diff --git a/swaybar/bar.c b/swaybar/bar.c
index 15eab7829..18b87e6d5 100644
--- a/swaybar/bar.c
+++ b/swaybar/bar.c
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ bool determine_bar_visibility(struct swaybar *bar, bool moving_layer) {
 		if (bar->status) {
 			sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "Sending %s signal to status command",
 					visible ? "cont" : "stop");
-			kill(bar->status->pid, visible ?
+			kill(-bar->status->pid, visible ?
 					bar->status->cont_signal : bar->status->stop_signal);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/swaybar/status_line.c b/swaybar/status_line.c
index ecd91032a..a97f35253 100644
--- a/swaybar/status_line.c
+++ b/swaybar/status_line.c
@@ -157,7 +157,12 @@ struct status_line *status_line_init(char *cmd) {
 	assert(!getenv("WAYLAND_SOCKET") && "display must be initialized before "
 		" starting `status-command`; WAYLAND_SOCKET should not be set");
 	status->pid = fork();
-	if (status->pid == 0) {
+	if (status->pid < 0) {
+		sway_log_errno(SWAY_ERROR, "fork failed");
+		exit(1);
+	} else if (status->pid == 0) {
+		setpgid(0, 0);
+
 		dup2(pipe_read_fd[1], STDOUT_FILENO);
 		close(pipe_read_fd[0]);
 		close(pipe_read_fd[1]);
@@ -185,8 +190,8 @@ struct status_line *status_line_init(char *cmd) {
 
 void status_line_free(struct status_line *status) {
 	status_line_close_fds(status);
-	kill(status->pid, status->cont_signal);
-	kill(status->pid, SIGTERM);
+	kill(-status->pid, status->cont_signal);
+	kill(-status->pid, SIGTERM);
 	waitpid(status->pid, NULL, 0);
 	if (status->protocol == PROTOCOL_I3BAR) {
 		struct i3bar_block *block, *tmp;