diff --git a/Lib/multiprocessing/popen_spawn_posix.py b/Lib/multiprocessing/popen_spawn_posix.py
index 24b8634523e5f2..cccd659ae77637 100644
--- a/Lib/multiprocessing/popen_spawn_posix.py
+++ b/Lib/multiprocessing/popen_spawn_posix.py
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ def _launch(self, process_obj):
             self._fds.extend([child_r, child_w])
             self.pid = util.spawnv_passfds(spawn.get_executable(),
                                            cmd, self._fds)
+            os.close(child_r)
+            child_r = None
+            os.close(child_w)
+            child_w = None
             self.sentinel = parent_r
             with open(parent_w, 'wb', closefd=False) as f:
                 f.write(fp.getbuffer())
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2024-05-13-09-50-31.gh-issue-118981.zgOQPv.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2024-05-13-09-50-31.gh-issue-118981.zgOQPv.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..72b9f6c9e4eb99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2024-05-13-09-50-31.gh-issue-118981.zgOQPv.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Fix potential hang in ``multiprocessing.popen_spawn_posix`` that can happen
+when the child proc dies early by closing the child fds right away.