diff --git a/src/libstd/process.rs b/src/libstd/process.rs
index 3eee45d000cd1..2dedb2df08a2a 100644
--- a/src/libstd/process.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/process.rs
@@ -1489,6 +1489,40 @@ impl Child {
         let status = self.wait()?;
         Ok(Output { status, stdout, stderr })
     }
+
+    /// Indicates that the process has exited and the exit status is known.
+    ///
+    /// You should only call this function after using `waitpid` on Unix or an
+    /// equivalent function on another platform. It will cause future calls to
+    /// [`wait`] and [`wait_with_output`] to use this exit status.
+    ///
+    /// # Examples
+    ///
+    /// ```
+    /// # use std::process::{Child, ExitStatus};
+    /// use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
+    ///
+    /// let mut child = Command::new("echo")
+    ///     .arg("Hello world")
+    ///     .stdout(Stdio::piped())
+    ///     .spawn()
+    ///     .expect("failed to execute child");
+    ///
+    /// # fn external_wait(child: &mut Child) -> ExitStatus {
+    /// #     child.wait().unwrap()
+    /// # }
+    /// let status = external_wait(&mut child);
+    /// child.set_status(status);
+    ///
+    /// assert_eq!(status, child.wait().expect("failed to wait on child"));
+    /// ```
+    ///
+    /// [`wait`]: #method.wait
+    /// [`wait_with_output`]: #method.wait_with_output
+    #[stable(feature = "child_set_status", since = "1.44.0")]
+    pub fn set_status(&mut self, status: ExitStatus) {
+        self.handle.set_status(status.0);
+    }
 }
 
 /// Terminates the current process with the specified exit code.
diff --git a/src/libstd/sys/cloudabi/shims/process.rs b/src/libstd/sys/cloudabi/shims/process.rs
index 4702e5c549228..48467b881cfd5 100644
--- a/src/libstd/sys/cloudabi/shims/process.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/sys/cloudabi/shims/process.rs
@@ -146,4 +146,6 @@ impl Process {
     pub fn try_wait(&mut self) -> io::Result<Option<ExitStatus>> {
         match self.0 {}
     }
+
+    pub fn set_status(&mut self, _: ExitStatus) {}
 }
diff --git a/src/libstd/sys/hermit/process.rs b/src/libstd/sys/hermit/process.rs
index 4702e5c549228..48467b881cfd5 100644
--- a/src/libstd/sys/hermit/process.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/sys/hermit/process.rs
@@ -146,4 +146,6 @@ impl Process {
     pub fn try_wait(&mut self) -> io::Result<Option<ExitStatus>> {
         match self.0 {}
     }
+
+    pub fn set_status(&mut self, _: ExitStatus) {}
 }
diff --git a/src/libstd/sys/sgx/process.rs b/src/libstd/sys/sgx/process.rs
index 4702e5c549228..48467b881cfd5 100644
--- a/src/libstd/sys/sgx/process.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/sys/sgx/process.rs
@@ -146,4 +146,6 @@ impl Process {
     pub fn try_wait(&mut self) -> io::Result<Option<ExitStatus>> {
         match self.0 {}
     }
+
+    pub fn set_status(&mut self, _: ExitStatus) {}
 }
diff --git a/src/libstd/sys/unix/process/process_fuchsia.rs b/src/libstd/sys/unix/process/process_fuchsia.rs
index f0bd1cdfed52f..794e3e78fc43d 100644
--- a/src/libstd/sys/unix/process/process_fuchsia.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/sys/unix/process/process_fuchsia.rs
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ impl Command {
 
         let process_handle = unsafe { self.do_exec(theirs, envp.as_ref())? };
 
-        Ok((Process { handle: Handle::new(process_handle) }, ours))
+        Ok((Process { handle: Handle::new(process_handle), status: None }, ours))
     }
 
     pub fn exec(&mut self, default: Stdio) -> io::Error {
@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@ impl Command {
 
 pub struct Process {
     handle: Handle,
+    status: Option<ExitStatus>,
 }
 
 impl Process {
@@ -160,6 +161,10 @@ impl Process {
         use crate::default::Default;
         use crate::sys::process::zircon::*;
 
+        if let Some(status) = self.status {
+            return Ok(status);
+        }
+
         let mut proc_info: zx_info_process_t = Default::default();
         let mut actual: size_t = 0;
         let mut avail: size_t = 0;
@@ -186,13 +191,19 @@ impl Process {
                 "Failed to get exit status of process",
             ));
         }
-        Ok(ExitStatus(proc_info.return_code))
+        let status = ExitStatus(proc_info.return_code);
+        self.set_status(status);
+        Ok(status)
     }
 
     pub fn try_wait(&mut self) -> io::Result<Option<ExitStatus>> {
         use crate::default::Default;
         use crate::sys::process::zircon::*;
 
+        if let Some(status) = self.status {
+            return Ok(status);
+        }
+
         let mut proc_info: zx_info_process_t = Default::default();
         let mut actual: size_t = 0;
         let mut avail: size_t = 0;
@@ -224,7 +235,12 @@ impl Process {
                 "Failed to get exit status of process",
             ));
         }
-        Ok(Some(ExitStatus(proc_info.return_code)))
+        self.set_status(ExitStatus(proc_info.return_code));
+        Ok(self.status)
+    }
+
+    pub fn set_status(&mut self, status: ExitStatus) {
+        self.status = Some(status);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libstd/sys/unix/process/process_unix.rs b/src/libstd/sys/unix/process/process_unix.rs
index 07d0fbf61fe22..91ef14d91138f 100644
--- a/src/libstd/sys/unix/process/process_unix.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/sys/unix/process/process_unix.rs
@@ -436,8 +436,8 @@ impl Process {
         }
         let mut status = 0 as c_int;
         cvt_r(|| unsafe { libc::waitpid(self.pid, &mut status, 0) })?;
-        self.status = Some(ExitStatus::new(status));
-        Ok(ExitStatus::new(status))
+        self.set_status(ExitStatus(status));
+        Ok(ExitStatus(status))
     }
 
     pub fn try_wait(&mut self) -> io::Result<Option<ExitStatus>> {
@@ -446,12 +446,14 @@ impl Process {
         }
         let mut status = 0 as c_int;
         let pid = cvt(unsafe { libc::waitpid(self.pid, &mut status, libc::WNOHANG) })?;
-        if pid == 0 {
-            Ok(None)
-        } else {
-            self.status = Some(ExitStatus::new(status));
-            Ok(Some(ExitStatus::new(status)))
+        if pid != 0 {
+            self.set_status(ExitStatus(status));
         }
+        Ok(self.status)
+    }
+
+    pub fn set_status(&mut self, status: ExitStatus) {
+        self.status = Some(status);
     }
 }
 
@@ -460,10 +462,6 @@ impl Process {
 pub struct ExitStatus(c_int);
 
 impl ExitStatus {
-    pub fn new(status: c_int) -> ExitStatus {
-        ExitStatus(status)
-    }
-
     fn exited(&self) -> bool {
         unsafe { libc::WIFEXITED(self.0) }
     }
diff --git a/src/libstd/sys/vxworks/process/process_common.rs b/src/libstd/sys/vxworks/process/process_common.rs
index 6d5506bec5f7d..37b846309273a 100644
--- a/src/libstd/sys/vxworks/process/process_common.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/sys/vxworks/process/process_common.rs
@@ -344,10 +344,6 @@ impl fmt::Debug for Command {
 pub struct ExitStatus(c_int);
 
 impl ExitStatus {
-    pub fn new(status: c_int) -> ExitStatus {
-        ExitStatus(status)
-    }
-
     fn exited(&self) -> bool {
         /*unsafe*/
         { libc::WIFEXITED(self.0) }
diff --git a/src/libstd/sys/vxworks/process/process_vxworks.rs b/src/libstd/sys/vxworks/process/process_vxworks.rs
index f7e84ae3de9c7..55b76f0976461 100644
--- a/src/libstd/sys/vxworks/process/process_vxworks.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/sys/vxworks/process/process_vxworks.rs
@@ -149,8 +149,8 @@ impl Process {
         }
         let mut status = 0 as c_int;
         cvt_r(|| unsafe { libc::waitpid(self.pid, &mut status, 0) })?;
-        self.status = Some(ExitStatus::new(status));
-        Ok(ExitStatus::new(status))
+        self.set_status(ExitStatus(status));
+        Ok(ExitStatus(status))
     }
 
     pub fn try_wait(&mut self) -> io::Result<Option<ExitStatus>> {
@@ -159,11 +159,13 @@ impl Process {
         }
         let mut status = 0 as c_int;
         let pid = cvt(unsafe { libc::waitpid(self.pid, &mut status, libc::WNOHANG) })?;
-        if pid == 0 {
-            Ok(None)
-        } else {
-            self.status = Some(ExitStatus::new(status));
-            Ok(Some(ExitStatus::new(status)))
+        if pid != 0 {
+            self.set_status(ExitStatus(status));
         }
+        Ok(self.status)
+    }
+
+    pub fn set_status(&mut self, status: ExitStatus) {
+        self.status = Some(status);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/libstd/sys/wasi/process.rs b/src/libstd/sys/wasi/process.rs
index 7156c9ab92f2b..4cbfae0b624ed 100644
--- a/src/libstd/sys/wasi/process.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/sys/wasi/process.rs
@@ -146,4 +146,6 @@ impl Process {
     pub fn try_wait(&mut self) -> io::Result<Option<ExitStatus>> {
         match self.0 {}
     }
+
+    pub fn set_status(&mut self, _: ExitStatus) {}
 }
diff --git a/src/libstd/sys/wasm/process.rs b/src/libstd/sys/wasm/process.rs
index 4702e5c549228..48467b881cfd5 100644
--- a/src/libstd/sys/wasm/process.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/sys/wasm/process.rs
@@ -146,4 +146,6 @@ impl Process {
     pub fn try_wait(&mut self) -> io::Result<Option<ExitStatus>> {
         match self.0 {}
     }
+
+    pub fn set_status(&mut self, _: ExitStatus) {}
 }
diff --git a/src/libstd/sys/windows/process.rs b/src/libstd/sys/windows/process.rs
index a62a637393ea3..82aca0a8df79b 100644
--- a/src/libstd/sys/windows/process.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/sys/windows/process.rs
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ impl Command {
         // around to be able to close it later.
         drop(Handle::new(pi.hThread));
 
-        Ok((Process { handle: Handle::new(pi.hProcess) }, pipes))
+        Ok((Process { handle: Handle::new(pi.hProcess), status: None }, pipes))
     }
 }
 
@@ -319,6 +319,7 @@ impl From<File> for Stdio {
 /// for the process to terminate.
 pub struct Process {
     handle: Handle,
+    status: Option<ExitStatus>,
 }
 
 impl Process {
@@ -332,6 +333,9 @@ impl Process {
     }
 
     pub fn wait(&mut self) -> io::Result<ExitStatus> {
+        if let Some(status) = self.status {
+            return Ok(status);
+        }
         unsafe {
             let res = c::WaitForSingleObject(self.handle.raw(), c::INFINITE);
             if res != c::WAIT_OBJECT_0 {
@@ -339,11 +343,15 @@ impl Process {
             }
             let mut status = 0;
             cvt(c::GetExitCodeProcess(self.handle.raw(), &mut status))?;
+            self.set_status(ExitStatus(status));
             Ok(ExitStatus(status))
         }
     }
 
     pub fn try_wait(&mut self) -> io::Result<Option<ExitStatus>> {
+        if let Some(status) = self.status {
+            return Ok(Some(status));
+        }
         unsafe {
             match c::WaitForSingleObject(self.handle.raw(), 0) {
                 c::WAIT_OBJECT_0 => {}
@@ -354,10 +362,15 @@ impl Process {
             }
             let mut status = 0;
             cvt(c::GetExitCodeProcess(self.handle.raw(), &mut status))?;
-            Ok(Some(ExitStatus(status)))
+            self.set_status(ExitStatus(status));
+            Ok(self.status)
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn set_status(&mut self, status: ExitStatus) {
+        self.status = Some(status);
+    }
+
     pub fn handle(&self) -> &Handle {
         &self.handle
     }