diff --git a/lib/core-net/private-lib-core-net.h b/lib/core-net/private-lib-core-net.h
index 559d1aca0..0f77b0918 100644
--- a/lib/core-net/private-lib-core-net.h
+++ b/lib/core-net/private-lib-core-net.h
@@ -914,6 +914,7 @@ struct lws_spawn_piped {
 
 	siginfo_t			si;
 #endif
+	int				reap_retry_budget;
 
 	uint8_t				pipes_alive:2;
 	uint8_t				we_killed_him_timeout:1;
diff --git a/lib/plat/unix/unix-spawn.c b/lib/plat/unix/unix-spawn.c
index b19605784..76382070b 100644
--- a/lib/plat/unix/unix-spawn.c
+++ b/lib/plat/unix/unix-spawn.c
@@ -46,8 +46,20 @@ lws_spawn_sul_reap(struct lws_sorted_usec_list *sul)
 	struct lws_spawn_piped *lsp = lws_container_of(sul,
 					struct lws_spawn_piped, sul_reap);
 
-	lwsl_warn("%s: reaping spawn after last stdpipe closed\n", __func__);
-	lws_spawn_reap(lsp);
+	lwsl_notice("%s: reaping spawn after last stdpipe, tries left %d\n",
+		    __func__, lsp->reap_retry_budget);
+	if (!lws_spawn_reap(lsp) && !lsp->pipes_alive) {
+		if (--lsp->reap_retry_budget) {
+			lws_sul_schedule(lsp->info.vh->context, lsp->info.tsi,
+					 &lsp->sul_reap, lws_spawn_sul_reap,
+					 250 * LWS_US_PER_MS);
+		} else {
+			lwsl_err("%s: Unable to reap lsp %p, killing\n",
+				 __func__, lsp);
+			lsp->reap_retry_budget = 20;
+			lws_spawn_piped_kill_child_process(lsp);
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 static struct lws *
@@ -314,6 +326,7 @@ lws_spawn_piped(const struct lws_spawn_piped_info *i)
 
 	/* wholesale take a copy of info */
 	lsp->info = *i;
+	lsp->reap_retry_budget = 20;
 
 	/*
 	 * Prepare the stdin / out / err pipes
diff --git a/lib/plat/windows/windows-spawn.c b/lib/plat/windows/windows-spawn.c
index 73487231e..084691c34 100644
--- a/lib/plat/windows/windows-spawn.c
+++ b/lib/plat/windows/windows-spawn.c
@@ -45,8 +45,20 @@ lws_spawn_sul_reap(struct lws_sorted_usec_list *sul)
 	struct lws_spawn_piped *lsp = lws_container_of(sul,
 					struct lws_spawn_piped, sul_reap);
 
-	lwsl_warn("%s: reaping spawn after last stdpipe closed\n", __func__);
-	lws_spawn_reap(lsp);
+	lwsl_notice("%s: reaping spawn after last stdpipe, tries left %d\n",
+		    __func__, lsp->reap_retry_budget);
+	if (!lws_spawn_reap(lsp) && !lsp->pipes_alive) {
+		if (--lsp->reap_retry_budget) {
+			lws_sul_schedule(lsp->info.vh->context, lsp->info.tsi,
+					 &lsp->sul_reap, lws_spawn_sul_reap,
+					 250 * LWS_US_PER_MS);
+		} else {
+			lwsl_err("%s: Unable to reap lsp %p, killing\n",
+				 __func__, lsp);
+			lsp->reap_retry_budget = 20;
+			lws_spawn_piped_kill_child_process(lsp);
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 static struct lws *
@@ -355,6 +367,7 @@ lws_spawn_piped(const struct lws_spawn_piped_info *i)
 	/* wholesale take a copy of info */
 	lsp->info = *i;
 	lsp->context = context;
+	lsp->reap_retry_budget = 20;
 
 	/*
 	 * Prepare the stdin / out / err pipes