diff --git a/tests/data/fakessh.py b/tests/data/fakessh.py
index 9bcf9571..08a5da3e 100755
--- a/tests/data/fakessh.py
+++ b/tests/data/fakessh.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import optparse
 import os
 import shlex
+import subprocess
 import sys
 
 parser = optparse.OptionParser()
@@ -12,6 +13,11 @@ parser.disable_interspersed_args()
 
 opts, args = parser.parse_args(sys.argv[1:])
 args.pop(0)  # hostname
+
+# On Linux the TTY layer appears to begin tearing down a PTY after the last FD
+# for it is closed, causing SIGHUP to be sent to its foreground group. Since
+# the bootstrap overwrites the last such fd (stderr), we can't just exec it
+# directly, we must hold it open just like real SSH would. So use
+# subprocess.call() rather than os.execve() here.
 args = [''.join(shlex.split(s)) for s in args]
-print args
-os.execvp(args[0], args)
+sys.exit(subprocess.call(args))