diff --git a/perl/Git.pm b/perl/Git.pm
index 090a7df63f..080cdc2a21 100644
--- a/perl/Git.pm
+++ b/perl/Git.pm
@@ -1686,6 +1686,16 @@ sub _setup_git_cmd_env {
 # by searching for it at proper places.
 sub _execv_git_cmd { exec('git', @_); }
 
+sub _is_sig {
+	my ($v, $n) = @_;
+
+	# We are avoiding a "use POSIX qw(SIGPIPE SIGABRT)" in the hot
+	# Git.pm codepath.
+	require POSIX;
+	no strict 'refs';
+	$v == *{"POSIX::$n"}->();
+}
+
 # Close pipe to a subprocess.
 sub _cmd_close {
 	my $ctx = shift @_;
@@ -1698,9 +1708,16 @@ sub _cmd_close {
 		} elsif ($? >> 8) {
 			# The caller should pepper this.
 			throw Git::Error::Command($ctx, $? >> 8);
+		} elsif ($? & 127 && _is_sig($? & 127, "SIGPIPE")) {
+			# we might e.g. closed a live stream; the command
+			# dying of SIGPIPE would drive us here.
+		} elsif ($? & 127 && _is_sig($? & 127, "SIGABRT")) {
+			die sprintf('BUG?: got SIGABRT ($? = %d, $? & 127 = %d) when closing pipe',
+				    $?, $? & 127);
+		} elsif ($? & 127) {
+			die sprintf('got signal ($? = %d, $? & 127 = %d) when closing pipe',
+				    $?, $? & 127);
 		}
-		# else we might e.g. closed a live stream; the command
-		# dying of SIGPIPE would drive us here.
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/t/t9102-git-svn-deep-rmdir.sh b/t/t9102-git-svn-deep-rmdir.sh
index 7b2049caa0..946ef85eb9 100755
--- a/t/t9102-git-svn-deep-rmdir.sh
+++ b/t/t9102-git-svn-deep-rmdir.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 test_description='git svn rmdir'
 
-TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./lib-git-svn.sh
 
 test_expect_success 'initialize repo' '
diff --git a/t/t9123-git-svn-rebuild-with-rewriteroot.sh b/t/t9123-git-svn-rebuild-with-rewriteroot.sh
index 3320b1f39c..ead404589e 100755
--- a/t/t9123-git-svn-rebuild-with-rewriteroot.sh
+++ b/t/t9123-git-svn-rebuild-with-rewriteroot.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 
 test_description='git svn respects rewriteRoot during rebuild'
 
-TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./lib-git-svn.sh
 
 mkdir import
diff --git a/t/t9128-git-svn-cmd-branch.sh b/t/t9128-git-svn-cmd-branch.sh
index 9871f5abc9..783e3ba0c5 100755
--- a/t/t9128-git-svn-cmd-branch.sh
+++ b/t/t9128-git-svn-cmd-branch.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 
 test_description='git svn partial-rebuild tests'
 
-TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./lib-git-svn.sh
 
 test_expect_success 'initialize svnrepo' '
diff --git a/t/t9167-git-svn-cmd-branch-subproject.sh b/t/t9167-git-svn-cmd-branch-subproject.sh
index d9fd111c10..d8128430a8 100755
--- a/t/t9167-git-svn-cmd-branch-subproject.sh
+++ b/t/t9167-git-svn-cmd-branch-subproject.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 
 test_description='git svn branch for subproject clones'
 
-TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./lib-git-svn.sh
 
 test_expect_success 'initialize svnrepo' '