diff --git a/crates/dbg-swc/src/minify/reduce.rs b/crates/dbg-swc/src/minify/reduce.rs
index 87739b0ad4bc..6e75d3952a48 100644
--- a/crates/dbg-swc/src/minify/reduce.rs
+++ b/crates/dbg-swc/src/minify/reduce.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ use swc_common::{SourceMap, GLOBALS};
 use tempdir::TempDir;
 
 use crate::{
-    util::{all_js_files, parse_js, print_js},
+    util::{all_js_files, parse_js, print_js, ChildGuard},
     CREDUCE_INPUT_ENV_VAR, CREDUCE_MODE_ENV_VAR,
 };
 
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ impl ReduceCommand {
         let exe = current_exe()?;
         c.arg(&exe);
         c.arg(&input);
-        let status = c.status().context("failed to run creduce")?;
+        let mut child = ChildGuard(c.spawn().context("failed to run creduce")?);
+        let status = child.0.wait().context("failed to wait for creduce")?;
 
         if status.success() {
             move_to_data_dir(&input)?;
diff --git a/crates/dbg-swc/src/util/mod.rs b/crates/dbg-swc/src/util/mod.rs
index 274617cd7807..8acfd2d05a5d 100644
--- a/crates/dbg-swc/src/util/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/dbg-swc/src/util/mod.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use std::{
     io::Write,
     path::{Path, PathBuf},
-    process::{Command, Stdio},
+    process::{Child, Command, Stdio},
     sync::Arc,
 };
 
@@ -130,3 +130,13 @@ pub fn all_js_files(path: &Path) -> Result<Vec<PathBuf>> {
     })
     .with_context(|| format!("failed to get list of `.js` files in {}", path.display()))
 }
+
+pub(crate) struct ChildGuard(pub Child);
+
+impl Drop for ChildGuard {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        if let Err(e) = self.0.kill() {
+            eprintln!("Could not kill child process: {}", e)
+        }
+    }
+}