diff --git a/src/unix/mod.rs b/src/unix/mod.rs
index 78c40b561..b5eebc6fd 100644
--- a/src/unix/mod.rs
+++ b/src/unix/mod.rs
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ impl OrphanQueue<process::Child> for GlobalOrphanQueue {
 
 #[must_use = "futures do nothing unless polled"]
 pub struct Child {
-    inner: Reaper<process::Child, FlattenStream<IoFuture<Signal>>>,
+    inner: Reaper<process::Child, GlobalOrphanQueue, FlattenStream<IoFuture<Signal>>>,
 }
 
 impl fmt::Debug for Child {
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ pub(crate) fn spawn_child(cmd: &mut process::Command, handle: &Handle) -> io::Re
     let signal = Signal::with_handle(libc::SIGCHLD, handle).flatten_stream();
     Ok(SpawnedChild {
         child: Child {
-            inner: Reaper::new(child, signal),
+            inner: Reaper::new(child, GlobalOrphanQueue, signal),
         },
         stdin,
         stdout,
diff --git a/src/unix/orphan.rs b/src/unix/orphan.rs
index 3641c7828..6b6a2f287 100644
--- a/src/unix/orphan.rs
+++ b/src/unix/orphan.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,16 @@ pub(crate) trait Wait {
     fn try_wait(&mut self) -> io::Result<Option<ExitStatus>>;
 }
 
+impl<'a, T: 'a + Wait> Wait for &'a mut T {
+    fn id(&self) -> u32 {
+        (**self).id()
+    }
+
+    fn try_wait(&mut self) -> io::Result<Option<ExitStatus>> {
+        (**self).try_wait()
+    }
+}
+
 /// An interface for queueing up an orphaned process so that it can be reaped.
 pub(crate) trait OrphanQueue<T> {
     /// Add an orphan to the queue.
@@ -21,6 +31,16 @@ pub(crate) trait OrphanQueue<T> {
     fn reap_orphans(&self);
 }
 
+impl<'a, T, O: 'a + OrphanQueue<T>> OrphanQueue<T> for &'a O {
+    fn push_orphan(&self, orphan: T) {
+        (**self).push_orphan(orphan);
+    }
+
+    fn reap_orphans(&self) {
+        (**self).reap_orphans()
+    }
+}
+
 /// An atomic implementation of `OrphanQueue`.
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub(crate) struct AtomicOrphanQueue<T> {
diff --git a/src/unix/reap.rs b/src/unix/reap.rs
index 831eefd5a..d24829eb7 100644
--- a/src/unix/reap.rs
+++ b/src/unix/reap.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use futures::{Async, Future, Poll, Stream};
 use std::io;
 use std::ops::Deref;
 use std::process::ExitStatus;
-use super::orphan::Wait;
+use super::orphan::{OrphanQueue, Wait};
 
 /// An interface for killing a running process.
 pub(crate) trait Kill {
@@ -13,30 +13,50 @@ pub(crate) trait Kill {
 /// Orchestrates between registering interest for receiving signals when a
 /// child process has exited, and attempting to poll for process completion.
 #[derive(Debug)]
-pub(crate) struct Reaper<W, S> {
-    inner: W,
+pub(crate) struct Reaper<W, Q, S>
+    where W: Wait,
+          Q: OrphanQueue<W>,
+{
+    inner: Option<W>,
+    orphan_queue: Q,
     signal: S,
 }
 
-impl<W, S> Deref for Reaper<W, S> {
+impl<W, Q, S> Deref for Reaper<W, Q, S>
+    where W: Wait,
+          Q: OrphanQueue<W>,
+{
     type Target = W;
 
     fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
-        &self.inner
+        self.inner()
     }
 }
 
-impl<W, S> Reaper<W, S> {
-    pub(crate) fn new(inner: W, signal: S) -> Self {
+impl<W, Q, S> Reaper<W, Q, S>
+    where W: Wait,
+          Q: OrphanQueue<W>,
+{
+    pub(crate) fn new(inner: W, orphan_queue: Q, signal: S) -> Self {
         Self {
-            inner,
+            inner: Some(inner),
+            orphan_queue,
             signal,
         }
     }
+
+    fn inner(&self) -> &W {
+        self.inner.as_ref().expect("inner has gone away")
+    }
+
+    fn inner_mut(&mut self) -> &mut W {
+        self.inner.as_mut().expect("inner has gone away")
+    }
 }
 
-impl<W, S> Future for Reaper<W, S>
+impl<W, Q, S> Future for Reaper<W, Q, S>
     where W: Wait,
+          Q: OrphanQueue<W>,
           S: Stream<Error = io::Error>,
 {
     type Item = ExitStatus;
@@ -65,7 +85,8 @@ impl<W, S> Future for Reaper<W, S>
             // should not cause significant issues with parent futures.
             let registered_interest = self.signal.poll()?.is_not_ready();
 
-            if let Some(status) = self.inner.try_wait()? {
+            self.orphan_queue.reap_orphans();
+            if let Some(status) = self.inner_mut().try_wait()? {
                 return Ok(Async::Ready(status));
             }
 
@@ -83,21 +104,39 @@ impl<W, S> Future for Reaper<W, S>
     }
 }
 
-impl<W, S> Kill for Reaper<W, S>
-    where W: Kill,
+impl<W, Q, S> Kill for Reaper<W, Q, S>
+    where W: Kill + Wait,
+          Q: OrphanQueue<W>,
 {
     fn kill(&mut self) -> io::Result<()> {
-        self.inner.kill()
+        self.inner_mut().kill()
+    }
+}
+
+
+impl<W, Q, S> Drop for Reaper<W, Q, S>
+    where W: Wait,
+          Q: OrphanQueue<W>,
+{
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        if let Ok(Some(_)) = self.inner_mut().try_wait() {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        let orphan = self.inner.take().unwrap();
+        self.orphan_queue.push_orphan(orphan);
     }
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
     use futures::{Async, Poll, Stream};
+    use std::cell::{Cell, RefCell};
     use std::process::ExitStatus;
     use std::os::unix::process::ExitStatusExt;
     use super::*;
 
+    #[derive(Debug)]
     struct MockWait {
         total_kills: usize,
         total_waits: usize,
@@ -167,11 +206,36 @@ mod test {
         }
     }
 
+    struct MockQueue<W> {
+        all_enqueued: RefCell<Vec<W>>,
+        total_reaps: Cell<usize>,
+    }
+
+    impl<W> MockQueue<W> {
+        fn new() -> Self {
+            Self {
+                all_enqueued: RefCell::new(Vec::new()),
+                total_reaps: Cell::new(0),
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    impl<W: Wait> OrphanQueue<W> for MockQueue<W> {
+        fn push_orphan(&self, orphan: W) {
+            self.all_enqueued.borrow_mut()
+                .push(orphan);
+        }
+
+        fn reap_orphans(&self) {
+            self.total_reaps.set(self.total_reaps.get() + 1);
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn reaper() {
         let exit = ExitStatus::from_raw(0);
         let mock = MockWait::new(exit, 3);
-        let mut grim = Reaper::new(mock, MockStream::new(vec!(
+        let mut grim = Reaper::new(mock, MockQueue::new(), MockStream::new(vec!(
             None,
             Some(()),
             None,
@@ -183,17 +247,23 @@ mod test {
         assert_eq!(Async::NotReady, grim.poll().expect("failed to wait"));
         assert_eq!(1, grim.signal.total_polls);
         assert_eq!(1, grim.total_waits);
+        assert_eq!(1, grim.orphan_queue.total_reaps.get());
+        assert!(grim.orphan_queue.all_enqueued.borrow().is_empty());
 
         // Not yet exited, couldn't register interest the first time
         // but managed to register interest the second time around
         assert_eq!(Async::NotReady, grim.poll().expect("failed to wait"));
         assert_eq!(3, grim.signal.total_polls);
         assert_eq!(3, grim.total_waits);
+        assert_eq!(3, grim.orphan_queue.total_reaps.get());
+        assert!(grim.orphan_queue.all_enqueued.borrow().is_empty());
 
         // Exited
         assert_eq!(Async::Ready(exit), grim.poll().expect("failed to wait"));
         assert_eq!(4, grim.signal.total_polls);
         assert_eq!(4, grim.total_waits);
+        assert_eq!(4, grim.orphan_queue.total_reaps.get());
+        assert!(grim.orphan_queue.all_enqueued.borrow().is_empty());
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -201,10 +271,59 @@ mod test {
         let exit = ExitStatus::from_raw(0);
         let mut grim = Reaper::new(
             MockWait::new(exit, 0),
+            MockQueue::new(),
             MockStream::new(vec!(None))
         );
 
         grim.kill().unwrap();
         assert_eq!(1, grim.total_kills);
+        assert_eq!(0, grim.orphan_queue.total_reaps.get());
+        assert!(grim.orphan_queue.all_enqueued.borrow().is_empty());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn drop_reaps_if_possible() {
+        let exit = ExitStatus::from_raw(0);
+        let mut mock = MockWait::new(exit, 0);
+
+        {
+            let queue = MockQueue::new();
+
+            let grim = Reaper::new(
+                &mut mock,
+                &queue,
+                MockStream::new(vec!())
+            );
+
+            drop(grim);
+
+            assert_eq!(0, queue.total_reaps.get());
+            assert!(queue.all_enqueued.borrow().is_empty());
+        }
+
+        assert_eq!(1, mock.total_waits);
+        assert_eq!(0, mock.total_kills);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn drop_enqueues_orphan_if_wait_fails() {
+        let exit = ExitStatus::from_raw(0);
+        let mut mock = MockWait::new(exit, 2);
+
+        {
+            let queue = MockQueue::<&mut MockWait>::new();
+            let grim = Reaper::new(
+                &mut mock,
+                &queue,
+                MockStream::new(vec!())
+            );
+            drop(grim);
+
+            assert_eq!(0, queue.total_reaps.get());
+            assert_eq!(1, queue.all_enqueued.borrow().len());
+        }
+
+        assert_eq!(1, mock.total_waits);
+        assert_eq!(0, mock.total_kills);
     }
 }