diff --git a/packages/core/src/main/spawn-electron.ts b/packages/core/src/main/spawn-electron.ts
index 18d3794fd98..c277932cdf2 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/main/spawn-electron.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/main/spawn-electron.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import {
 
 import windowDefaults, { popupWindowDefaults } from '../webapp/defaults'
 import ISubwindowPrefs from '../models/SubwindowPrefs'
+import { webpackPath } from '../plugins/path'
 
 /**
  * Keep a global reference of the window object, if you don't, the window will
@@ -442,10 +443,10 @@ export function createWindow(
         debug('invoke', message)
 
         try {
-          const mod = await import(message.module)
+          const mod = await import('@kui-shell/plugin-' + webpackPath(message.module) + '/dist/index.js')
           debug('invoke got module')
 
-          const returnValue = await mod[message.main || 'main'](message.args)
+          const returnValue = await mod[message.main || 'main'](message.args, event.sender)
           debug('invoke got returnValue', returnValue)
 
           event.sender.send(
@@ -600,9 +601,6 @@ export async function initElectron(
     debug('loading electron')
     const Electron = await import('electron')
     app = Electron.app
-    if (app) {
-      app.allowRendererProcessReuse = false
-    }
   }
 
   // deal with multiple processes
diff --git a/plugins/plugin-bash-like/src/index.ts b/plugins/plugin-bash-like/src/index.ts
index 6f0c1625525..539885cc0e0 100644
--- a/plugins/plugin-bash-like/src/index.ts
+++ b/plugins/plugin-bash-like/src/index.ts
@@ -20,3 +20,5 @@ export { StdioChannelWebsocketSide } from './pty/stdio-channel'
 export { getSessionForTab } from './pty/session'
 export { dispatchToShell as doExecWithPty, doExecWithStdoutViaPty } from './lib/cmds/catchall'
 export { getTabState } from './tab-state'
+
+export { initMainPty } from './pty/electron-main-channel'
diff --git a/plugins/plugin-bash-like/src/pty/client.ts b/plugins/plugin-bash-like/src/pty/client.ts
index 880cb5830e8..c26a57022a5 100644
--- a/plugins/plugin-bash-like/src/pty/client.ts
+++ b/plugins/plugin-bash-like/src/pty/client.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ import Options from './options'
 import ChannelId from './channel-id'
 import { cleanupTerminalAfterTermination } from './util'
 import { getChannelForTab, setChannelForTab, invalidateSession } from './session'
-import { Channel, InProcessChannel, WebViewChannelRendererSide } from './channel'
+import { Channel, WebViewChannelRendererSide } from './channel'
+import ElectronRendererSideChannel from './electron-main-channel'
 
 const debug = Debug('plugins/bash-like/pty/client')
 
@@ -682,7 +683,7 @@ const injectFont = (terminal: XTerminal, flush = false) => {
   }
 }
 
-type ChannelFactory = (tab: Tab) => Promise<Channel>
+type ChannelFactory = (tab: Tab, execUUID: string) => Promise<Channel>
 
 /**
  * Create a websocket channel to a remote bash
@@ -714,9 +715,9 @@ const remoteChannelFactory: ChannelFactory = async (tab: Tab) => {
   }
 }
 
-const electronChannelFactory: ChannelFactory = async () => {
-  const channel = new InProcessChannel()
-  channel.init()
+const electronChannelFactory: ChannelFactory = async (tab: Tab, execUUID: string) => {
+  const channel = new ElectronRendererSideChannel()
+  await channel.init(execUUID)
   return channel
 }
 
diff --git a/plugins/plugin-bash-like/src/pty/electron-main-channel.ts b/plugins/plugin-bash-like/src/pty/electron-main-channel.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ac6c0605c17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/plugin-bash-like/src/pty/electron-main-channel.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2021 The Kubernetes Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * This file defines a channel between the Electron renderer process
+ * and Electron main process.
+ *
+ */
+
+import Debug from 'debug'
+import { EventEmitter } from 'events'
+import { IpcMain, IpcRenderer, WebContents } from 'electron'
+
+import { Channel, ReadyState } from './channel'
+import { onConnection, disableBashSessions } from './server'
+
+interface Args {
+  execUUID: string
+}
+
+const debugMain = Debug('plugin-bash-like/pty/electron/main')
+const debugRenderer = Debug('plugin-bash-like/pty/electron/renderer')
+
+function messageChannel(execUUID) {
+  return `/plugin-bash-like/pty/message/${execUUID}`
+}
+
+class ElectronMainSideChannel extends EventEmitter implements Channel {
+  /** is the channel alive? */
+  public readonly isAlive = true
+
+  public readonly readyState = ReadyState.OPEN
+
+  private ipcMain: IpcMain
+  private otherSide: WebContents
+
+  private messageChannel: string
+
+  private handleMessage = (_, msg: string) => {
+    // debugMain('got message', msg)
+    this.emit('message', msg)
+  }
+
+  public async init(args: Args, otherSide: WebContents) {
+    debugMain('main side init', args.execUUID)
+
+    const { ipcMain } = await import('electron')
+    this.ipcMain = ipcMain
+    this.otherSide = otherSide
+
+    this.messageChannel = messageChannel(args.execUUID)
+    ipcMain.on(this.messageChannel, this.handleMessage)
+
+    await onConnection(await disableBashSessions())(this)
+  }
+
+  /** Forcibly close the channel */
+  public close() {
+    this.emit('exit')
+    this.ipcMain.off(this.messageChannel, this.handleMessage)
+  }
+
+  /** Send a message over the channel */
+  public send(msg: string | Buffer) {
+    this.otherSide.send(this.messageChannel, msg)
+  }
+
+  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+  public removeEventListener(eventType: string, handler: any) {
+    this.off(eventType, handler)
+  }
+}
+
+export default class ElectronRendererSideChannel extends EventEmitter implements Channel {
+  /** is the channel alive? */
+  public readonly isAlive = true
+
+  public readonly readyState = ReadyState.OPEN
+
+  private ipcRenderer: IpcRenderer
+  private messageChannel: string
+
+  private handleMessage = (_, msg: string) => {
+    this.emit('message', msg)
+  }
+
+  public async init(execUUID: string) {
+    const { ipcRenderer } = await import('electron')
+    this.ipcRenderer = ipcRenderer
+    debugRenderer('renderer side init')
+
+    this.messageChannel = messageChannel(execUUID)
+
+    ipcRenderer.once(`/exec/response/${execUUID}`, (_, _msg: string) => {
+      const msg = JSON.parse(_msg)
+      debugRenderer('renderer side init exec response', msg)
+      if (msg.returnValue === true) {
+        this.ipcRenderer.on(this.messageChannel, this.handleMessage)
+        this.emit('open')
+      }
+    })
+
+    ipcRenderer.send(
+      '/exec/invoke',
+      JSON.stringify({
+        module: 'plugin-bash-like',
+        main: 'initMainPty',
+        hash: execUUID,
+        args: {
+          execUUID
+        }
+      })
+    )
+  }
+
+  /** Forcibly close the channel */
+  public close() {
+    this.send('exit')
+    this.ipcRenderer.off(this.messageChannel, this.handleMessage)
+  }
+
+  /** Send a message over the channel */
+  public send(msg: string | Buffer) {
+    this.ipcRenderer.send(this.messageChannel, msg.toString())
+  }
+
+  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+  public removeEventListener(eventType: string, handler: any) {
+    this.off(eventType, handler)
+  }
+}
+
+export async function initMainPty(args: Args, otherSide: WebContents) {
+  debugMain('initMainPty', args)
+  try {
+    await new ElectronMainSideChannel().init(args, otherSide)
+    return true
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error('Error starting up pty', err)
+    return false
+  }
+}