diff --git a/doc/api.markdown b/doc/api.markdown
index 32e9b0c6a1a..5f7f141933b 100644
--- a/doc/api.markdown
+++ b/doc/api.markdown
@@ -1068,14 +1068,14 @@ There is a second optional argument to specify several options. The default opti
     { encoding: 'utf8'
     , timeout: 0
     , maxBuffer: 200*1024
-    , killSignal: 'SIGKILL'
+    , killSignal: 'SIGTERM'
     , cwd: null
     , env: null
     }
 
 If `timeout` is greater than 0, then it will kill the child process
 if it runs longer than `timeout` milliseconds. The child process is killed with
-`killSignal` (default: `'SIGKILL'`). `maxBuffer` specifies the largest
+`killSignal` (default: `'SIGTERM'`). `maxBuffer` specifies the largest
 amount of data allowed on stdout or stderr - if this value is exceeded then
 the child process is killed.
 
diff --git a/lib/child_process.js b/lib/child_process.js
index e0d816a740e..342b050f666 100644
--- a/lib/child_process.js
+++ b/lib/child_process.js
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ exports.execFile = function (file /* args, options, callback */) {
   var options = { encoding: 'utf8'
                 , timeout: 0
                 , maxBuffer: 200*1024
-                , killSignal: 'SIGKILL'
+                , killSignal: 'SIGTERM'
                 , cwd: null
                 , env: null
                 };
@@ -62,18 +62,24 @@ exports.execFile = function (file /* args, options, callback */) {
   var stderr = "";
   var killed = false;
   var exited = false;
+  var timeoutId;
 
   function exithandler (code, signal) {
-    if (timeoutId) clearTimeout(timeoutId);
     if (exited) return;
     exited = true;
+
+    if (timeoutId) {
+      clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+      timeoutId = null;
+    }
+
     if (!callback) return;
 
     if (code === 0 && signal === null) {
       callback(null, stdout, stderr);
     } else {
       var e = new Error("Command failed: " + stderr);
-      e.killed = killed;
+      e.killed = child.killed || killed;
       e.code = code;
       e.signal = signal;
       callback(e, stdout, stderr);
@@ -81,14 +87,13 @@ exports.execFile = function (file /* args, options, callback */) {
   }
 
   function kill () {
-    var c = child.kill(options.killSignal);
     killed = true;
+    child.kill(options.killSignal);
     process.nextTick(function () {
       exithandler(null, options.killSignal)
     });
   }
 
-  var timeoutId;
   if (options.timeout > 0) {
     timeoutId = setTimeout(function () {
       kill();
@@ -113,8 +118,6 @@ exports.execFile = function (file /* args, options, callback */) {
     }
   });
 
-  var pid = child.pid;
-
   child.addListener("exit", exithandler);
 
   return child;
@@ -126,6 +129,8 @@ function ChildProcess () {
 
   var self = this;
 
+  this.killed = false;
+
   var gotCHLD = false;
   var exitCode;
   var termSignal;
@@ -172,6 +177,7 @@ util.inherits(ChildProcess, EventEmitter);
 
 ChildProcess.prototype.kill = function (sig) {
   if (this._internal.pid) {
+    this.killed = true;
     if (!constants) constants = process.binding("constants");
     sig = sig || 'SIGTERM';
     if (!constants[sig]) throw new Error("Unknown signal: " + sig);
diff --git a/test/simple/test-exec.js b/test/simple/test-exec.js
index 8819bd12621..f4f3cf87308 100644
--- a/test/simple/test-exec.js
+++ b/test/simple/test-exec.js
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ exec("sleep 3", { timeout: 50 }, function (err, stdout, stderr) {
   assert.ok(diff < 500);
   assert.ok(err);
   assert.ok(err.killed);
-  assert.equal(err.signal, 'SIGKILL');
+  assert.equal(err.signal, 'SIGTERM');
 });
 
 
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ function killMeTwiceCallback(err, stdout, stderr) {
   // parameters.
   assert.ok(err);
   assert.ok(err.killed);
-  assert.equal(err.signal, 'SIGKILL');
+  assert.equal(err.signal, 'SIGTERM');
 
   // the timeout should still be in effect
   console.log("'sleep 3' was already killed. Took %d ms", diff);
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ function killMeTwiceCallback(err, stdout, stderr) {
 exec('python -c "print 200000*\'C\'"', { maxBuffer: 1000 }, function (err, stdout, stderr) {
   assert.ok(err);
   assert.ok(err.killed);
-  assert.equal(err.signal, 'SIGKILL');
+  assert.equal(err.signal, 'SIGTERM');
 });
 
 process.addListener("exit", function () {