diff --git a/Lib/test/test_bz2.py b/Lib/test/test_bz2.py
index 504a6d7..79acc07 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_bz2.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_bz2.py
@@ -352,6 +352,7 @@
         BZ2DecompressorTest,
         FuncTest
     )
+    test_support.reap_children()
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     test_main()
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_cmd_line.py b/Lib/test/test_cmd_line.py
index ec860d1..5e89863 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_cmd_line.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_cmd_line.py
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@
 
 def test_main():
     test.test_support.run_unittest(CmdLineTest)
+    test.test_support.reap_children()
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     test_main()
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_commands.py b/Lib/test/test_commands.py
index 0f7d15f..b72a1b9 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_commands.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_commands.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import unittest
 import os, tempfile, re
 
-from test.test_support import TestSkipped, run_unittest
+from test.test_support import TestSkipped, run_unittest, reap_children
 from commands import *
 
 # The module says:
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 
 def test_main():
     run_unittest(CommandTests)
+    reap_children()
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_fork1.py b/Lib/test/test_fork1.py
index cba5fc7..e909844 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_fork1.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_fork1.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 import os
 from test.fork_wait import ForkWait
-from test.test_support import TestSkipped, run_unittest
+from test.test_support import TestSkipped, run_unittest, reap_children
 
 try:
     os.fork
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 def test_main():
     run_unittest(ForkTest)
+    reap_children()
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     test_main()
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_mailbox.py b/Lib/test/test_mailbox.py
index 474354f..2f8cb8d 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_mailbox.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_mailbox.py
@@ -1785,6 +1785,7 @@
              TestMessageConversion, TestProxyFile, TestPartialFile,
              MaildirTestCase)
     test_support.run_unittest(*tests)
+    test_support.reap_children()
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_popen.py b/Lib/test/test_popen.py
index 2b687ad..fbf5e05 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_popen.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_popen.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 import os
 import sys
-from test.test_support import TestSkipped
+from test.test_support import TestSkipped, reap_children
 from os import popen
 
 # Test that command-lines get down as we expect.
@@ -35,5 +35,6 @@
 def main():
     print "Test popen:"
     _test_commandline()
+    reap_children()
 
 main()
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_popen2.py b/Lib/test/test_popen2.py
index 4db3cd1..2d54eb0 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_popen2.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_popen2.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 import os
 import sys
-from test.test_support import TestSkipped
+from test.test_support import TestSkipped, reap_children
 
 # popen2 contains its own testing routine
 # which is especially useful to see if open files
@@ -75,3 +75,4 @@
 
 main()
 _test()
+reap_children()
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_select.py b/Lib/test/test_select.py
index eaec52b..d341324 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_select.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_select.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Testing select module
-from test.test_support import verbose
+from test.test_support import verbose, reap_children
 import select
 import os
 
@@ -65,5 +65,6 @@
             continue
         print 'Unexpected return values from select():', rfd, wfd, xfd
     p.close()
+    reap_children()
 
 test()
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_socketserver.py b/Lib/test/test_socketserver.py
index 9316547..dd4532f 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_socketserver.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_socketserver.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 # Test suite for SocketServer.py
 
 from test import test_support
-from test.test_support import verbose, verify, TESTFN, TestSkipped
+from test.test_support import (verbose, verify, TESTFN, TestSkipped,
+                               reap_children)
 test_support.requires('network')
 
 from SocketServer import *
@@ -199,6 +200,7 @@
         testall()
     finally:
         cleanup()
+    reap_children()
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     test_main()
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_subprocess.py b/Lib/test/test_subprocess.py
index 9877f51..b4e6c00 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_subprocess.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_subprocess.py
@@ -27,6 +27,16 @@
     return re.sub(r"\[\d+ refs\]\r?\n?$", "", stderr)
 
 class ProcessTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+	# Try to minimize the number of children we have so this test
+	# doesn't crash on some buildbots (Alphas in particular).
+        test_support.reap_children()
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+	# Try to minimize the number of children we have so this test
+	# doesn't crash on some buildbots (Alphas in particular).
+        test_support.reap_children()
+
     def mkstemp(self):
         """wrapper for mkstemp, calling mktemp if mkstemp is not available"""
         if hasattr(tempfile, "mkstemp"):
@@ -600,6 +610,7 @@
 
 def test_main():
     test_support.run_unittest(ProcessTestCase)
+    test_support.reap_children()
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     test_main()
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_support.py b/Lib/test/test_support.py
index 8e31549..6532c79 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_support.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_support.py
@@ -475,3 +475,24 @@
     while len(threading._limbo) != num_limbo and count < _MAX_COUNT:
         count += 1
         time.sleep(0.1)
+
+def reap_children():
+    """Use this function at the end of test_main() whenever sub-processes
+    are started.  This will help ensure that no extra children (zombies)
+    stick around to hog resources and create problems when looking
+    for refleaks.
+    """
+
+    # Reap all our dead child processes so we don't leave zombies around.
+    # These hog resources and might be causing some of the buildbots to die.
+    import os
+    if hasattr(os, 'waitpid'):
+        any_process = -1
+        while True:
+            try:
+                # This will raise an exception on Windows.  That's ok.
+                pid, status = os.waitpid(any_process, os.WNOHANG)
+                if pid == 0:
+                    break
+            except:
+                break
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_wait3.py b/Lib/test/test_wait3.py
index f6a41a6..8279973 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_wait3.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_wait3.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 import os
 from test.fork_wait import ForkWait
-from test.test_support import TestSkipped, run_unittest
+from test.test_support import TestSkipped, run_unittest, reap_children
 
 try:
     os.fork
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 def test_main():
     run_unittest(Wait3Test)
+    reap_children()
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     test_main()
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_wait4.py b/Lib/test/test_wait4.py
index 027e5c3..711fd2d 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_wait4.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_wait4.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 import os
 from test.fork_wait import ForkWait
-from test.test_support import TestSkipped, run_unittest
+from test.test_support import TestSkipped, run_unittest, reap_children
 
 try:
     os.fork
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 def test_main():
     run_unittest(Wait4Test)
+    reap_children()
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     test_main()