diff --git a/server/mpm/dexter/dexter.c b/server/mpm/dexter/dexter.c
index a680efb189..55b0c01951 100644
--- a/server/mpm/dexter/dexter.c
+++ b/server/mpm/dexter/dexter.c
@@ -1419,11 +1419,9 @@ int ap_mpm_run(pool *_pconf, pool *plog, server_rec *s)
 	        ap_scoreboard_image[i].status = SERVER_DYING;
 	    } 
 	}
-	/* kill off the idle ones */
-        for (i = 0; i < num_daemons; ++i) {
-            if (write(pipe_of_death[1], &char_of_death, 1) == -1) {
-                ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_WARNING, server_conf, "write pipe_of_death");
-            }
+	/* give the children the signal to die */
+        if (write(pipe_of_death[1], &char_of_death, num_daemons) == -1) {
+            ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_ERR, server_conf, "write pipe_of_death");
         }
     }
     else {
diff --git a/server/mpm/mpmt_pthread/mpmt_pthread.c b/server/mpm/mpmt_pthread/mpmt_pthread.c
index 33b57491d6..e8cf350ab4 100644
--- a/server/mpm/mpmt_pthread/mpmt_pthread.c
+++ b/server/mpm/mpmt_pthread/mpmt_pthread.c
@@ -1469,11 +1469,11 @@ int ap_mpm_run(pool *_pconf, pool *plog, server_rec *s)
 	ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_NOERRNO|APLOG_NOTICE, server_conf,
 		    "SIGWINCH received.  Doing graceful restart");
 
-	/* kill off the idle ones */
-        for (i = 0; i < ap_daemons_limit; ++i) {
-            if (write(pipe_of_death[1], &char_of_death, 1) == -1) {
-                ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_WARNING, server_conf, "write pipe_of_death");
-            }
+        /* give the children the signal to die. Sending more bytes than
+         * children is okay, because the pipe is recreated for every
+         * generation */
+        if (write(pipe_of_death[1], &char_of_death, ap_daemons_limit) == -1) {
+            ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_WARNING, server_conf, "write pipe_of_death");
         }
 
 	/* This is mostly for debugging... so that we know what is still