diff --git a/src/exec.c b/src/exec.c
index e49bde202..606a98396 100644
--- a/src/exec.c
+++ b/src/exec.c
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: ISC
  *
- * Copyright (c) 2009-2017 Todd C. Miller <Todd.Miller@sudo.ws>
+ * Copyright (c) 2009-2020 Todd C. Miller <Todd.Miller@sudo.ws>
  *
  * Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any
  * purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above
@@ -333,6 +333,30 @@ sudo_needs_pty(struct command_details *details)
     return false;
 }
 
+/*
+ * If we are not running the command in a pty, we were not invoked as
+ * sudoedit, there is no command timeout and there is no close function,
+ * sudo can exec the command directly (and not wait).
+ */
+static bool
+direct_exec_allowed(struct command_details *details)
+{
+    struct plugin_container *plugin;
+    debug_decl(direct_exec_allowed, SUDO_DEBUG_EXEC);
+
+    /* Assumes sudo_needs_pty() was already checked. */
+    if (ISSET(details->flags, CD_SET_TIMEOUT|CD_SUDOEDIT) ||
+	    policy_plugin.u.policy->close != NULL)
+	debug_return_bool(false);
+
+    TAILQ_FOREACH(plugin, &audit_plugins, entries) {
+	if (plugin->u.audit->close != NULL)
+	    debug_return_bool(false);
+    }
+
+    debug_return_bool(true);
+}
+
 /*
  * Execute a command, potentially in a pty with I/O logging, and
  * wait for it to finish.
@@ -380,12 +404,10 @@ sudo_execute(struct command_details *details, struct command_status *cstat)
     }
 
     /*
-     * If we are not running the command in a pty, we were not invoked
-     * as sudoedit, there is no command timeout and there is no close
-     * function, just exec directly.  Only returns on error.
+     * If we are not running the command in a pty, we may be able to
+     * exec directly, depending on the plugins used.
      */
-    if (!ISSET(details->flags, CD_SET_TIMEOUT|CD_SUDOEDIT) &&
-	policy_plugin.u.policy->close == NULL) {
+    if (direct_exec_allowed(details)) {
 	if (!sudo_terminated(cstat)) {
 	    exec_cmnd(details, -1);
 	    cstat->type = CMD_ERRNO;