diff --git a/awk.h b/awk.h
index 8e38976d..08ef36c1 100644
--- a/awk.h
+++ b/awk.h
@@ -1668,8 +1668,7 @@ extern bool inrec(IOBUF *iop, int *errcode);
 extern int nextfile(IOBUF **curfile, bool skipping);
 extern bool is_non_fatal_std(FILE *fp);
 extern bool is_non_fatal_redirect(const char *str, size_t len);
-extern void ignore_sigpipe(void);
-extern void set_sigpipe_to_default(void);
+extern void do_nothing_on_signal(int sig);
 extern bool non_fatal_flush_std_file(FILE *fp);
 extern size_t gawk_fwrite(const void *buf, size_t size, size_t count, FILE *fp, void *opaque);
 
@@ -2160,9 +2159,11 @@ str_terminate_f(NODE *n, char *savep)
 #define ignore_sigpipe() signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN)
 #define set_sigpipe_to_default() signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_DFL)
 #define die_via_sigpipe() (signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_DFL), kill(getpid(), SIGPIPE))
+#define silent_catch_sigpipe() signal(SIGPIPE, do_nothing_on_signal)
 #else
 #define ignore_sigpipe()
 #define set_sigpipe_to_default()
+#define silent_catch_sigpipe()
 #ifdef __MINGW32__
 /* 0xC0000008 is EXCEPTION_INVALID_HANDLE, somewhat appropriate for EPIPE */
 #define die_via_sigpipe() exit(0xC0000008)
diff --git a/builtin.c b/builtin.c
index 6fc76b72..84a0dff5 100644
--- a/builtin.c
+++ b/builtin.c
@@ -2269,7 +2269,7 @@ do_system(int nargs)
 		cmd[tmp->stlen] = '\0';
 
 		os_restore_mode(fileno(stdin));
-		set_sigpipe_to_default();
+		silent_catch_sigpipe();
 
 		status = system(cmd);
 		/*
diff --git a/io.c b/io.c
index c595c009..dcddbf4f 100644
--- a/io.c
+++ b/io.c
@@ -946,7 +946,7 @@ redirect_string(const char *str, size_t explen, bool not_string,
 			(void) flush_io();
 
 			os_restore_mode(fileno(stdin));
-			set_sigpipe_to_default();
+			silent_catch_sigpipe();
 			/*
 			 * Don't check failure_fatal; see input pipe below.
 			 * Note that the failure happens upon failure to fork,
@@ -2768,7 +2768,7 @@ gawk_popen(const char *cmd, struct redirect *rp)
 	FILE *current;
 
 	os_restore_mode(fileno(stdin));
-	set_sigpipe_to_default();
+	silent_catch_sigpipe();
 
 	current = popen(cmd, binmode("r"));
 
@@ -4587,3 +4587,19 @@ avoid_flush(const char *name)
 	return in_PROCINFO(bufferpipe, NULL, NULL) != NULL
 		|| in_PROCINFO(name, bufferpipe, NULL) != NULL;
 }
+
+/* do_nothing_on_signal --- empty signal catcher for SIGPIPE */
+
+/*
+ * See the thread starting at
+ * https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gawk/2023-12/msg00011.html.
+ *
+ * The hope is that by using this do-nothing function to catch
+ * SIGPIPE, instead of setting it to default, that when race conditions
+ * occur, gawk won't fatal out.
+ */
+
+void
+do_nothing_on_signal(int sig)
+{
+}