diff --git a/src/unix/core.c b/src/unix/core.c
index 52bb0020..e4d481ae 100644
--- a/src/unix/core.c
+++ b/src/unix/core.c
@@ -82,11 +82,11 @@ void uv_close(uv_handle_t* handle, uv_close_cb close_cb) {
       uv_read_stop(stream);
       ev_io_stop(stream->loop->ev, &stream->write_watcher);
 
-      uv__close(stream->fd);
+      close(stream->fd);
       stream->fd = -1;
 
       if (stream->accepted_fd >= 0) {
-        uv__close(stream->accepted_fd);
+        close(stream->accepted_fd);
         stream->accepted_fd = -1;
       }
 
@@ -752,7 +752,7 @@ int uv__socket(int domain, int type, int protocol) {
     goto out;
 
   if (uv__nonblock(sockfd, 1) || uv__cloexec(sockfd, 1)) {
-    uv__close(sockfd);
+    close(sockfd);
     sockfd = -1;
   }
 
@@ -788,7 +788,7 @@ int uv__accept(int sockfd, struct sockaddr* saddr, socklen_t slen) {
     }
 
     if (uv__cloexec(peerfd, 1) || uv__nonblock(peerfd, 1)) {
-      uv__close(peerfd);
+      close(peerfd);
       peerfd = -1;
     }
 
@@ -862,7 +862,7 @@ int uv__dup(int fd) {
     return -1;
 
   if (uv__cloexec(fd, 1)) {
-    SAVE_ERRNO(uv__close(fd));
+    SAVE_ERRNO(close(fd));
     return -1;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/unix/internal.h b/src/unix/internal.h
index 8a3453e3..3cc086f2 100644
--- a/src/unix/internal.h
+++ b/src/unix/internal.h
@@ -172,13 +172,6 @@ int uv__cloexec(int fd, int set) __attribute__((unused));
 int uv__socket(int domain, int type, int protocol);
 int uv__dup(int fd);
 
-/* We used to handle EINTR in uv__close() but linux 2.6 will have closed the
- * file descriptor anyway, even on EINTR. Retrying in that case isn't merely
- * useless, it's actively harmful - the file descriptor may have been acquired
- * by another thread.
- */
-#define uv__close(fd) close(fd)
-
 /* error */
 uv_err_code uv_translate_sys_error(int sys_errno);
 void uv_fatal_error(const int errorno, const char* syscall);
diff --git a/src/unix/kqueue.c b/src/unix/kqueue.c
index c3256a92..58988f9d 100644
--- a/src/unix/kqueue.c
+++ b/src/unix/kqueue.c
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ int uv_fs_event_init(uv_loop_t* loop,
 void uv__fs_event_destroy(uv_fs_event_t* handle) {
   uv__fs_event_stop(handle);
   free(handle->filename);
-  uv__close(handle->fd);
+  close(handle->fd);
   handle->fd = -1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/unix/linux/inotify.c b/src/unix/linux/inotify.c
index 52b086c8..9819f552 100644
--- a/src/unix/linux/inotify.c
+++ b/src/unix/linux/inotify.c
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ static int new_inotify_fd(void) {
     return -1;
 
   if (uv__cloexec(fd, 1) || uv__nonblock(fd, 1)) {
-    SAVE_ERRNO(uv__close(fd));
+    SAVE_ERRNO(close(fd));
     return -1;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/unix/pipe.c b/src/unix/pipe.c
index 205011bf..3573a571 100644
--- a/src/unix/pipe.c
+++ b/src/unix/pipe.c
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ out:
       assert(pipe_fname != NULL);
       unlink(pipe_fname);
     }
-    uv__close(sockfd);
+    close(sockfd);
 
     free((void*)pipe_fname);
   }
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ void uv_pipe_connect(uv_connect_t* req,
 
   if (r == -1) {
     status = errno;
-    uv__close(sockfd);
+    close(sockfd);
     goto out;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/unix/process.c b/src/unix/process.c
index 431f4d8c..ccb6e9a3 100644
--- a/src/unix/process.c
+++ b/src/unix/process.c
@@ -229,8 +229,8 @@ int uv_spawn(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_process_t* process,
 
   if (pid == -1) {
 #if SPAWN_WAIT_EXEC
-    uv__close(signal_pipe[0]);
-    uv__close(signal_pipe[1]);
+    close(signal_pipe[0]);
+    close(signal_pipe[1]);
 #endif
     environ = save_our_env;
     goto error;
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ int uv_spawn(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_process_t* process,
 
   if (pid == 0) {
     if (stdin_pipe[0] >= 0) {
-      uv__close(stdin_pipe[1]);
+      close(stdin_pipe[1]);
       dup2(stdin_pipe[0],  STDIN_FILENO);
     } else {
       /* Reset flags that might be set by Node */
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ int uv_spawn(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_process_t* process,
     }
 
     if (stdout_pipe[1] >= 0) {
-      uv__close(stdout_pipe[0]);
+      close(stdout_pipe[0]);
       dup2(stdout_pipe[1], STDOUT_FILENO);
     } else {
       /* Reset flags that might be set by Node */
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ int uv_spawn(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_process_t* process,
     }
 
     if (stderr_pipe[1] >= 0) {
-      uv__close(stderr_pipe[0]);
+      close(stderr_pipe[0]);
       dup2(stderr_pipe[1], STDERR_FILENO);
     } else {
       /* Reset flags that might be set by Node */
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ int uv_spawn(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_process_t* process,
 
 #if SPAWN_WAIT_EXEC
   /* POLLHUP signals child has exited or execve()'d. */
-  uv__close(signal_pipe[1]);
+  close(signal_pipe[1]);
   do {
     pfd.fd = signal_pipe[0];
     pfd.events = POLLIN|POLLHUP;
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ int uv_spawn(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_process_t* process,
   while (status == -1 && (errno == EINTR || errno == ENOMEM));
 
   assert((status == 1) && "poll() on pipe read end failed");
-  uv__close(signal_pipe[0]);
+  close(signal_pipe[0]);
 #endif
 
   process->pid = pid;
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ int uv_spawn(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_process_t* process,
   if (stdin_pipe[1] >= 0) {
     assert(options.stdin_stream);
     assert(stdin_pipe[0] >= 0);
-    uv__close(stdin_pipe[0]);
+    close(stdin_pipe[0]);
     uv__nonblock(stdin_pipe[1], 1);
     flags = UV_WRITABLE | (options.stdin_stream->ipc ? UV_READABLE : 0);
     uv__stream_open((uv_stream_t*)options.stdin_stream, stdin_pipe[1],
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ int uv_spawn(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_process_t* process,
   if (stdout_pipe[0] >= 0) {
     assert(options.stdout_stream);
     assert(stdout_pipe[1] >= 0);
-    uv__close(stdout_pipe[1]);
+    close(stdout_pipe[1]);
     uv__nonblock(stdout_pipe[0], 1);
     flags = UV_READABLE | (options.stdout_stream->ipc ? UV_WRITABLE : 0);
     uv__stream_open((uv_stream_t*)options.stdout_stream, stdout_pipe[0],
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ int uv_spawn(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_process_t* process,
   if (stderr_pipe[0] >= 0) {
     assert(options.stderr_stream);
     assert(stderr_pipe[1] >= 0);
-    uv__close(stderr_pipe[1]);
+    close(stderr_pipe[1]);
     uv__nonblock(stderr_pipe[0], 1);
     flags = UV_READABLE | (options.stderr_stream->ipc ? UV_WRITABLE : 0);
     uv__stream_open((uv_stream_t*)options.stderr_stream, stderr_pipe[0],
@@ -337,12 +337,12 @@ int uv_spawn(uv_loop_t* loop, uv_process_t* process,
 
 error:
   uv__set_sys_error(process->loop, errno);
-  uv__close(stdin_pipe[0]);
-  uv__close(stdin_pipe[1]);
-  uv__close(stdout_pipe[0]);
-  uv__close(stdout_pipe[1]);
-  uv__close(stderr_pipe[0]);
-  uv__close(stderr_pipe[1]);
+  close(stdin_pipe[0]);
+  close(stdin_pipe[1]);
+  close(stdout_pipe[0]);
+  close(stdout_pipe[1]);
+  close(stderr_pipe[0]);
+  close(stderr_pipe[1]);
   return -1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/unix/stream.c b/src/unix/stream.c
index b5ade16a..966750ef 100644
--- a/src/unix/stream.c
+++ b/src/unix/stream.c
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ int uv_accept(uv_stream_t* server, uv_stream_t* client) {
   if (uv__stream_open(streamClient, streamServer->accepted_fd,
         UV_READABLE | UV_WRITABLE)) {
     /* TODO handle error */
-    uv__close(streamServer->accepted_fd);
+    close(streamServer->accepted_fd);
     streamServer->accepted_fd = -1;
     goto out;
   }
@@ -793,7 +793,7 @@ int uv__connect(uv_connect_t* req, uv_stream_t* stream, struct sockaddr* addr,
     }
 
     if (uv__stream_open(stream, sockfd, UV_READABLE | UV_WRITABLE)) {
-      uv__close(sockfd);
+      close(sockfd);
       return -2;
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/unix/sunos.c b/src/unix/sunos.c
index a87a2343..37fdd898 100644
--- a/src/unix/sunos.c
+++ b/src/unix/sunos.c
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ int uv_fs_event_init(uv_loop_t* loop,
 void uv__fs_event_destroy(uv_fs_event_t* handle) {
   ev_ref(handle->loop->ev);
   ev_io_stop(handle->loop->ev, &handle->event_watcher);
-  uv__close(handle->fd);
+  close(handle->fd);
   handle->fd = -1;
   free(handle->filename);
   handle->filename = NULL;
diff --git a/src/unix/tcp.c b/src/unix/tcp.c
index c05dd5df..be038478 100644
--- a/src/unix/tcp.c
+++ b/src/unix/tcp.c
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ static int uv__bind(uv_tcp_t* tcp,
     }
 
     if (uv__stream_open((uv_stream_t*)tcp, tcp->fd, UV_READABLE | UV_WRITABLE)) {
-      uv__close(tcp->fd);
+      close(tcp->fd);
       tcp->fd = -1;
       status = -2;
       goto out;
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ int uv_tcp_listen(uv_tcp_t* tcp, int backlog, uv_connection_cb cb) {
     }
 
     if (uv__stream_open((uv_stream_t*)tcp, tcp->fd, UV_READABLE)) {
-      uv__close(tcp->fd);
+      close(tcp->fd);
       tcp->fd = -1;
       return -1;
     }
diff --git a/src/unix/udp.c b/src/unix/udp.c
index ab495eba..e1c7621c 100644
--- a/src/unix/udp.c
+++ b/src/unix/udp.c
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ static void uv__udp_stop_write_watcher(uv_udp_t* handle) {
 void uv__udp_start_close(uv_udp_t* handle) {
   uv__udp_stop_write_watcher(handle);
   uv__udp_stop_read_watcher(handle);
-  uv__close(handle->fd);
+  close(handle->fd);
   handle->fd = -1;
 }
 
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ static int uv__bind(uv_udp_t* handle,
 
 out:
   if (status)
-    uv__close(fd);
+    close(fd);
 
   errno = saved_errno;
   return status;