diff --git a/Lib/test/test_mailbox.py b/Lib/test/test_mailbox.py
index 45dd118..6cdc441 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_mailbox.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_mailbox.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import os
+import sys
 import time
 import stat
 import socket
@@ -461,7 +462,7 @@
 
     def setUp(self):
         TestMailbox.setUp(self)
-        if os.name in ('nt', 'os2'):
+        if os.name in ('nt', 'os2') or sys.platform == 'cygwin':
             self._box.colon = '!'
 
     def test_add_MM(self):
@@ -736,11 +737,13 @@
         # In the parent, sleep a bit to give the child time to acquire
         # the lock.
         time.sleep(0.5)
-        self.assertRaises(mailbox.ExternalClashError,
-                          self._box.lock)
+        try:
+            self.assertRaises(mailbox.ExternalClashError,
+                              self._box.lock)
+        finally:
+            # Wait for child to exit.  Locking should now succeed.
+            exited_pid, status = os.waitpid(pid, 0)
 
-        # Wait for child to exit.  Locking should now succeed.
-        exited_pid, status = os.waitpid(pid, 0)
         self._box.lock()
         self._box.unlock()
 
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 25d0294..f2fc704 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@
 Tests
 -----
 
+- test_mailbox should now work on cygwin versions 2006-08-10 and later.
+
 - Bug #1535182: really test the xreadlines() method of bz2 objects.
 
 - test_threading now skips testing alternate thread stack sizes on