diff --git a/lib/util.js b/lib/util.js
index 62320229..693ab9c5 100644
--- a/lib/util.js
+++ b/lib/util.js
@@ -396,6 +396,17 @@ function powerShellProceedResults(data) {
 }
 
 function powerShellStart() {
+  // Reuse existing persisted process, if one is available
+  if (_psPersistent && _psChild && _psChild.pid){
+    return;
+  }
+
+  // If somehow _psPersistent is not in sync with _psChild,
+  // just kill it and start a new one.
+  if (!_psPersistent && _psChild && _psChild.pid) {
+    powerShellRelease();
+  }
+
   _psChild = spawn('powershell.exe', ['-NoLogo', '-InputFormat', 'Text', '-NoExit', '-Command', '-'], {
     stdio: 'pipe',
     windowsHide: true,
@@ -403,25 +414,24 @@ function powerShellStart() {
     encoding: 'UTF-8',
     env: util._extend({}, process.env, { LANG: 'en_US.UTF-8' })
   });
-  if (_psChild && _psChild.pid) {
-    _psPersistent = true;
-    _psChild.stdout.on('data', function (data) {
-      _psResult = _psResult + data.toString('utf8');
-      if (data.indexOf(_psCmdSeperator) >= 0) {
-        powerShellProceedResults(_psResult);
-        _psResult = '';
-      }
-    });
-    _psChild.stderr.on('data', function () {
-      powerShellProceedResults(_psResult + _psError);
-    });
-    _psChild.on('error', function () {
-      powerShellProceedResults(_psResult + _psError);
-    });
-    _psChild.on('close', function () {
-      _psChild.kill();
-    });
-  }
+
+  _psPersistent = true;
+  _psChild.stdout.on('data', function (data) {
+    _psResult = _psResult + data.toString('utf8');
+    if (data.indexOf(_psCmdSeperator) >= 0) {
+      powerShellProceedResults(_psResult);
+      _psResult = '';
+    }
+  });
+  _psChild.stderr.on('data', function () {
+    powerShellProceedResults(_psResult + _psError);
+  });
+  _psChild.on('error', function () {
+    powerShellProceedResults(_psResult + _psError);
+  });
+  _psChild.on('close', function () {
+    _psChild.kill();
+  });
 }
 
 function powerShellRelease() {