diff --git a/lib/child_process.js b/lib/child_process.js
index b67ea1c7f05eca..daa1d44e8974df 100644
--- a/lib/child_process.js
+++ b/lib/child_process.js
@@ -368,6 +368,12 @@ function execFile(file /* , args, options, callback */) {
     }
   }
 
+  function abortHandler() {
+    if (!ex)
+      ex = new AbortError();
+    process.nextTick(() => kill());
+  }
+
   if (options.timeout > 0) {
     timeoutId = setTimeout(function delayedKill() {
       kill();
@@ -376,14 +382,11 @@ function execFile(file /* , args, options, callback */) {
   }
   if (options.signal) {
     if (options.signal.aborted) {
-      process.nextTick(() => kill());
+      process.nextTick(abortHandler);
     } else {
       const childController = new AbortController();
-      options.signal.addEventListener('abort', () => {
-        if (!ex)
-          ex = new AbortError();
-        kill();
-      }, { signal: childController.signal });
+      options.signal.addEventListener('abort', abortHandler,
+                                      { signal: childController.signal });
       child.once('close', () => childController.abort());
     }
   }
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-child-process-execfile.js b/test/parallel/test-child-process-execfile.js
index aec80b4e2baf22..49a4bdbda29957 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-child-process-execfile.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-child-process-execfile.js
@@ -53,12 +53,19 @@ const execOpts = { encoding: 'utf8', shell: true };
   const ac = new AbortController();
   const { signal } = ac;
 
-  const callback = common.mustCall((err) => {
-    assert.strictEqual(err.code, 'ABORT_ERR');
-    assert.strictEqual(err.name, 'AbortError');
-  });
-  execFile(process.execPath, [echoFixture, 0], { signal }, callback);
+  const test = () => {
+    const check = common.mustCall((err) => {
+      assert.strictEqual(err.code, 'ABORT_ERR');
+      assert.strictEqual(err.name, 'AbortError');
+      assert.strictEqual(err.signal, undefined);
+    });
+    execFile(process.execPath, [echoFixture, 0], { signal }, check);
+  };
+
+  test();
   ac.abort();
+  // Verify that it still works the same way now that the signal is aborted.
+  test();
 }
 
 {
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-child-process-spawn-controller.js b/test/parallel/test-child-process-spawn-controller.js
index 399558569cc1ec..c25307907c1b26 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-child-process-spawn-controller.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-child-process-spawn-controller.js
@@ -4,18 +4,38 @@ const common = require('../common');
 const assert = require('assert');
 const cp = require('child_process');
 
-// Verify that passing an AbortSignal works
-const controller = new AbortController();
-const { signal } = controller;
+{
+  // Verify that passing an AbortSignal works
+  const controller = new AbortController();
+  const { signal } = controller;
 
-const echo = cp.spawn('echo', ['fun'], {
-  encoding: 'utf8',
-  shell: true,
-  signal
-});
+  const echo = cp.spawn('echo', ['fun'], {
+    encoding: 'utf8',
+    shell: true,
+    signal
+  });
 
-echo.on('error', common.mustCall((e) => {
-  assert.strictEqual(e.name, 'AbortError');
-}));
+  echo.on('error', common.mustCall((e) => {
+    assert.strictEqual(e.name, 'AbortError');
+  }));
 
-controller.abort();
+  controller.abort();
+}
+
+{
+  // Verify that passing an already-aborted signal works.
+  const controller = new AbortController();
+  const { signal } = controller;
+
+  controller.abort();
+
+  const echo = cp.spawn('echo', ['fun'], {
+    encoding: 'utf8',
+    shell: true,
+    signal
+  });
+
+  echo.on('error', common.mustCall((e) => {
+    assert.strictEqual(e.name, 'AbortError');
+  }));
+}