diff --git a/jupyterlab_launcher/process.py b/jupyterlab_launcher/process.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b966c7b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jupyterlab_launcher/process.py
@@ -0,0 +1,285 @@
+# coding: utf-8
+"""JupyterLab Launcher process handler"""
+
+# Copyright (c) Jupyter Development Team.
+# Distributed under the terms of the Modified BSD License.
+from __future__ import print_function
+
+import atexit
+import logging
+import os
+import re
+import signal
+import sys
+import threading
+import time
+import weakref
+
+from tornado import gen
+
+from ipython_genutils.py3compat import which as _which
+
+try:
+    import subprocess32 as subprocess
+except ImportError:
+    import subprocess
+
+try:
+    import pty
+except ImportError:
+    pty = False
+
+if sys.platform == 'win32':
+    list2cmdline = subprocess.list2cmdline
+else:
+    def list2cmdline(cmd_list):
+        import pipes
+        return ' '.join(map(pipes.quote, cmd_list))
+
+logging.basicConfig(format='%(message)s', level=logging.INFO)
+
+
+def which(command, env=None):
+    """Get the full path to a command.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    command: str
+        The command name or path.
+    env: dict, optional
+        The environment variables, defaults to `os.environ`.
+    """
+    env = env or os.environ
+    path = env.get('PATH') or os.defpath
+    command_with_path = _which(command, path=path)
+
+    # Allow nodejs as an alias to node.
+    if command == 'node' and not command_with_path:
+        command = 'nodejs'
+        command_with_path = _which('nodejs', path=path)
+
+    if not command_with_path:
+        if command in ['nodejs', 'node', 'npm']:
+            msg = 'Please install nodejs 5+ and npm before continuing installation. nodejs may be installed using conda or directly from the nodejs website.'
+            raise ValueError(msg)
+        raise ValueError('The command was not found or was not ' +
+                'executable: %s.' % command)
+    return command_with_path
+
+
+class Process(object):
+    """A wrapper for a child process.
+    """
+    _procs = weakref.WeakSet()
+    _pool = None
+
+    def __init__(self, cmd, logger=None, cwd=None, kill_event=None,
+                 env=None, quiet=False):
+        """Start a subprocess that can be run asynchronously.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        cmd: list
+            The command to run.
+        logger: :class:`~logger.Logger`, optional
+            The logger instance.
+        cwd: string, optional
+            The cwd of the process.
+        env: dict, optional
+            The environment for the process.
+        kill_event: :class:`~threading.Event`, optional
+            An event used to kill the process operation.
+        """
+        if not isinstance(cmd, (list, tuple)):
+            raise ValueError('Command must be given as a list')
+
+        if kill_event and kill_event.is_set():
+            raise ValueError('Process aborted')
+
+        self.logger = logger = logger or logging.getLogger('jupyterlab')
+        self._last_line = ''
+        if not quiet:
+            self.logger.info('> ' + list2cmdline(cmd))
+        self.cmd = cmd
+
+        self.proc = self._create_process(cwd=cwd, env=env)
+        self._kill_event = kill_event or threading.Event()
+
+        Process._procs.add(self)
+
+    def terminate(self):
+        """Terminate the process and return the exit code.
+        """
+        proc = self.proc
+
+        # Kill the process.
+        if proc.poll() is None:
+            os.kill(proc.pid, signal.SIGTERM)
+
+        # Wait for the process to close.
+        try:
+            proc.wait()
+        finally:
+            Process._procs.remove(self)
+
+        return proc.returncode
+
+    def wait(self):
+        """Wait for the process to finish.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        The process exit code.
+        """
+        proc = self.proc
+        kill_event = self._kill_event
+        while proc.poll() is None:
+            if kill_event.is_set():
+                self.terminate()
+                raise ValueError('Process was aborted')
+            time.sleep(1.)
+        return self.terminate()
+
+    @gen.coroutine
+    def wait_async(self):
+        """Asynchronously wait for the process to finish.
+        """
+        proc = self.proc
+        kill_event = self._kill_event
+        while proc.poll() is None:
+            if kill_event.is_set():
+                self.terminate()
+                raise ValueError('Process was aborted')
+            yield gen.sleep(1.)
+
+        raise gen.Return(self.terminate())
+
+    def _create_process(self, **kwargs):
+        """Create the process.
+        """
+        cmd = self.cmd
+        kwargs.setdefault('stderr', subprocess.STDOUT)
+
+        cmd[0] = which(cmd[0], kwargs.get('env'))
+
+        if os.name == 'nt':
+            kwargs['shell'] = True
+
+        proc = subprocess.Popen(cmd, **kwargs)
+        return proc
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _cleanup(cls):
+        """Clean up the started subprocesses at exit.
+        """
+        for proc in list(cls._procs):
+            proc.terminate()
+
+
+class WatchHelper(Process):
+    """A process helper for a watch process.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, cmd, startup_regex, logger=None, cwd=None,
+            kill_event=None, env=None):
+        """Initialize the process helper.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        cmd: list
+            The command to run.
+        startup_regex: string
+            The regex to wait for at startup.
+        logger: :class:`~logger.Logger`, optional
+            The logger instance.
+        cwd: string, optional
+            The cwd of the process.
+        env: dict, optional
+            The environment for the process.
+        kill_event: callable, optional
+            A function to call to check if we should abort.
+        """
+        super(WatchHelper, self).__init__(cmd, logger=logger,
+            cwd=cwd, kill_event=kill_event, env=env)
+
+        if not pty:
+            self._stdout = self.proc.stdout
+
+        while 1:
+            line = self._stdout.readline().decode('utf-8')
+            if not line:
+                raise RuntimeError('Process ended improperly')
+            print(line.rstrip())
+            if re.match(startup_regex, line):
+                break
+
+        self._read_thread = threading.Thread(target=self._read_incoming)
+        self._read_thread.setDaemon(True)
+        self._read_thread.start()
+
+    def terminate(self):
+        """Terminate the process.
+        """
+        proc = self.proc
+
+        if proc.poll() is None:
+            if os.name != 'nt':
+                # Kill the process group if we started a new session.
+                os.killpg(os.getpgid(proc.pid), signal.SIGTERM)
+            else:
+                os.kill(proc.pid, signal.SIGTERM)
+
+        # Close stdout.
+        try:
+            self._stdout.close()
+        except Exception as e:
+            pass
+
+        # Wait for the process to close.
+        try:
+            proc.wait()
+        finally:
+            Process._procs.remove(self)
+
+        return proc.returncode
+
+    def _read_incoming(self):
+        """Run in a thread to read stdout and print"""
+        fileno = self._stdout.fileno()
+        while 1:
+            try:
+                buf = os.read(fileno, 1024)
+            except OSError as e:
+                self.logger.debug('Read incoming error %s', e)
+                return
+
+            if not buf:
+                return
+
+            print(buf.decode('utf-8'), end='')
+
+    def _create_process(self, **kwargs):
+        """Create the watcher helper process.
+        """
+        kwargs['bufsize'] = 0
+
+        if pty:
+            master, slave = pty.openpty()
+            kwargs['stderr'] = kwargs['stdout'] = slave
+            kwargs['start_new_session'] = True
+            self._stdout = os.fdopen(master, 'rb')
+        else:
+            kwargs['stdout'] = subprocess.PIPE
+
+            if os.name == 'nt':
+                startupinfo = subprocess.STARTUPINFO()
+                startupinfo.dwFlags |= subprocess.STARTF_USESHOWWINDOW
+                kwargs['startupinfo'] = startupinfo
+                kwargs['creationflags'] = subprocess.CREATE_NEW_PROCESS_GROUP
+                kwargs['shell'] = True
+
+        return super(WatchHelper, self)._create_process(**kwargs)
+
+
+# Register the cleanup handler.
+atexit.register(Process._cleanup)
diff --git a/jupyterlab_launcher/process_app.py b/jupyterlab_launcher/process_app.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a23137cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jupyterlab_launcher/process_app.py
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+# coding: utf-8
+"""A lab app that runs a sub process for a demo or a test."""
+
+from __future__ import print_function, absolute_import
+
+import sys
+
+from notebook.notebookapp import NotebookApp
+from tornado.ioloop import IOLoop
+from traitlets import Bool
+
+from .process import Process
+
+
+class ProcessApp(NotebookApp):
+    """A notebook app that runs a separate process and exits on completion."""
+
+    open_browser = Bool(False)
+
+    def get_command(self):
+        """Get the command and kwargs to run with `Process`.
+        This is intended to be overridden.
+        """
+        return ['python', '--version'], dict()
+
+    def start(self):
+        """Start the application.
+        """
+        IOLoop.current().add_callback(self._run_command)
+        NotebookApp.start(self)
+
+    def _run_command(self):
+        command, kwargs = self.get_command()
+        kwargs.setdefault('logger', self.log)
+        future = Process(command, **kwargs).wait_async()
+        IOLoop.current().add_future(future, self._process_finished)
+
+    def _process_finished(self, future):
+        try:
+            IOLoop.current().stop()
+            sys.exit(future.result())
+        except Exception as e:
+            self.log.error(str(e))
+            sys.exit(1)