diff --git a/lib/child_process.js b/lib/child_process.js
index b21898d607..78d9a96250 100644
--- a/lib/child_process.js
+++ b/lib/child_process.js
@@ -62,15 +62,8 @@ exports.execFile = function (file /* args, options, callback */) {
   var stderr = "";
   var killed = false;
 
-  function kill(){
-    if (killed) return;
-    try {
-      child.kill(options.killSignal);
-    } catch (err) {
-      if ("No such process" !== err.message) {
-        throw err;
-      }
-    }
+  function kill () {
+    child.kill(options.killSignal);
     killed = true;
   }
 
@@ -167,10 +160,12 @@ util.inherits(ChildProcess, EventEmitter);
 
 
 ChildProcess.prototype.kill = function (sig) {
-  if (!constants) constants = process.binding("constants");
-  sig = sig || 'SIGTERM';
-  if (!constants[sig]) throw new Error("Unknown signal: " + sig);
-  return this._internal.kill(constants[sig]);
+  if (this._internal.pid) {
+    if (!constants) constants = process.binding("constants");
+    sig = sig || 'SIGTERM';
+    if (!constants[sig]) throw new Error("Unknown signal: " + sig);
+    return this._internal.kill(constants[sig]);
+  }
 };