diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs
index 2f4e4d8634..166146aec5 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ pub fn create_default_context(cwd: impl AsRef<Path>) -> EngineState {
         // System
         bind_command! {
             Benchmark,
+            Exec,
             External,
             Ps,
             Sys,
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/system/exec.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/system/exec.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..56b0a71f55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/system/exec.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+use nu_protocol::{
+    ast::Call,
+    engine::{Command, EngineState, Stack},
+    Category, Example, PipelineData, ShellError, Signature, SyntaxShape,
+};
+
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub struct Exec;
+
+impl Command for Exec {
+    fn name(&self) -> &str {
+        "exec"
+    }
+
+    fn signature(&self) -> Signature {
+        Signature::build("exec")
+            .required("command", SyntaxShape::String, "the command to execute")
+            .rest(
+                "rest",
+                SyntaxShape::String,
+                "any additional arguments for the command",
+            )
+            .category(Category::System)
+    }
+
+    fn usage(&self) -> &str {
+        "Execute a command, replacing the current process."
+    }
+
+    fn extra_usage(&self) -> &str {
+        "Currently supported only on Unix-based systems."
+    }
+
+    fn run(
+        &self,
+        engine_state: &EngineState,
+        stack: &mut Stack,
+        call: &Call,
+        _input: PipelineData,
+    ) -> Result<nu_protocol::PipelineData, nu_protocol::ShellError> {
+        exec(engine_state, stack, call)
+    }
+
+    fn examples(&self) -> Vec<Example> {
+        vec![
+            Example {
+                description: "Execute external 'ps aux' tool",
+                example: "exec ps aux",
+                result: None,
+            },
+            Example {
+                description: "Execute 'nautilus'",
+                example: "exec nautilus",
+                result: None,
+            },
+        ]
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(unix)]
+fn exec(
+    engine_state: &EngineState,
+    stack: &mut Stack,
+    call: &Call,
+) -> Result<nu_protocol::PipelineData, nu_protocol::ShellError> {
+    use std::os::unix::process::CommandExt;
+
+    use nu_engine::{current_dir, env_to_strings, CallExt};
+    use nu_protocol::Spanned;
+
+    use super::run_external::ExternalCommand;
+
+    let name: Spanned<String> = call.req(engine_state, stack, 0)?;
+    let name_span = name.span;
+
+    let args: Vec<Spanned<String>> = call.rest(engine_state, stack, 1)?;
+
+    let cwd = current_dir(engine_state, stack)?;
+    let config = stack.get_config()?;
+    let env_vars = env_to_strings(engine_state, stack, &config)?;
+    let current_dir = current_dir(engine_state, stack)?;
+
+    let external_command = ExternalCommand {
+        name,
+        args,
+        env_vars,
+        last_expression: true,
+    };
+
+    let mut command = external_command.spawn_simple_command(&cwd.to_string_lossy().to_string())?;
+    command.current_dir(current_dir);
+
+    println!("{:#?}", command);
+    let err = command.exec(); // this replaces our process, should not return
+
+    Err(ShellError::SpannedLabeledError(
+        "Error on exec".to_string(),
+        err.to_string(),
+        name_span,
+    ))
+}
+
+#[cfg(not(unix))]
+fn exec(
+    _engine_state: &EngineState,
+    _stack: &mut Stack,
+    call: &Call,
+) -> Result<nu_protocol::PipelineData, nu_protocol::ShellError> {
+    Err(ShellError::SpannedLabeledError(
+        "Error on exec".to_string(),
+        "exec is not supported on your platform".to_string(),
+        call.head,
+    ))
+}
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/system/mod.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/system/mod.rs
index 3225ddde7b..76572089fb 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/system/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/system/mod.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 mod benchmark;
+mod exec;
 mod ps;
 mod run_external;
 mod sys;
 mod which_;
 
 pub use benchmark::Benchmark;
+pub use exec::Exec;
 pub use ps::Ps;
 pub use run_external::{External, ExternalCommand};
 pub use sys::Sys;
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs
index acbc3d3f8e..9a62895712 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/system/run_external.rs
@@ -95,21 +95,19 @@ impl Command for External {
             args: args_strs,
             last_expression,
             env_vars: env_vars_str,
-            call,
         };
         command.run_with_input(engine_state, input, config)
     }
 }
 
-pub struct ExternalCommand<'call> {
+pub struct ExternalCommand {
     pub name: Spanned<String>,
     pub args: Vec<Spanned<String>>,
     pub last_expression: bool,
     pub env_vars: HashMap<String, String>,
-    pub call: &'call Call,
 }
 
-impl<'call> ExternalCommand<'call> {
+impl ExternalCommand {
     pub fn run_with_input(
         &self,
         engine_state: &EngineState,
@@ -275,7 +273,7 @@ impl<'call> ExternalCommand<'call> {
     }
 
     /// Spawn a command without shelling out to an external shell
-    fn spawn_simple_command(&self, cwd: &str) -> Result<std::process::Command, ShellError> {
+    pub fn spawn_simple_command(&self, cwd: &str) -> Result<std::process::Command, ShellError> {
         let head = trim_enclosing_quotes(&self.name.item);
         let head = if head.starts_with('~') || head.starts_with("..") {
             nu_path::expand_path_with(head, cwd)
@@ -397,7 +395,7 @@ impl<'call> ExternalCommand<'call> {
     }
 
     /// Spawn a cmd command with `cmd /c args...`
-    fn spawn_cmd_command(&self) -> std::process::Command {
+    pub fn spawn_cmd_command(&self) -> std::process::Command {
         let mut process = std::process::Command::new("cmd");
         process.arg("/c");
         process.arg(&self.name.item);
@@ -412,7 +410,7 @@ impl<'call> ExternalCommand<'call> {
     }
 
     /// Spawn a sh command with `sh -c args...`
-    fn spawn_sh_command(&self) -> std::process::Command {
+    pub fn spawn_sh_command(&self) -> std::process::Command {
         let joined_and_escaped_arguments = self
             .args
             .iter()