diff --git a/src/buffer_manager.cc b/src/buffer_manager.cc
index d4e88b6c..30056525 100644
--- a/src/buffer_manager.cc
+++ b/src/buffer_manager.cc
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ BufferManager::~BufferManager()
 
     // Make sure not clients exists
     if (ClientManager::has_instance())
-        ClientManager::instance().clear();
+        ClientManager::instance().clear(true);
 }
 
 Buffer* BufferManager::create_buffer(String name, Buffer::Flags flags,
diff --git a/src/client_manager.cc b/src/client_manager.cc
index 9dd32df5..ca32678f 100644
--- a/src/client_manager.cc
+++ b/src/client_manager.cc
@@ -14,13 +14,18 @@ namespace Kakoune
 ClientManager::ClientManager() = default;
 ClientManager::~ClientManager()
 {
-    clear();
+    clear(true);
 }
 
-void ClientManager::clear()
+void ClientManager::clear(bool disconnect_clients)
 {
-    while (not m_clients.empty())
-        remove_client(*m_clients.front(), true, 0);
+    if (disconnect_clients)
+    {
+        while (not m_clients.empty())
+            remove_client(*m_clients.front(), true, 0);
+    }
+    else
+        m_clients.clear();
     m_client_trash.clear();
 
     for (auto& window : m_free_windows)
diff --git a/src/client_manager.hh b/src/client_manager.hh
index 104d2124..7d92ed7e 100644
--- a/src/client_manager.hh
+++ b/src/client_manager.hh
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ public:
     bool   empty() const { return m_clients.empty(); }
     size_t count() const { return m_clients.size(); }
 
-    void clear();
+    void clear(bool exit);
 
     void ensure_no_client_uses_buffer(Buffer& buffer);
 
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index 6b533003..d115ef2f 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -801,6 +801,7 @@ int run_server(StringView session, StringView server_init,
 
                 if (fork_server_to_background())
                 {
+                    ClientManager::instance().clear(false);
                     String session = server.session();
                     server.close_session(false);
                     throw convert_to_client_mode{ std::move(session), std::move(client_name), std::move(buffer_name), std::move(selections) };