diff --git a/collects/mzlib/process.ss b/collects/mzlib/process.ss
index 6a6de6dc2d..d04f384654 100644
--- a/collects/mzlib/process.ss
+++ b/collects/mzlib/process.ss
@@ -98,33 +98,43 @@
 		    (sync subp si)
 		    (semaphore-wait it-ready)
 		    (break-thread si))))
-	(list (aport so)
-	      (aport si)
-	      (subprocess-pid subp)
-	      (aport se)
-	      (letrec ((control
-			(lambda (m)
-			  (case m
-			    ((status) (let ((s (subprocess-status subp)))
-					(cond ((not (integer? s)) s)
-					      ((zero? s) 'done-ok)
-					      (else 'done-error))))
-			    ((exit-code) (let ((s (subprocess-status subp)))
-					   (and (integer? s) s)))
-			    ((wait) 
-			     (subprocess-wait subp)
-			     (let ([twait (lambda (t)
-					    (when (thread? t)
-					      (thread-wait t)))])
-			       (twait so)
-			       (twait si)
-			       (twait se)))
-			    ((interrupt) (subprocess-kill subp #f))
-			    ((kill) (subprocess-kill subp #t))
-			    (else
-			     (raise-type-error 'control-process
-					       "'status, 'exit-code, 'wait, 'interrupt, or 'kill" m))))))
-		control)))))
+	(let ([threads-still-going?
+	       (lambda ()
+		 (ormap (lambda (s)
+			  (and (thread? s)
+			       (thread-running? s)))
+			(list so si se)))])
+	  (list (aport so)
+		(aport si)
+		(subprocess-pid subp)
+		(aport se)
+		(letrec ((control
+			  (lambda (m)
+			    (case m
+			      ((status) (let ((s (subprocess-status subp)))
+					  (cond ((or (not (integer? s))
+						     (threads-still-going?))
+						 'running)
+						((zero? s) 'done-ok)
+						(else 'done-error))))
+			      ((exit-code) (if (threads-still-going?)
+					       #f
+					       (let ((s (subprocess-status subp)))
+						 (and (integer? s) s))))
+			      ((wait) 
+			       (subprocess-wait subp)
+			       (let ([twait (lambda (t)
+					      (when (thread? t)
+						(thread-wait t)))])
+				 (twait so)
+				 (twait si)
+				 (twait se)))
+			      ((interrupt) (subprocess-kill subp #f))
+			      ((kill) (subprocess-kill subp #t))
+			      (else
+			       (raise-type-error 'control-process
+						 "'status, 'exit-code, 'wait, 'interrupt, or 'kill" m))))))
+		  control))))))
 
   (define (process/ports out in err str)
     (apply process*/ports out in err (shell-path/args "process/ports" str)))