diff --git a/src/unix/core.c b/src/unix/core.c
index b7f7c25f..9aaca841 100644
--- a/src/unix/core.c
+++ b/src/unix/core.c
@@ -498,12 +498,11 @@ skip:
 }
 
 
-int uv__close(int fd) {
+int uv__close_nocheckstdio(int fd) {
   int saved_errno;
   int rc;
 
   assert(fd > -1);  /* Catch uninitialized io_watcher.fd bugs. */
-  assert(fd > STDERR_FILENO);  /* Catch stdio close bugs. */
 
   saved_errno = errno;
   rc = close(fd);
@@ -518,6 +517,12 @@ int uv__close(int fd) {
 }
 
 
+int uv__close(int fd) {
+  assert(fd > STDERR_FILENO);  /* Catch stdio close bugs. */
+  return uv__close_nocheckstdio(fd);
+}
+
+
 #if defined(__linux__) || defined(__FreeBSD__) || defined(__APPLE__) || \
     defined(_AIX) || defined(__DragonFly__)
 
diff --git a/src/unix/internal.h b/src/unix/internal.h
index 328c6632..938e76f1 100644
--- a/src/unix/internal.h
+++ b/src/unix/internal.h
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ struct uv__stream_queued_fds_s {
 /* core */
 int uv__nonblock(int fd, int set);
 int uv__close(int fd);
+int uv__close_nocheckstdio(int fd);
 int uv__cloexec(int fd, int set);
 int uv__socket(int domain, int type, int protocol);
 int uv__dup(int fd);
diff --git a/src/unix/process.c b/src/unix/process.c
index 571f8cd7..02468e6e 100644
--- a/src/unix/process.c
+++ b/src/unix/process.c
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ int uv_spawn(uv_loop_t* loop,
   } else
     abort();
 
-  uv__close(signal_pipe[0]);
+  uv__close_nocheckstdio(signal_pipe[0]);
 
   for (i = 0; i < options->stdio_count; i++) {
     err = uv__process_open_stream(options->stdio + i, pipes[i], i == 0);