diff --git a/shard.yml b/shard.yml
index 282ceda8..6beb8797 100644
--- a/shard.yml
+++ b/shard.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name: placeos-driver
-version: 6.8.6
+version: 6.9.0
 crystal: ">= 1.0.0"
 
 dependencies:
diff --git a/src/placeos-driver.cr b/src/placeos-driver.cr
index e530a86f..21c3fa16 100644
--- a/src/placeos-driver.cr
+++ b/src/placeos-driver.cr
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ abstract class PlaceOS::Driver
 
   # applies a security level to a driver function
   #
-  # ```crystal
+  # ```
   # @[Security(Level::Administrator)]
   # def my_driver_function
   # end
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ abstract class PlaceOS::Driver
   end
 
   # :nodoc:
-  IGNORE_KLASSES   = ["PlaceOS::Driver", "Reference", "Object", "Spec::ObjectExtensions", "Colorize::ObjectExtensions"]
+  IGNORE_KLASSES = ["PlaceOS::Driver", "Reference", "Object", "Spec::ObjectExtensions", "Colorize::ObjectExtensions"]
 
   RESERVED_METHODS = {} of Nil => Nil
   {% RESERVED_METHODS["initialize"] = true %}
diff --git a/src/placeos-driver/driver-specs/mock_driver.cr b/src/placeos-driver/driver-specs/mock_driver.cr
index 3cec1b2e..0a59fcba 100644
--- a/src/placeos-driver/driver-specs/mock_driver.cr
+++ b/src/placeos-driver/driver-specs/mock_driver.cr
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ abstract class DriverSpecs::MockDriver
   end
 
   # :nodoc:
-  IGNORE_KLASSES   = ["DriverSpecs", "PlaceOS::Driver", "Reference", "Object", "Spec::ObjectExtensions", "Colorize::ObjectExtensions"]
+  IGNORE_KLASSES = ["DriverSpecs", "PlaceOS::Driver", "Reference", "Object", "Spec::ObjectExtensions", "Colorize::ObjectExtensions"]
 
   # :nodoc:
   RESERVED_METHODS = {} of Nil => Nil
diff --git a/src/placeos-driver/driver-specs/runner.cr b/src/placeos-driver/driver-specs/runner.cr
index e51d3bf6..c07d3ac0 100644
--- a/src/placeos-driver/driver-specs/runner.cr
+++ b/src/placeos-driver/driver-specs/runner.cr
@@ -37,10 +37,11 @@ class DriverSpecs
     unix_server = UNIXServer.new(unix_socket)
     wait_driver_open = Channel(UNIXSocket).new
 
+    # no need to keep the server open once the process has checked in
     spawn do
-      while client = unix_server.accept?
-        wait_driver_open.send client
-      end
+      client = unix_server.accept?
+      wait_driver_open.send client.as(UNIXSocket)
+      unix_server.close
     end
 
     wait_driver_close = Channel(Nil).new
diff --git a/src/placeos-driver/protocol/management.cr b/src/placeos-driver/protocol/management.cr
index fa655759..6d1c60dc 100644
--- a/src/placeos-driver/protocol/management.cr
+++ b/src/placeos-driver/protocol/management.cr
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@ class PlaceOS::Driver::Protocol::Management
 
   property on_redis : Proc(RedisAction, String, String, String?, Nil) = ->(_action : RedisAction, _hash_id : String, _key_name : String, _status_value : String?) {}
 
-  getter? terminated = false
+  getter shutting_down : Channel(Nil) = Channel(Nil).new(1)
+  getter? terminated : Bool = false
+  getter proc : Process? = nil
   getter pid : Int64 = -1
 
   getter last_exit_code : Int32 = 0
@@ -47,7 +49,7 @@ class PlaceOS::Driver::Protocol::Management
   private getter modules : Hash(String, String) = {} of String => String
   private getter events : Channel(Request) = Channel(Request).new
 
-  @io : IO::Stapled? = nil
+  @io : UNIXSocket? = nil
 
   def initialize(@driver_path : String, @on_edge : Bool = false)
     @requests = {} of UInt64 => Promise::DeferredPromise(Tuple(String, Int32))
@@ -260,11 +262,28 @@ class PlaceOS::Driver::Protocol::Management
 
     modules.clear
 
+    channel = shutting_down
+    spawn(same_thread: true) { ensure_shutdown(channel) }
+
     # The driver will shutdown the modules gracefully
     json = %({"id":"t","cmd":"terminate"})
     io.write_bytes json.bytesize
     io.write json.to_slice
     io.flush
+  rescue
+    process = proc
+    return unless process
+    process.terminate graceful: false
+  end
+
+  private def ensure_shutdown(channel)
+    select
+    when channel.receive
+    when timeout 10.seconds
+      if (process = proc) && channel == @shutting_down
+        process.terminate graceful: false
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   private def exec(module_id : String, payload : String, seq : UInt64, user_id : String?) : Nil
@@ -312,48 +331,79 @@ class PlaceOS::Driver::Protocol::Management
   # Create the host driver process, then load modules that have been assigned.
   private def start_process : Nil
     return if @io || terminated?
+    io = nil
+    process = nil
 
-    stdin_reader, input = IO.pipe
-    output, stderr_writer = IO.pipe
+    begin
+      # Prepare driver IO
+      unix_socket = File.tempname("pos", ".driver")
+      unix_server = UNIXServer.new(unix_socket)
+      wait_driver_open = Promise.new(UNIXSocket, 15.seconds)
 
-    # We want to be manually flushing our writes
-    input.sync = false
-    io = IO::Stapled.new(output, input, true)
+      # no need to keep the server open once the process has checked in
+      spawn do
+        begin
+          client = unix_server.accept
+          # We want to be manually flushing our writes
+          client.sync = false
+          wait_driver_open.resolve client
+          unix_server.close
+        rescue error
+          wait_driver_open.reject error
+        end
+      end
 
-    @launch_count += 1
-    @launch_time = Time.utc.to_unix
+      @launch_count += 1
+      @launch_time = Time.utc.to_unix
 
-    fetch_pid = Promise.new(Int64)
-    spawn(same_thread: true) { launch_driver(fetch_pid, stdin_reader, stderr_writer) }
-    @pid = fetch_pid.get.as(Int64)
+      fetch_proc = Promise.new(Process)
+      spawn(same_thread: true) { launch_driver(fetch_proc, unix_socket) }
+      @proc = process = fetch_proc.get
+      @pid = process.pid
 
-    # Start processing the output of the driver
-    loaded = Promise.new(Nil)
-    spawn(same_thread: true) { process_comms(io, loaded) }
-    loaded.get
+      io = wait_driver_open.get
 
-    # start the desired instances
-    modules.each do |module_id, payload|
-      json = %({"id":"#{module_id}","cmd":"start","payload":#{payload.to_json}})
-      io.write_bytes json.bytesize
-      io.write json.to_slice
-      io.flush
-    end
+      # Start processing the output of the driver
+      loaded = Promise.new(Nil)
+      spawn(same_thread: true) { process_comms(io, loaded) }
+      loaded.get
+
+      # start the desired instances
+      modules.each do |module_id, payload|
+        json = %({"id":"#{module_id}","cmd":"start","payload":#{payload.to_json}})
+        io.write_bytes json.bytesize
+        io.write json.to_slice
+        io.flush
+      end
+
+      # events can now write directly to the io, driver is running
+      @io = io
+    rescue error
+      Log.error(exception: error) { {message: "failed to launch driver", driver_path: @driver_path} }
+
+      if io.nil?
+        if process
+          process.terminate graceful: false
+        end
 
-    # events can now write directly to the io, driver is running
-    @io = io
+        # attempt to relaunch
+        sleep 5
+        return if @io || terminated?
+        spawn(same_thread: true) { relaunch("-1") }
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   # launches the driver and manages the process
-  private def launch_driver(fetch_pid, stdin_reader, stderr_writer) : Nil
+  private def launch_driver(fetch_proc, unix_socket) : Nil
     Process.run(
       @driver_path,
-      @on_edge ? {"-p", "-e"} : {"-p"},
-      input: stdin_reader,
+      @on_edge ? {"-p", "-e", "-s", unix_socket} : {"-p", "-s", unix_socket},
+      input: Process::Redirect::Close,
       output: Process::Redirect::Inherit,
-      error: stderr_writer
+      error: Process::Redirect::Inherit
     ) do |process|
-      fetch_pid.resolve process.pid
+      fetch_proc.resolve process
     end
 
     status = $?
@@ -361,19 +411,22 @@ class PlaceOS::Driver::Protocol::Management
 
     Log.warn { {message: "driver process exited with #{last_exit_code}", driver_path: @driver_path} } unless status.success?
 
-    begin
-      @io.try &.close
-    rescue
-    ensure
-      @io = nil
+    if io = @io
+      io.close rescue nil
+      @shutting_down.send nil
       @events.send(Request.new(last_exit_code, :exited))
     end
+  rescue error
+    Log.error(exception: error) { "error launching driver: #{@driver_path}" }
+    fetch_proc.reject error
   end
 
   private def relaunch(last_exit_code : String) : Nil
     @io = nil
-    @last_exit_code = last_exit_code.to_i
     return if terminated?
+    @last_exit_code = last_exit_code.to_i? || -1
+
+    @shutting_down = Channel(Nil).new(1)
     start_process unless modules.empty?
   end
 
@@ -417,7 +470,8 @@ class PlaceOS::Driver::Protocol::Management
     end
   rescue error : IO::Error
     # Input stream closed. This should only occur on termination
-    Log.debug(exception: error) { "comms closed for #{@driver_path}" }
+    Log.debug(exception: error) { "comms closed for #{@driver_path}" } unless terminated?
+    loaded.reject error
   ensure
     # Reject any pending request
     temp_reqs = request_lock.synchronize do