diff --git a/src/js/client.js b/src/js/client.js
index 16cd8f2ea..3fd7ea8b6 100644
--- a/src/js/client.js
+++ b/src/js/client.js
@@ -786,6 +786,15 @@ angular.module('Application').service('Client', ['$http', '$interval', '$timeout
         });
     };
 
+    Client.prototype.createExec = function (id, options, callback) {
+        post('/api/v1/apps/' + id + '/exec', options, null, function (error, data, status) {
+            if (error) return callback(error);
+            if (status !== 200) return callback(new ClientError(status, data));
+
+            callback(null, data.id);
+        });
+    };
+
     Client.prototype.version = function (callback) {
         get('/api/v1/cloudron/status', null, function (error, data, status) {
             if (error) return callback(error);
diff --git a/src/js/terminal.js b/src/js/terminal.js
index f0df7983c..ba90e07e2 100644
--- a/src/js/terminal.js
+++ b/src/js/terminal.js
@@ -146,24 +146,30 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('TerminalController', ['$scope', '$tran
         });
     };
 
-    function createTerminalSocket() {
-        try {
-            // websocket cannot use relative urls
-            var cmd = JSON.stringify([ '/bin/bash' ]);
-            var url = Client.apiOrigin.replace('https', 'wss') + '/api/v1/apps/' + $scope.selected.value + '/execws?tty=true&rows=' + $scope.terminal.rows + '&columns=' + $scope.terminal.cols + '&access_token=' + Client.getToken() + '&cmd=' + cmd;
-            $scope.terminalSocket = new WebSocket(url);
-            $scope.terminal.loadAddon(new AttachAddon.AttachAddon($scope.terminalSocket));
+    function createTerminalSocket(callback) {
+        var appId = $scope.selected.value;
 
-            $scope.terminalSocket.onclose = function () {
-                // retry in one second
-                $scope.terminalReconnectTimeout = setTimeout(function () {
-                    showTerminal(true);
-                }, 1000);
-            };
+        Client.createExec(appId, { cmd: [ '/bin/bash' ], tty: true }, function (error, execId) {
+            if (error) return callback(error);
 
-        } catch (e) {
-            console.error(e);
-        }
+            try {
+                // websocket cannot use relative urls
+                var url = Client.apiOrigin.replace('https', 'wss') + '/api/v1/apps/' + appId + '/exec/' + execId + '/startws?tty=true&rows=' + $scope.terminal.rows + '&columns=' + $scope.terminal.cols + '&access_token=' + Client.getToken();
+                $scope.terminalSocket = new WebSocket(url);
+                $scope.terminal.loadAddon(new AttachAddon.AttachAddon($scope.terminalSocket));
+
+                $scope.terminalSocket.onclose = function () {
+                    // retry in one second
+                    $scope.terminalReconnectTimeout = setTimeout(function () {
+                        showTerminal(true);
+                    }, 1000);
+                };
+
+                callback();
+            } catch (e) {
+                callback(e);
+            }
+        });
     }
 
     function refreshApp(id, callback) {
@@ -220,7 +226,7 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('TerminalController', ['$scope', '$tran
                 $scope.fitAddon.fit();
 
                 // create exec container after we fit() since we cannot resize exec container post-creation
-                createTerminalSocket();
+                createTerminalSocket(function (error) { if (error) console.error(error); });
 
                 $scope.terminal.focus();
             }, 1000);
@@ -364,7 +370,7 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('TerminalController', ['$scope', '$tran
     // setup all the dialog focus handling
     ['downloadFileModal'].forEach(function (id) {
         $('#' + id).on('shown.bs.modal', function () {
-            $(this).find("[autofocus]:first").focus();
+            $(this).find('[autofocus]:first').focus();
         });
     });
 }]);