diff --git a/gazebo_ros/scripts/debug b/gazebo_ros/scripts/debug
index e1326766c..375735f05 100755
--- a/gazebo_ros/scripts/debug
+++ b/gazebo_ros/scripts/debug
@@ -19,4 +19,4 @@ then
 fi
 
 setup_path=$(pkg-config --variable=prefix gazebo)/share/gazebo/
-. $setup_path/setup.sh && rosrun gazebo_ros gdbrun gzserver $final
+. $setup_path/setup.sh && exec rosrun gazebo_ros gdbrun gzserver $final
diff --git a/gazebo_ros/scripts/gazebo b/gazebo_ros/scripts/gazebo
index 883aeb48e..b701646ef 100755
--- a/gazebo_ros/scripts/gazebo
+++ b/gazebo_ros/scripts/gazebo
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ if $(kill -0 $! 2> /dev/null); then
 fi
 
 # Kill the server if it is alive
-if $(kill -0 $! 2> /dev/null); then
+if $(kill -0 $gzserver_pid 2> /dev/null); then
   # -2 SIGINT valid for Linux and Mac
-  kill -2 $!
+  kill -2 $gzserver_pid
 fi
diff --git a/gazebo_ros/scripts/gzclient b/gazebo_ros/scripts/gzclient
index 488eb1b79..ceed8cc78 100755
--- a/gazebo_ros/scripts/gzclient
+++ b/gazebo_ros/scripts/gzclient
@@ -17,12 +17,6 @@ then
     final="$final -g `catkin_find --first-only libgazebo_ros_paths_plugin.$EXT`"
 fi
 
-# add ros api plugin if it does not already exist in the passed in arguments
-if [ `expr "$final" : ".*libgazebo_ros_api_plugin\.$EXT.*"` -eq 0 ]
-then
-    final="$final -g `catkin_find --first-only libgazebo_ros_api_plugin.$EXT`"
-fi
-
 setup_path=$(pkg-config --variable=prefix gazebo)/share/gazebo/
 
 # source setup.sh, but keep local modifications to GAZEBO_MASTER_URI and GAZEBO_MODEL_DATABASE_URI
@@ -39,4 +33,4 @@ fi
 final=$(relocate_remappings "${final}")
 
 # Combine the commands
-GAZEBO_MASTER_URI="$desired_master_uri" GAZEBO_MODEL_DATABASE_URI="$desired_model_database_uri" gzclient $final
+GAZEBO_MASTER_URI="$desired_master_uri" GAZEBO_MODEL_DATABASE_URI="$desired_model_database_uri" exec gzclient $final
diff --git a/gazebo_ros/scripts/gzserver b/gazebo_ros/scripts/gzserver
index 16c3206b4..7b9a5ef6b 100755
--- a/gazebo_ros/scripts/gzserver
+++ b/gazebo_ros/scripts/gzserver
@@ -38,4 +38,4 @@ fi
 
 final=$(relocate_remappings "${final}")
 
-GAZEBO_MASTER_URI="$desired_master_uri" GAZEBO_MODEL_DATABASE_URI="$desired_model_database_uri" gzserver $final
+GAZEBO_MASTER_URI="$desired_master_uri" GAZEBO_MODEL_DATABASE_URI="$desired_model_database_uri" exec gzserver $final
diff --git a/gazebo_ros/scripts/perf b/gazebo_ros/scripts/perf
index 85b63b30f..c3f117483 100755
--- a/gazebo_ros/scripts/perf
+++ b/gazebo_ros/scripts/perf
@@ -18,4 +18,4 @@ then
 fi
 
 setup_path=$(pkg-config --variable=prefix gazebo)/share/gazebo/
-. $setup_path/setup.sh && /usr/bin/valgrind --tool=callgrind gzserver $final
+. $setup_path/setup.sh && exec /usr/bin/valgrind --tool=callgrind gzserver $final