diff --git a/src/corelib/io/qprocess.cpp b/src/corelib/io/qprocess.cpp
index 2e3bd9cf591..5da0df8a4ea 100644
--- a/src/corelib/io/qprocess.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/io/qprocess.cpp
@@ -879,13 +879,9 @@ void QProcessPrivate::cleanup()
         delete stdinChannel.notifier;
         stdinChannel.notifier = nullptr;
     }
-    if (startupSocketNotifier) {
-        delete startupSocketNotifier;
-        startupSocketNotifier = nullptr;
-    }
-    if (deathNotifier) {
-        delete deathNotifier;
-        deathNotifier = nullptr;
+    if (stateNotifier) {
+        delete stateNotifier;
+        stateNotifier = nullptr;
     }
     closeChannel(&stdoutChannel);
     closeChannel(&stderrChannel);
@@ -1150,14 +1146,6 @@ void QProcessPrivate::_q_processDied()
     drainOutputPipes();
 #endif
 
-    // the process may have died before it got a chance to report that it was
-    // either running or stopped, so we will call _q_startupNotification() and
-    // give it a chance to emit started() or errorOccurred(FailedToStart).
-    if (processState == QProcess::Starting) {
-        if (!_q_startupNotification())
-            return;
-    }
-
     if (dying) {
         // at this point we know the process is dead. prevent
         // reentering this slot recursively by calling waitForFinished()
diff --git a/src/corelib/io/qprocess_p.h b/src/corelib/io/qprocess_p.h
index 58d68f83cf9..a2d14d690a1 100644
--- a/src/corelib/io/qprocess_p.h
+++ b/src/corelib/io/qprocess_p.h
@@ -339,8 +339,7 @@ public:
     Q_PIPE childStartedPipe[2] = {INVALID_Q_PIPE, INVALID_Q_PIPE};
     void destroyPipe(Q_PIPE pipe[2]);
 
-    QSocketNotifier *startupSocketNotifier = nullptr;
-    QSocketNotifier *deathNotifier = nullptr;
+    QSocketNotifier *stateNotifier = nullptr;
 
     int forkfd = -1;
 
diff --git a/src/corelib/io/qprocess_unix.cpp b/src/corelib/io/qprocess_unix.cpp
index c9ede9c3e9d..1ca4a0d65ec 100644
--- a/src/corelib/io/qprocess_unix.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/io/qprocess_unix.cpp
@@ -378,9 +378,12 @@ void QProcessPrivate::startProcess()
     }
 
     if (threadData.loadRelaxed()->hasEventDispatcher()) {
-        startupSocketNotifier = new QSocketNotifier(childStartedPipe[0],
-                                                    QSocketNotifier::Read, q);
-        QObject::connect(startupSocketNotifier, SIGNAL(activated(QSocketDescriptor)),
+        // Set up to notify about startup completion (and premature death).
+        // Once the process has started successfully, we reconfigure the
+        // notifier to watch the fork_fd for expected death.
+        stateNotifier = new QSocketNotifier(childStartedPipe[0],
+                                            QSocketNotifier::Read, q);
+        QObject::connect(stateNotifier, SIGNAL(activated(QSocketDescriptor)),
                          q, SLOT(_q_startupNotification()));
     }
 
@@ -523,12 +526,6 @@ void QProcessPrivate::startProcess()
     }
     if (stderrChannel.pipe[0] != -1)
         ::fcntl(stderrChannel.pipe[0], F_SETFL, ::fcntl(stderrChannel.pipe[0], F_GETFL) | O_NONBLOCK);
-
-    if (threadData.loadRelaxed()->eventDispatcher.loadAcquire()) {
-        deathNotifier = new QSocketNotifier(forkfd, QSocketNotifier::Read, q);
-        QObject::connect(deathNotifier, SIGNAL(activated(QSocketDescriptor)),
-                         q, SLOT(_q_processDied()));
-    }
 }
 
 struct ChildError
@@ -582,13 +579,14 @@ report_errno:
 
 bool QProcessPrivate::processStarted(QString *errorMessage)
 {
+    Q_Q(QProcess);
+
     ChildError buf;
     int ret = qt_safe_read(childStartedPipe[0], &buf, sizeof(buf));
 
-    if (startupSocketNotifier) {
-        startupSocketNotifier->setEnabled(false);
-        startupSocketNotifier->deleteLater();
-        startupSocketNotifier = nullptr;
+    if (stateNotifier) {
+        stateNotifier->setEnabled(false);
+        stateNotifier->disconnect(q);
     }
     qt_safe_close(childStartedPipe[0]);
     childStartedPipe[0] = -1;
@@ -597,11 +595,22 @@ bool QProcessPrivate::processStarted(QString *errorMessage)
     qDebug("QProcessPrivate::processStarted() == %s", i <= 0 ? "true" : "false");
 #endif
 
+    if (ret <= 0) {  // process successfully started
+        if (stateNotifier) {
+            QObject::connect(stateNotifier, SIGNAL(activated(QSocketDescriptor)),
+                             q, SLOT(_q_processDied()));
+            stateNotifier->setSocket(forkfd);
+            stateNotifier->setEnabled(true);
+        }
+
+        return true;
+    }
+
     // did we read an error message?
-    if (ret > 0 && errorMessage)
+    if (errorMessage)
         *errorMessage = QLatin1String(buf.function) + QLatin1String(": ") + qt_error_string(buf.code);
 
-    return ret <= 0;
+    return false;
 }
 
 qint64 QProcessPrivate::bytesAvailableInChannel(const Channel *channel) const
@@ -852,8 +861,8 @@ void QProcessPrivate::waitForDeadChild()
     exitCode = info.status;
     crashed = info.code != CLD_EXITED;
 
-    delete deathNotifier;
-    deathNotifier = nullptr;
+    delete stateNotifier;
+    stateNotifier = nullptr;
 
     EINTR_LOOP(ret, forkfd_close(forkfd));
     forkfd = -1; // Child is dead, don't try to kill it anymore