diff --git a/compat/mingw.c b/compat/mingw.c
index 0b86861a96..df4e2d8957 100644
--- a/compat/mingw.c
+++ b/compat/mingw.c
@@ -1528,39 +1528,6 @@ struct pinfo_t {
 static struct pinfo_t *pinfo = NULL;
 CRITICAL_SECTION pinfo_cs;
 
-#ifndef SIGRTMAX
-#define SIGRTMAX 63
-#endif
-
-static void kill_child_processes_on_signal(void)
-{
-	DWORD status;
-
-	/*
-	 * Only continue if the process was terminated by a signal, as
-	 * indicated by the exit status (128 + sig_no).
-	 *
-	 * As we are running in an atexit() handler, the exit code has been
-	 * set at this stage by the ExitProcess() function already.
-	 */
-	if (!GetExitCodeProcess(GetCurrentProcess(), &status) ||
-	    status <= 128 || status > 128 + SIGRTMAX)
-		return;
-
-	EnterCriticalSection(&pinfo_cs);
-
-	while (pinfo) {
-		struct pinfo_t *info = pinfo;
-		pinfo = pinfo->next;
-		if (exit_process(info->proc, status))
-			/* the handle is still valid in case of error */
-			CloseHandle(info->proc);
-		free(info);
-	}
-
-	LeaveCriticalSection(&pinfo_cs);
-}
-
 static int is_msys2_sh(const char *cmd)
 {
 	if (cmd && !strcmp(cmd, "sh")) {
@@ -1593,7 +1560,7 @@ static pid_t mingw_spawnve_fd(const char *cmd, const char **argv, char **deltaen
 			      const char *dir, const char *prepend_cmd,
 			      int fhin, int fhout, int fherr)
 {
-	static int atexit_handler_initialized, restrict_handle_inheritance = 1;
+	static int restrict_handle_inheritance = 1;
 	STARTUPINFOEXW si;
 	PROCESS_INFORMATION pi;
 	LPPROC_THREAD_ATTRIBUTE_LIST attr_list = NULL;
@@ -1609,17 +1576,6 @@ static pid_t mingw_spawnve_fd(const char *cmd, const char **argv, char **deltaen
 	const char *(*quote_arg)(const char *arg) =
 		is_msys2_sh(*argv) ? quote_arg_msys2 : quote_arg_msvc;
 
-	if (!atexit_handler_initialized) {
-		atexit_handler_initialized = 1;
-		/*
-		 * On Windows, there is no POSIX signaling. Instead, we inject
-		 * a thread calling ExitProcess(128 + sig_no); and that calls
-		 * the *atexit* handlers. Catch this condition and kill child
-		 * processes with the same signal.
-		 */
-		atexit(kill_child_processes_on_signal);
-	}
-
 	do_unset_environment_variables();
 
 	/* Determine whether or not we are associated to a console */