diff --git a/prism/src/bin/prism.cygwin b/prism/src/bin/prism.cygwin
index 3b63f732..03494f5c 100644
--- a/prism/src/bin/prism.cygwin
+++ b/prism/src/bin/prism.cygwin
@@ -107,5 +107,16 @@ if [ "$PRISM_DEBUG" != "" ]; then
 	PRISM_JAVA="$PRISM_DEBUG"
 fi
 
-# Run PRISM through Java
-"$PRISM_JAVA" $PRISM_JAVA_ARG1 $PRISM_JAVA_ARG2 $PRISM_JAVA_DEBUG $PRISM_JAVAMAXMEM $PRISM_JAVASTACKSIZE -Djava.awt.headless=$PRISM_HEADLESS -Djava.library.path="$JAVA_LIBRARY_PATH_WIN" -classpath "$PRISM_CLASSPATH_WIN" $PRISM_MAINCLASS "$@"
+#
+# If environment variable PRISM_NO_EXEC is set to 'yes', use old method of starting Java.
+# The default method is to use an exec call.
+#
+if [ "$PRISM_NO_EXEC" = "yes" ]; then
+	# Run PRISM through Java as a child process (exit code of script is exit code of the java call)
+	# Note: Killing this startup script will not necessarily kill the Java process
+	"$PRISM_JAVA" $PRISM_JAVA_ARG1 $PRISM_JAVA_ARG2 $PRISM_JAVA_DEBUG $PRISM_JAVAMAXMEM $PRISM_JAVASTACKSIZE -Djava.awt.headless=$PRISM_HEADLESS -Djava.library.path="$JAVA_LIBRARY_PATH_WIN" -classpath "$PRISM_CLASSPATH_WIN" $PRISM_MAINCLASS "$@"
+else
+	# (Default) Run PRISM through Java via an exec call (the shell process is replaced by the Java process)
+	exec "$PRISM_JAVA" $PRISM_JAVA_ARG1 $PRISM_JAVA_ARG2 $PRISM_JAVA_DEBUG $PRISM_JAVAMAXMEM $PRISM_JAVASTACKSIZE -Djava.awt.headless=$PRISM_HEADLESS -Djava.library.path="$JAVA_LIBRARY_PATH_WIN" -classpath "$PRISM_CLASSPATH_WIN" $PRISM_MAINCLASS "$@"
+fi
+
diff --git a/prism/src/bin/prism.darwin32 b/prism/src/bin/prism.darwin32
index a8f2b830..edca3a53 100755
--- a/prism/src/bin/prism.darwin32
+++ b/prism/src/bin/prism.darwin32
@@ -112,6 +112,16 @@ if [ "$PRISM_DEBUG" != "" ]; then
 	PRISM_JAVA="$PRISM_DEBUG"
 fi
 
-# Run PRISM through Java (exit code of script is exit code of the java call)
-"$PRISM_JAVA" $PRISM_JAVA_ARG1 $PRISM_JAVA_ARG2 $PRISM_JAVA_DEBUG $PRISM_JAVAMAXMEM $PRISM_JAVASTACKSIZE "$PRISM_ICON" "$PRISM_DOCK_NAME" -Djava.awt.headless=$PRISM_HEADLESS -Djava.library.path="$JAVA_LIBRARY_PATH" -classpath "$PRISM_CLASSPATH" $PRISM_MAINCLASS "$@"
+#
+# If environment variable PRISM_NO_EXEC is set to 'yes', use old method of starting Java.
+# The default method is to use an exec call.
+#
+if [ "$PRISM_NO_EXEC" = "yes" ]; then
+	# Run PRISM through Java as a child process (exit code of script is exit code of the java call)
+	# Note: Killing this startup script will not necessarily kill the Java process
+	"$PRISM_JAVA" $PRISM_JAVA_ARG1 $PRISM_JAVA_ARG2 $PRISM_JAVA_DEBUG $PRISM_JAVAMAXMEM $PRISM_JAVASTACKSIZE "$PRISM_ICON" "$PRISM_DOCK_NAME" -Djava.awt.headless=$PRISM_HEADLESS -Djava.library.path="$JAVA_LIBRARY_PATH" -classpath "$PRISM_CLASSPATH" $PRISM_MAINCLASS "$@"
+else
+	# (Default) Run PRISM through Java via an exec call (the shell process is replaced by the Java process)
+	exec "$PRISM_JAVA" $PRISM_JAVA_ARG1 $PRISM_JAVA_ARG2 $PRISM_JAVA_DEBUG $PRISM_JAVAMAXMEM $PRISM_JAVASTACKSIZE "$PRISM_ICON" "$PRISM_DOCK_NAME" -Djava.awt.headless=$PRISM_HEADLESS -Djava.library.path="$JAVA_LIBRARY_PATH" -classpath "$PRISM_CLASSPATH" $PRISM_MAINCLASS "$@"
+fi
 
diff --git a/prism/src/bin/prism.darwin64 b/prism/src/bin/prism.darwin64
index a8f2b830..edca3a53 100755
--- a/prism/src/bin/prism.darwin64
+++ b/prism/src/bin/prism.darwin64
@@ -112,6 +112,16 @@ if [ "$PRISM_DEBUG" != "" ]; then
 	PRISM_JAVA="$PRISM_DEBUG"
 fi
 
-# Run PRISM through Java (exit code of script is exit code of the java call)
-"$PRISM_JAVA" $PRISM_JAVA_ARG1 $PRISM_JAVA_ARG2 $PRISM_JAVA_DEBUG $PRISM_JAVAMAXMEM $PRISM_JAVASTACKSIZE "$PRISM_ICON" "$PRISM_DOCK_NAME" -Djava.awt.headless=$PRISM_HEADLESS -Djava.library.path="$JAVA_LIBRARY_PATH" -classpath "$PRISM_CLASSPATH" $PRISM_MAINCLASS "$@"
+#
+# If environment variable PRISM_NO_EXEC is set to 'yes', use old method of starting Java.
+# The default method is to use an exec call.
+#
+if [ "$PRISM_NO_EXEC" = "yes" ]; then
+	# Run PRISM through Java as a child process (exit code of script is exit code of the java call)
+	# Note: Killing this startup script will not necessarily kill the Java process
+	"$PRISM_JAVA" $PRISM_JAVA_ARG1 $PRISM_JAVA_ARG2 $PRISM_JAVA_DEBUG $PRISM_JAVAMAXMEM $PRISM_JAVASTACKSIZE "$PRISM_ICON" "$PRISM_DOCK_NAME" -Djava.awt.headless=$PRISM_HEADLESS -Djava.library.path="$JAVA_LIBRARY_PATH" -classpath "$PRISM_CLASSPATH" $PRISM_MAINCLASS "$@"
+else
+	# (Default) Run PRISM through Java via an exec call (the shell process is replaced by the Java process)
+	exec "$PRISM_JAVA" $PRISM_JAVA_ARG1 $PRISM_JAVA_ARG2 $PRISM_JAVA_DEBUG $PRISM_JAVAMAXMEM $PRISM_JAVASTACKSIZE "$PRISM_ICON" "$PRISM_DOCK_NAME" -Djava.awt.headless=$PRISM_HEADLESS -Djava.library.path="$JAVA_LIBRARY_PATH" -classpath "$PRISM_CLASSPATH" $PRISM_MAINCLASS "$@"
+fi
 
diff --git a/prism/src/bin/prism.linux b/prism/src/bin/prism.linux
index dc7a7a33..54d591a4 100755
--- a/prism/src/bin/prism.linux
+++ b/prism/src/bin/prism.linux
@@ -103,6 +103,16 @@ if [ "$PRISM_DEBUG" != "" ]; then
 	PRISM_JAVA="$PRISM_DEBUG"
 fi
 
-# Run PRISM through Java (exit code of script is exit code of the java call)
-"$PRISM_JAVA" $PRISM_JAVA_ARG1 $PRISM_JAVA_ARG2 $PRISM_JAVA_DEBUG $PRISM_JAVAMAXMEM $PRISM_JAVASTACKSIZE -Djava.awt.headless=$PRISM_HEADLESS -Djava.library.path="$JAVA_LIBRARY_PATH" -classpath "$PRISM_CLASSPATH" $PRISM_MAINCLASS "$@"
+#
+# If environment variable PRISM_NO_EXEC is set to 'yes', use old method of starting Java.
+# The default method is to use an exec call.
+#
+if [ "$PRISM_NO_EXEC" = "yes" ]; then
+	# Run PRISM through Java as a child process (exit code of script is exit code of the java call)
+	# Note: Killing this startup script will not necessarily kill the Java process
+	"$PRISM_JAVA" $PRISM_JAVA_ARG1 $PRISM_JAVA_ARG2 $PRISM_JAVA_DEBUG $PRISM_JAVAMAXMEM $PRISM_JAVASTACKSIZE -Djava.awt.headless=$PRISM_HEADLESS -Djava.library.path="$JAVA_LIBRARY_PATH" -classpath "$PRISM_CLASSPATH" $PRISM_MAINCLASS "$@"
+else
+	# (Default) Run PRISM through Java via an exec call (the shell process is replaced by the Java process)
+	exec "$PRISM_JAVA" $PRISM_JAVA_ARG1 $PRISM_JAVA_ARG2 $PRISM_JAVA_DEBUG $PRISM_JAVAMAXMEM $PRISM_JAVASTACKSIZE -Djava.awt.headless=$PRISM_HEADLESS -Djava.library.path="$JAVA_LIBRARY_PATH" -classpath "$PRISM_CLASSPATH" $PRISM_MAINCLASS "$@"
+fi