diff --git a/bin/sh/eval.c b/bin/sh/eval.c
index a22d4b17ed33..d5da7d3022c3 100644
--- a/bin/sh/eval.c
+++ b/bin/sh/eval.c
@@ -894,14 +894,13 @@ evalcommand(union node *cmd, int flags, struct backcmd *backcmd)
 	}
 
 	/* Fork off a child process if necessary. */
-	if (cmd->ncmd.backgnd
-	 || ((cmdentry.cmdtype == CMDNORMAL || cmdentry.cmdtype == CMDUNKNOWN)
+	if (((cmdentry.cmdtype == CMDNORMAL || cmdentry.cmdtype == CMDUNKNOWN)
 	    && ((flags & EV_EXIT) == 0 || have_traps()))
 	 || ((flags & EV_BACKCMD) != 0
 	    && (cmdentry.cmdtype != CMDBUILTIN ||
 		 !safe_builtin(cmdentry.u.index, argc, argv)))) {
 		jp = makejob(cmd, 1);
-		mode = cmd->ncmd.backgnd;
+		mode = FORK_FG;
 		if (flags & EV_BACKCMD) {
 			mode = FORK_NOJOB;
 			if (pipe(pip) < 0)
@@ -1068,8 +1067,7 @@ evalcommand(union node *cmd, int flags, struct backcmd *backcmd)
 		backcmd->fd = pip[0];
 		close(pip[1]);
 		backcmd->jp = jp;
-	} else
-		exitstatus = 0;
+	}
 
 out:
 	if (lastarg)
diff --git a/bin/sh/nodetypes b/bin/sh/nodetypes
index f705827b910a..ae4bc4a2bd25 100644
--- a/bin/sh/nodetypes
+++ b/bin/sh/nodetypes
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ NSEMI nbinary			# two commands separated by a semicolon
 
 NCMD ncmd			# a simple command
 	type	  int
-	backgnd	  int			# set to run command in background
 	args	  nodeptr		# the arguments
 	redirect  nodeptr		# list of file redirections
 
diff --git a/bin/sh/parser.c b/bin/sh/parser.c
index 61be512aa332..ef1aa360abbb 100644
--- a/bin/sh/parser.c
+++ b/bin/sh/parser.c
@@ -240,8 +240,8 @@ list(int nlflag, int erflag)
 		n2 = andor();
 		tok = readtoken();
 		if (tok == TBACKGND) {
-			if (n2->type == NCMD || n2->type == NPIPE) {
-				n2->ncmd.backgnd = 1;
+			if (n2->type == NPIPE) {
+				n2->npipe.backgnd = 1;
 			} else if (n2->type == NREDIR) {
 				n2->type = NBACKGND;
 			} else {
@@ -689,7 +689,6 @@ simplecmd(union node **rpp, union node *redir)
 	*rpp = NULL;
 	n = (union node *)stalloc(sizeof (struct ncmd));
 	n->type = NCMD;
-	n->ncmd.backgnd = 0;
 	n->ncmd.args = args;
 	n->ncmd.redirect = redir;
 	return n;