diff --git a/test/fixtures/child-process-persistent.js b/test/fixtures/child-process-persistent.js
index 45a50f5a263..d0d3d9b9f0b 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/child-process-persistent.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/child-process-persistent.js
@@ -1 +1 @@
-setInterval(function() {}, 500);
+setInterval(function() {}, 9999);
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-child-process-send-returns-boolean.js b/test/parallel/test-child-process-send-returns-boolean.js
index 4c986e307e0..8c3ef464383 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-child-process-send-returns-boolean.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-child-process-send-returns-boolean.js
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ const subScript = fixtures.path('child-process-persistent.js');
   // Test `send` return value on `fork` that opens and IPC by default.
   const n = fork(subScript);
   // `subprocess.send` should always return `true` for the first send.
-  const rv = n.send({ h: 'w' }, (err) => { if (err) assert.fail(err); });
+  const rv = n.send({ h: 'w' }, assert.ifError);
   assert.strictEqual(rv, true);
-  n.kill();
+  n.kill('SIGKILL');
 }
 
 {