diff --git a/tools/ci.sh b/tools/ci.sh
index 7ee7eb4d1..f31d67c82 100755
--- a/tools/ci.sh
+++ b/tools/ci.sh
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ function ci_package_tests_setup_lib {
     $CP -r python-stdlib/hashlib-sha384/hashlib "${VIRTUAL_ENV}/lib/"
     $CP -r python-stdlib/hashlib-sha512/hashlib "${VIRTUAL_ENV}/lib/"
     $CP python-stdlib/shutil/shutil.py "${VIRTUAL_ENV}/lib/"
+    $CP python-stdlib/stat/stat.py "${VIRTUAL_ENV}/lib/"
     $CP python-stdlib/tempfile/tempfile.py "${VIRTUAL_ENV}/lib/"
     $CP -r python-stdlib/unittest/unittest "${VIRTUAL_ENV}/lib/"
     $CP -r python-stdlib/unittest-discover/unittest "${VIRTUAL_ENV}/lib/"
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ function ci_package_tests_run {
         python-stdlib/string/test_translate.py \
         python-stdlib/unittest/tests/exception.py \
         unix-ffi/gettext/test_gettext.py \
+        unix-ffi/os/test_popen.py \
         unix-ffi/pwd/test_getpwnam.py \
         unix-ffi/re/test_re.py \
         unix-ffi/sqlite3/test_sqlite3.py \
diff --git a/unix-ffi/os/os/__init__.py b/unix-ffi/os/os/__init__.py
index 6c87da892..f122e97fe 100644
--- a/unix-ffi/os/os/__init__.py
+++ b/unix-ffi/os/os/__init__.py
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
     write_ = libc.func("i", "write", "iPi")
     close_ = libc.func("i", "close", "i")
     dup_ = libc.func("i", "dup", "i")
+    dup2_ = libc.func("i", "dup2", "ii")
     access_ = libc.func("i", "access", "si")
     fork_ = libc.func("i", "fork", "")
     pipe_ = libc.func("i", "pipe", "p")
@@ -208,6 +209,12 @@ def dup(fd):
     return r
 
 
+def dup2(oldfd, newfd):
+    r = dup2_(oldfd, newfd)
+    check_error(r)
+    return r
+
+
 def access(path, mode):
     return access_(path, mode) == 0
 
@@ -252,9 +259,12 @@ def getpid():
 
 def waitpid(pid, opts):
     a = array.array("i", [0])
-    r = waitpid_(pid, a, opts)
-    check_error(r)
-    return (r, a[0])
+    while True:
+        r = waitpid_(pid, a, opts)
+        # A signal can interrupt the wait, in which case the child has not been
+        # reaped yet and the call has to be restarted.
+        if not check_error(r):
+            return (r, a[0])
 
 
 def kill(pid, sig):
@@ -294,23 +304,88 @@ def urandom(n):
         return f.read(n)
 
 
+class _PopenStream:
+    # Wraps the pipe to a process started by popen().  Stream operations are
+    # forwarded to the underlying file, and closing the stream also waits for
+    # the process to finish, so that it does not stay around as a zombie.
+
+    def __init__(self, f, pid):
+        self._f = f
+        self._p = pid
+        self._s = None
+
+    def __enter__(self):
+        return self
+
+    def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc_val, exc_tb):
+        self.close()
+
+    def __iter__(self):
+        return iter(self._f)
+
+    def read(self, *args):
+        return self._f.read(*args)
+
+    def readinto(self, *args):
+        return self._f.readinto(*args)
+
+    def readline(self, *args):
+        return self._f.readline(*args)
+
+    def readlines(self, *args):
+        return self._f.readlines(*args)
+
+    def write(self, *args):
+        return self._f.write(*args)
+
+    def flush(self):
+        return self._f.flush()
+
+    def fileno(self):
+        return self._f.fileno()
+
+    def close(self):
+        if self._f is not None:
+            f, self._f = self._f, None
+            try:
+                f.close()
+            finally:
+                # Reap the child even if closing the pipe raised, so that a
+                # failure there cannot leave the process behind.
+                _, self._s = waitpid(self._p, 0)
+        # Match CPython: None if the process exited successfully.
+        return self._s or None
+
+
 def popen(cmd, mode="r"):
     import builtins
 
-    i, o = pipe()
-    if mode[0] == "w":
-        i, o = o, i
+    rfd, wfd = pipe()
     pid = fork()
-    if not pid:
+
+    if pid == 0:
+        # Child: connect the relevant end of the pipe to stdout/stdin, then
+        # replace this process with the command.
         if mode[0] == "r":
-            close(1)
+            close(rfd)
+            dup2(wfd, 1)
+            close(wfd)
         else:
-            close(0)
-        close(i)
-        dup(o)
-        close(o)
-        s = system(cmd)
-        _exit(s)
+            close(wfd)
+            dup2(rfd, 0)
+            close(rfd)
+        try:
+            execvp("sh", ["sh", "-c", cmd])
+        except OSError:
+            pass
+        _exit(127)
+
+    # Parent: close the child's end of the pipe and wrap the other end so that
+    # closing it also reaps the child.
+    if mode[0] == "r":
+        close(wfd)
+        fd = rfd
     else:
-        close(o)
-        return builtins.open(i, mode)
+        close(rfd)
+        fd = wfd
+    return _PopenStream(builtins.open(fd, mode), pid)
diff --git a/unix-ffi/os/test_popen.py b/unix-ffi/os/test_popen.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ba1996cfc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unix-ffi/os/test_popen.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import os
+
+
+# Read the output of a process.
+f = os.popen("echo hello")
+assert f.read() == "hello\n"
+assert f.close() is None
+
+# Read the output line by line.
+f = os.popen("printf 'a\nb\n'")
+assert f.readline() == "a\n"
+assert list(f) == ["b\n"]
+assert f.close() is None
+
+# Use the stream as a context manager.
+with os.popen("echo hello") as f:
+    assert f.read() == "hello\n"
+
+# Write to the input of a process.
+with os.popen("cat > test_popen.tmp", "w") as f:
+    f.write("hello\n")
+with open("test_popen.tmp") as f:
+    assert f.read() == "hello\n"
+os.unlink("test_popen.tmp")
+
+# A non-zero exit status is reported by close(), the same way CPython does it.
+f = os.popen("exit 3")
+f.read()
+assert f.close() == 3 << 8
+
+# Closing twice is allowed and reports the same status.
+f = os.popen("exit 3")
+f.read()
+assert f.close() == 3 << 8
+assert f.close() == 3 << 8
+
+# The child is reaped by close(), it does not stay around as a zombie, and
+# both ends of the pipe are closed, so no file descriptors are leaked either.
+children = "/proc/self/task/%d/children" % os.getpid()
+if os.access(children, os.F_OK):
+    fds = len(os.listdir("/proc/self/fd"))
+    for _ in range(50):
+        f = os.popen("echo hello")
+        assert f.read() == "hello\n"
+        assert f.close() is None
+    for _ in range(50):
+        with os.popen("cat > /dev/null", "w") as f:
+            f.write("hello\n")
+    with open(children) as f:
+        assert f.read().split() == []
+    assert len(os.listdir("/proc/self/fd")) == fds