diff --git a/LibOS/shim/include/shim_defs.h b/LibOS/shim/include/shim_defs.h
index 4d11cff7..664c6254 100644
--- a/LibOS/shim/include/shim_defs.h
+++ b/LibOS/shim/include/shim_defs.h
@@ -47,8 +47,6 @@
 
 #define CP_INIT_VMA_SIZE            (64 * 1024 * 1024)  /* 64MB */
 
-#define EXECVE_RTLD                 1
-
 #define ENABLE_ASLR                 1
 
 /* debug message printout */
diff --git a/LibOS/shim/src/sys/shim_exec.c b/LibOS/shim/src/sys/shim_exec.c
index 290f28ce..67b5571e 100644
--- a/LibOS/shim/src/sys/shim_exec.c
+++ b/LibOS/shim/src/sys/shim_exec.c
@@ -38,6 +38,31 @@
 #include <sys/mman.h>
 #include <asm/prctl.h>
 
+/* returns 0 if normalized URIs are the same; assumes file URIs */
+static int normalize_and_cmp_uris(const char* uri1, const char* uri2) {
+    char norm1[STR_SIZE];
+    char norm2[STR_SIZE];
+    size_t len;
+    int ret;
+
+    if (!strstartswith_static(uri1, "file:") || !strstartswith_static(uri2, "file:"))
+        return -1;
+
+    uri1 += static_strlen("file:");
+    len = sizeof(norm1);
+    ret = get_norm_path(uri1, norm1, &len);
+    if (ret < 0)
+        return ret;
+
+    uri2 += static_strlen("file:");
+    len = sizeof(norm2);
+    ret = get_norm_path(uri2, norm2, &len);
+    if (ret < 0)
+        return ret;
+
+    return memcmp(norm1, norm2, len + 1);
+}
+
 static int close_on_exec (struct shim_fd_handle * fd_hdl,
                           struct shim_handle_map * map)
 {
@@ -451,16 +476,23 @@ err:
 
     SAVE_PROFILE_INTERVAL(open_file_for_exec);
 
-#if EXECVE_RTLD == 1
-    if (strcmp_static(PAL_CB(host_type), "Linux-SGX")) {
-        int is_last = check_last_thread(cur_thread) == 0;
-        if (is_last) {
-            debug("execve() in the same process\n");
-            return shim_do_execve_rtld(exec, argv, envp);
+    bool use_same_process = check_last_thread(cur_thread) == 0;
+    if (use_same_process && !strcmp_static(PAL_CB(host_type), "Linux-SGX")) {
+        /* for SGX PALs, can use same process only if it is the same executable (because a
+         * different executable has a different measurement and thus requires a new enclave);
+         * this special case is to correctly handle e.g. Bash process replacing itself */
+        assert(cur_thread->exec);
+        if (normalize_and_cmp_uris(qstrgetstr(&cur_thread->exec->uri), qstrgetstr(&exec->uri))) {
+            /* it is not the same executable, definitely cannot use same process */
+            use_same_process = false;
         }
-        debug("execve() in a new process\n");
     }
-#endif
+
+    if (use_same_process) {
+        debug("execve() in the same process\n");
+        return shim_do_execve_rtld(exec, argv, envp);
+    }
+    debug("execve() in a new process\n");
 
     INC_PROFILE_OCCURENCE(syscall_use_ipc);
 
diff --git a/LibOS/shim/test/regression/exec_same.c b/LibOS/shim/test/regression/exec_same.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ee40bfab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LibOS/shim/test/regression/exec_same.c
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv, char** envp) {
+    if (argc > 1) {
+        puts(argv[1]);
+        return 0;
+    }
+    char* const new_argv[] = {argv[0], "hello from execv process", NULL};
+    execv(new_argv[0], new_argv);
+
+    /* must never reach this */
+    return 1;
+}
diff --git a/LibOS/shim/test/regression/test_libos.py b/LibOS/shim/test/regression/test_libos.py
index 31b0bb63..b80acdc7 100644
--- a/LibOS/shim/test/regression/test_libos.py
+++ b/LibOS/shim/test/regression/test_libos.py
@@ -85,14 +85,18 @@ class TC_01_Bootstrap(RegressionTestCase):
             '000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ',
             stdout)
 
-    def test_201_fork_and_exec(self):
+    def test_201_exec_same(self):
+        stdout, stderr = self.run_binary(['exec_same'])
+        self.assertIn('hello from execv process', stdout)
+
+    def test_202_fork_and_exec(self):
         stdout, stderr = self.run_binary(['fork_and_exec'])
 
         # fork and exec 2 page child binary
         self.assertIn('child exited with status: 0', stdout)
         self.assertIn('test completed successfully', stdout)
 
-    def test_202_vfork_and_exec(self):
+    def test_203_vfork_and_exec(self):
         stdout, stderr = self.run_binary(['vfork_and_exec'])
 
         # vfork and exec 2 page child binary