diff --git a/packages/@ionic/cli-framework/package.json b/packages/@ionic/cli-framework/package.json
index 0deebb3214..eca6fcb7f2 100644
--- a/packages/@ionic/cli-framework/package.json
+++ b/packages/@ionic/cli-framework/package.json
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
     "stream-combiner2": "^1.1.1",
     "string-width": "^2.1.1",
     "strip-ansi": "^4.0.0",
+    "tree-kill": "1.2.0",
     "tslib": "^1.9.0",
     "untildify": "^3.0.2",
     "wrap-ansi": "^3.0.1",
diff --git a/packages/@ionic/cli-framework/src/utils/process.ts b/packages/@ionic/cli-framework/src/utils/process.ts
index f8e0a07f3a..f3da7bfaa9 100644
--- a/packages/@ionic/cli-framework/src/utils/process.ts
+++ b/packages/@ionic/cli-framework/src/utils/process.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import * as Debug from 'debug';
 import * as lodash from 'lodash';
+import * as kill from 'tree-kill';
 
 import { createCaseInsensitiveObject } from './object';
 
@@ -7,6 +8,19 @@ const debug = Debug('ionic:cli-framework:utils:process');
 
 export const ERROR_TIMEOUT_REACHED = 'TIMEOUT_REACHED';
 
+export function killProcessTree(pid: number, signal: string | number = 'SIGTERM'): Promise<void> {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    kill(pid, signal, err => {
+      if (err) {
+        debug('error while killing process tree for %d: %o', pid, err);
+        return reject(err);
+      }
+
+      resolve();
+    });
+  });
+}
+
 /**
  * Creates an alternative implementation of `process.env` object.
  *
diff --git a/packages/@ionic/cli-utils/src/lib/serve.ts b/packages/@ionic/cli-utils/src/lib/serve.ts
index f1bd165022..8c7786924b 100644
--- a/packages/@ionic/cli-utils/src/lib/serve.ts
+++ b/packages/@ionic/cli-utils/src/lib/serve.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { BaseError, LOGGER_LEVELS, NetworkInterface, OptionGroup, PromptModule, createPrefixedFormatter } from '@ionic/cli-framework';
 import { fsReadJsonFile } from '@ionic/cli-framework/utils/fs';
 import { findClosestOpenPort, getExternalIPv4Interfaces, isHostConnectable } from '@ionic/cli-framework/utils/network';
-import { onBeforeExit, processExit } from '@ionic/cli-framework/utils/process';
+import { killProcessTree, onBeforeExit, processExit } from '@ionic/cli-framework/utils/process';
 import { str2num } from '@ionic/cli-framework/utils/string';
 import chalk from 'chalk';
 import * as Debug from 'debug';
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ export abstract class ServeCLI<T extends ServeCLIOptions> extends EventEmitter {
       p.on('error', errorHandler);
       p.on('close', closeHandler);
 
-      onBeforeExit(async () => p.kill());
+      onBeforeExit(async () => killProcessTree(p.pid));
 
       const log = this.e.log.clone();
       log.setFormatter(createPrefixedFormatter(chalk.dim(`[${this.resolvedProgram === this.program ? this.prefix : this.resolvedProgram}]`)));
diff --git a/packages/@ionic/cli-utils/src/lib/shell.ts b/packages/@ionic/cli-utils/src/lib/shell.ts
index c3e5b25fe4..5ce0cefcb6 100644
--- a/packages/@ionic/cli-utils/src/lib/shell.ts
+++ b/packages/@ionic/cli-utils/src/lib/shell.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { ERROR_SHELL_COMMAND_NOT_FOUND, LOGGER_LEVELS, ShellCommandError } from '@ionic/cli-framework';
-import { createProcessEnv, onBeforeExit } from '@ionic/cli-framework/utils/process';
+import { createProcessEnv, killProcessTree, onBeforeExit } from '@ionic/cli-framework/utils/process';
 import { ShellCommand } from '@ionic/cli-framework/utils/shell';
 import { combineStreams } from '@ionic/cli-framework/utils/streams';
 import chalk from 'chalk';
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ export class Shell implements IShell {
       }
 
       if (killOnExit) {
-        onBeforeExit(async () => promise.p.kill());
+        onBeforeExit(async () => killProcessTree(promise.p.pid));
       }
 
       await promise;
diff --git a/packages/ionic/src/commands/cordova/run.ts b/packages/ionic/src/commands/cordova/run.ts
index 5448a59759..16123d2045 100644
--- a/packages/ionic/src/commands/cordova/run.ts
+++ b/packages/ionic/src/commands/cordova/run.ts
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ ${chalk.cyan('[1]')}: ${chalk.bold('https://ionicframework.com/docs/developer-re
       const ws = log.createWriteStream(LOGGER_LEVELS.INFO);
 
       await this.runCordova(filterArgumentsForCordova(metadata, options), { stream: ws });
+      this.env.close(); // TODO: better way
       await sleepForever();
     } else {
       if (options.build) {
diff --git a/packages/ionic/src/commands/serve.ts b/packages/ionic/src/commands/serve.ts
index 5105c93777..d88d580e4a 100644
--- a/packages/ionic/src/commands/serve.ts
+++ b/packages/ionic/src/commands/serve.ts
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ Try the ${chalk.green('--lab')} option to see multiple platforms at once.`;
 
     // TODO: use runner directly
     await serve({ config: this.env.config, log: this.env.log, prompt: this.env.prompt, shell: this.env.shell, project: this.project }, inputs, options);
+    this.env.close(); // TODO: better way
     await sleepForever();
   }
 }