diff --git a/src/pty.rs b/src/pty.rs
index cdcacad..07dd195 100644
--- a/src/pty.rs
+++ b/src/pty.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use nix::pty::{openpty, OpenptyResult};
-use nix::unistd::{fork, ForkResult, Pid};
-use std::os::unix::io::{IntoRawFd, OwnedFd};
+use nix::unistd::{execvp, fork, ForkResult, Pid};
+use std::ffi::{CStr, CString};
+use std::os::unix::io::{AsRawFd, IntoRawFd, OwnedFd};
 
 use crate::error::{Error, Result};
 
@@ -9,14 +10,44 @@ pub struct PtySpawner {
     pub child_pid: Pid,
 }
 
+/// Read the window size from `fd`, falling back to 80×24 if it is not a tty.
+fn get_winsize(fd: i32) -> libc::winsize {
+    let mut ws = libc::winsize {
+        ws_row: 24,
+        ws_col: 80,
+        ws_xpixel: 0,
+        ws_ypixel: 0,
+    };
+    // SAFETY: TIOCGWINSZ is a read ioctl; `ws` lives on the stack for its duration.
+    unsafe {
+        libc::ioctl(fd, libc::TIOCGWINSZ, &mut ws);
+    }
+    if ws.ws_row == 0 {
+        ws.ws_row = 24;
+    }
+    if ws.ws_col == 0 {
+        ws.ws_col = 80;
+    }
+    ws
+}
+
 impl PtySpawner {
-    /// Open a PTY pair, fork, and call `login_tty` on the child so it becomes
-    /// the controlling terminal session leader. The child exits immediately
-    /// after login_tty. No exec is performed — that is deferred to a later phase.
-    pub fn spawn() -> Result<Self> {
+    /// Open a PTY pair, fork, set the PTY window size, call `login_tty` in the
+    /// child to make the slave the controlling terminal, then `execvp` `cmd`.
+    ///
+    /// `args` contains only the arguments to the program — not argv\[0\].
+    /// argv\[0\] is set to `cmd` internally.
+    pub fn spawn(cmd: &CStr, args: &[CString]) -> Result<Self> {
         let OpenptyResult { master, slave } = openpty(None, None)
             .map_err(|e| Error::Internal(anyhow::anyhow!("openpty failed: {e}")))?;
 
+        // Mirror the controlling terminal's window size onto the PTY, or default 80×24.
+        let ws = get_winsize(libc::STDIN_FILENO);
+        // SAFETY: master is a valid PTY master fd; TIOCSWINSZ is a write ioctl.
+        unsafe {
+            libc::ioctl(master.as_raw_fd(), libc::TIOCSWINSZ, &ws);
+        }
+
         // SAFETY: fork is async-signal-safe; no threads exist at this point in
         // the single-threaded call path.
         let fork_result = unsafe { fork() }
@@ -32,11 +63,19 @@ impl PtySpawner {
             }
             ForkResult::Child => {
                 drop(master);
-                // login_tty(3): setsid, make slave the ctty, dup to stdio, close slave.
                 let slave_fd = slave.into_raw_fd();
-                // SAFETY: in child immediately after fork, single-threaded.
-                unsafe { libc::login_tty(slave_fd) };
-                std::process::exit(0);
+                // login_tty(3): setsid, make slave the ctty, dup2 to stdio, close slave.
+                // SAFETY: child is single-threaded immediately after fork.
+                if unsafe { libc::login_tty(slave_fd) } != 0 {
+                    unsafe { libc::_exit(127) };
+                }
+                // Build full argv: [cmd, args...].
+                let mut argv: Vec<&CStr> = Vec::with_capacity(args.len() + 1);
+                argv.push(cmd);
+                argv.extend(args.iter().map(CString::as_c_str));
+                // execvp replaces the process image; it only returns on error.
+                let _ = execvp(cmd, &argv);
+                unsafe { libc::_exit(127) };
             }
         }
     }
@@ -48,8 +87,9 @@ mod tests {
     use nix::sys::wait::{waitpid, WaitStatus};
 
     #[test]
-    fn fork_and_login_tty_does_not_panic() {
-        let spawner = PtySpawner::spawn().expect("PtySpawner::spawn should succeed");
+    fn spawn_bin_true_exits_zero() {
+        let cmd = CString::new("/bin/true").unwrap();
+        let spawner = PtySpawner::spawn(&cmd, &[]).expect("PtySpawner::spawn should succeed");
 
         let status = waitpid(spawner.child_pid, None).expect("waitpid should succeed");
         match status {