diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.dstore/miners/org/eclipse/rse/internal/dstore/universal/miners/command/CommandMinerThread.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.dstore/miners/org/eclipse/rse/internal/dstore/universal/miners/command/CommandMinerThread.java
index 72197b8d067..84fd4148ca4 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.dstore/miners/org/eclipse/rse/internal/dstore/universal/miners/command/CommandMinerThread.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.dstore/miners/org/eclipse/rse/internal/dstore/universal/miners/command/CommandMinerThread.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
  *  Noriaki Takatsu (IBM)  - [220126] [dstore][api][breaking] Single process server for multiple clients
  *  David McKnight     (IBM)   [224906] [dstore] changes for getting properties and doing exit due to single-process capability
  *  David McKnight     (IBM)   [250203] [dstore][shells]%var% is substituted to null in Unix shell
+ *  David McKnight     (IBM)   [249715] [dstore][shells] Unix shell does not echo command
  *******************************************************************************/
 
 package org.eclipse.rse.internal.dstore.universal.miners.command;
@@ -613,6 +614,9 @@ public class CommandMinerThread extends MinerThread
 				writer.newLine();
 				writer.flush();
 				
+				// for bug 249715 - keeping track of time of last input
+				// in order know when to stop waiting for output
+				_stdOutputHandler.setTimeOfLastInput(System.currentTimeMillis());
 
 				if (!_isWindows && (input.startsWith("cd ") || input.equals("cd"))) //$NON-NLS-1$ //$NON-NLS-2$
 				{
diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.dstore/miners/org/eclipse/rse/internal/dstore/universal/miners/command/OutputHandler.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.dstore/miners/org/eclipse/rse/internal/dstore/universal/miners/command/OutputHandler.java
index c289a0c86b5..efbd69186d8 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.dstore/miners/org/eclipse/rse/internal/dstore/universal/miners/command/OutputHandler.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.dstore/miners/org/eclipse/rse/internal/dstore/universal/miners/command/OutputHandler.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
  * Contributors:
  * David McKnight   (IBM)        - [207178] changing list APIs for file service and subsystems
  * David McKnight   (IBM)        - [243699] [dstore] Loop in OutputHandler
+ * David McKnight     (IBM)   [249715] [dstore][shells] Unix shell does not echo command
  *******************************************************************************/
 
 package org.eclipse.rse.internal.dstore.universal.miners.command;
@@ -53,6 +54,9 @@ public class OutputHandler extends Handler {
 	private boolean _endOfStream = false;
 
 	private List _encodings;
+	
+	// for bug 249715
+	private long _timeOfLastInput = 0;
 
 	public OutputHandler(DataInputStream reader, String qualifier,
 			boolean isTerminal, boolean isStdError, boolean isShell,
@@ -83,6 +87,9 @@ public class OutputHandler extends Handler {
 
 	}
 
+	public void setTimeOfLastInput(long time){
+		_timeOfLastInput = time;
+	}
 
 
 	public void handle() {
@@ -99,8 +106,9 @@ public class OutputHandler extends Handler {
 				_commandThread.interpretLine(line, _isStdError);
 			}
 
-			if (!_isTerminal)
+			if (!_isTerminal){
 				doPrompt();
+			}
 
 			_commandThread.refreshStatus();
 		} else {
@@ -113,12 +121,11 @@ public class OutputHandler extends Handler {
 			if ((_reader.available() == 0) && !_isStdError && _isShell) {
 				if (!_isTerminal) {
 					try {
-						Thread.sleep(500);
+						Thread.sleep(200);
 						if (_reader.available() == 0) {
 							// create fake prompt
-							_commandThread.createPrompt(
-									_commandThread.getCWD() + '>',
-									_commandThread.getCWD());
+							String cwd = _commandThread.getCWD();
+							_commandThread.createPrompt(cwd + '>', cwd);							
 						}
 					} catch (Exception e) {
 					}
@@ -161,13 +168,28 @@ public class OutputHandler extends Handler {
 
 			int lookahead = 0;
 
-			// redetermine available if none available now
+			// re-determine available if none available now
 			if (available == 0) {
-				lookahead = _reader.read();
-				if (lookahead == -1) {
-					return null;
-				} else {
-					available = _reader.available() + 1;
+				
+				if (!_isStdError && !_isTerminal){
+					long lastInput = _timeOfLastInput;
+					while (lastInput == _timeOfLastInput && _keepRunning){	// once there's something new, we can stop waiting
+						Thread.sleep(500); // wait in case there is something
+					}
+					// it's possible that there is no output for something
+					// in the non-TTY case we need to prompt									
+					available = checkAvailable();
+					if (available == 0){
+						return new String[0];
+					}
+				}
+				else {
+					lookahead = _reader.read();
+					if (lookahead == -1) {
+						return null;
+					} else {
+						available = _reader.available() + 1;
+					}
 				}
 			}
 
@@ -203,7 +225,7 @@ public class OutputHandler extends Handler {
 				try {
 					String fullOutput = new String(readBytes, 0, numRead,
 							encoding);
-
+					
 					// if output is not null, we assume the encoding was correct
 					// and process the output
 					if (fullOutput != null) {