diff --git a/artiq/frontend/artiq_gui.py b/artiq/frontend/artiq_gui.py
index 079eedb51..e83c0012a 100755
--- a/artiq/frontend/artiq_gui.py
+++ b/artiq/frontend/artiq_gui.py
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ def main():
     smgr.register(d_datasets)
 
     appletmgr = applets.AppletManager(dock_area)
+    atexit_register_coroutine(appletmgr.stop)
     smgr.register(appletmgr)
 
     if os.name != "nt":
diff --git a/artiq/gui/applets.py b/artiq/gui/applets.py
index 4eb79fb53..a085ffa5f 100644
--- a/artiq/gui/applets.py
+++ b/artiq/gui/applets.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import logging
+import asyncio
+import shlex
 
 from quamash import QtCore, QtGui, QtWidgets
 from pyqtgraph import dockarea
@@ -8,23 +10,50 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 class AppletDock(dockarea.Dock):
-    def __init__(self, token, name):
+    def __init__(self, token, name, command):
         dockarea.Dock.__init__(self, "applet" + str(token),
                                label="Applet: " + name,
                                closable=True)
         self.setMinimumSize(QtCore.QSize(500, 400))
+        self.token = token
+        self.applet_name = name
+        self.command = command
+
+    async def start(self):
+        command = self.command.format(embed_token=self.token)
+        logger.debug("starting command %s for %s", command, self.applet_name)
+        try:
+            self.process = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
+                                *shlex.split(command))
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            logger.warning("Applet %s failed to start", self.applet_name)
+        else:
+            logger.warning("Applet %s exited", self.applet_name)
 
     def capture(self, win_id):
+        logger.debug("capturing window 0x%x for %s", win_id, self.applet_name)
         self.captured_window = QtGui.QWindow.fromWinId(win_id)
-        self.captured_widget = QtWidgets.QWidget.createWindowContainer(captured_window)
-        self.addWidget(captured_widget)
+        self.captured_widget = QtWidgets.QWidget.createWindowContainer(
+            self.captured_window)
+        self.addWidget(self.captured_widget)
 
-    def terminate(self):
+    async def terminate(self):
         if hasattr(self, "captured_window"):
             self.captured_window.close()
             self.captured_widget.deleteLater()
             del self.captured_window
             del self.captured_widget
+        if hasattr(self, "process"):
+            try:
+                await asyncio.wait_for(self.process.wait(), 2.0)
+            except:
+                logger.warning("Applet %s failed to exit, killing",
+                               self.applet_name)
+                try:
+                    self.process.kill()
+                except ProcessLookupError:
+                    pass
+                await self.process.wait()
 
 
 class AppletsDock(dockarea.Dock):
@@ -116,18 +145,24 @@ class AppletManager:
             logger.warning("Ignored incorrect embed token %d for winid 0x%x",
                             token, win_id)
             return
+        self.applet_docks[token].capture(win_id)
 
     def create(self, name, command):
         token = next(iter(set(range(len(self.applet_docks) + 1))
-                        - self.applet_docks.keys()))
-        dock = AppletDock(token, name)
+                          - self.applet_docks.keys()))
+        dock = AppletDock(token, name, command)
         self.applet_docks[token] = dock
         self.dock_area.floatDock(dock)
+        asyncio.ensure_future(dock.start())
         return token
 
     def delete(self, token):
         del self.applet_docks[token]
 
+    async def stop(self):
+        for dock in self.applet_docks.values():
+            await dock.terminate()
+
     def save_state(self):
         return dict()