diff --git a/libs/wlgen/wlgen/workload.py b/libs/wlgen/wlgen/workload.py
index 5cac6754490cecd81d976ae06c34e6100affcd7a..78cf8a64b5cabdeb25a304f330f79bca5d62cd41 100644
--- a/libs/wlgen/wlgen/workload.py
+++ b/libs/wlgen/wlgen/workload.py
@@ -226,7 +226,10 @@ class Workload(object):
         # Start task in background if required
         if background:
             logging.debug('%14s - WlGen [background]: %s', 'WlGen', self.command)
-            self.target.kick_off(self.command, as_root=as_root)
+            if cgroup:
+                self.target.kick_off(self.command, as_root=as_root)
+            else:
+                self.target.background(self.command, as_root=as_root)
             self.output['executor'] = ''
 
         # Start task in foreground