diff --git a/compiler/pash_compilation_server.py b/compiler/pash_compilation_server.py
index 9d7f6ad0a..65baeb2cb 100644
--- a/compiler/pash_compilation_server.py
+++ b/compiler/pash_compilation_server.py
@@ -379,6 +379,7 @@ def remove_process(self, process_id):
                 ]
             )
 
+        assert self.running_procs > 0
         self.running_procs -= 1
         if self.running_procs == 0:
             self.unsafe_running = False
diff --git a/compiler/pash_runtime.sh b/compiler/pash_runtime.sh
index 4bdd0c8a9..e3699ecde 100755
--- a/compiler/pash_runtime.sh
+++ b/compiler/pash_runtime.sh
@@ -141,7 +141,9 @@ else
         pash_redir_output echo "$$: (5) BaSh script exited with ec: $pash_runtime_final_status"
     else 
         function run_parallel() {
-            trap inform_daemon_exit SIGTERM SIGINT EXIT
+            # ideally we'd call inform_daemon_exit with the EXIT handler,
+            # but it isn't called on Ubuntu 20.04 (for no clear reason)
+            trap inform_daemon_exit SIGTERM SIGINT
             export SCRIPT_TO_EXECUTE="$pash_script_to_execute"
             source "$RUNTIME_DIR/pash_restore_state_and_execute.sh"
             inform_daemon_exit