        rc = do_start(basedir, config, stdout, stderr) or rc
+    rc = start(config, stdout, stderr) or rc
     return rc
 
 def run(config, stdout, stderr):