diff --git a/audio/out/push.c b/audio/out/push.c
index c271fc0cdc..c4083923fd 100644
--- a/audio/out/push.c
+++ b/audio/out/push.c
@@ -423,8 +423,11 @@ static void destroy_no_thread(struct ao *ao)
 
     ao->driver->uninit(ao);
 
-    for (int n = 0; n < 2; n++)
-        close(p->wakeup_pipe[n]);
+    for (int n = 0; n < 2; n++) {
+        int h = p->wakeup_pipe[n];
+        if (h >= 0)
+            close(h);
+    }
 
     pthread_cond_destroy(&p->wakeup);
     pthread_mutex_destroy(&p->lock);
diff --git a/input/ipc-unix.c b/input/ipc-unix.c
index f26e0cadde..c3315d21b5 100644
--- a/input/ipc-unix.c
+++ b/input/ipc-unix.c
@@ -402,8 +402,10 @@ struct mp_ipc_ctx *mp_init_ipc(struct mp_client_api *client_api,
     return arg;
 
 out:
-    close(arg->death_pipe[0]);
-    close(arg->death_pipe[1]);
+    if (arg->death_pipe[0] >= 0) {
+        close(arg->death_pipe[0]);
+        close(arg->death_pipe[1]);
+    }
     talloc_free(arg);
     return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/osdep/subprocess-posix.c b/osdep/subprocess-posix.c
index 163559edbc..c780473fce 100644
--- a/osdep/subprocess-posix.c
+++ b/osdep/subprocess-posix.c
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@
 
 extern char **environ;
 
+#define SAFE_CLOSE(fd) do { if ((fd) >= 0) close((fd)); (fd) = -1; } while (0)
+
 // A silly helper: automatically skips entries with negative FDs
 static int sparse_poll(struct pollfd *fds, int num_fds, int timeout)
 {
@@ -93,12 +95,9 @@ int mp_subprocess(char **args, struct mp_cancel *cancel, void *ctx,
     }
     spawned = true;
 
-    close(p_stdout[1]);
-    p_stdout[1] = -1;
-    close(p_stderr[1]);
-    p_stderr[1] = -1;
-    close(devnull);
-    devnull = -1;
+    SAFE_CLOSE(p_stdout[1]);
+    SAFE_CLOSE(p_stderr[1]);
+    SAFE_CLOSE(devnull);
 
     int *read_fds[2] = {&p_stdout[0], &p_stderr[0]};
     subprocess_read_cb read_cbs[2] = {on_stdout, on_stderr};
@@ -119,10 +118,8 @@ int mp_subprocess(char **args, struct mp_cancel *cancel, void *ctx,
                     continue;
                 if (r > 0 && read_cbs[n])
                     read_cbs[n](ctx, buf, r);
-                if (r <= 0) {
-                    close(*read_fds[n]);
-                    *read_fds[n] = -1;
-                }
+                if (r <= 0)
+                    SAFE_CLOSE(*read_fds[n]);
             }
         }
         if (fds[2].revents) {
@@ -141,11 +138,11 @@ int mp_subprocess(char **args, struct mp_cancel *cancel, void *ctx,
 done:
     if (fa_destroy)
         posix_spawn_file_actions_destroy(&fa);
-    close(p_stdout[0]);
-    close(p_stdout[1]);
-    close(p_stderr[0]);
-    close(p_stderr[1]);
-    close(devnull);
+    SAFE_CLOSE(p_stdout[0]);
+    SAFE_CLOSE(p_stdout[1]);
+    SAFE_CLOSE(p_stderr[0]);
+    SAFE_CLOSE(p_stderr[1]);
+    SAFE_CLOSE(devnull);
 
     if (!spawned || (WIFEXITED(status) && WEXITSTATUS(status) == 127)) {
         *error = "init";
diff --git a/osdep/terminal-unix.c b/osdep/terminal-unix.c
index ffd6ee486c..eca6c69461 100644
--- a/osdep/terminal-unix.c
+++ b/osdep/terminal-unix.c
@@ -368,7 +368,16 @@ static void continue_sighandler(int signum)
 
 static pthread_t input_thread;
 static struct input_ctx *input_ctx;
-static int death_pipe[2];
+static int death_pipe[2] = {-1, -1};
+
+static void close_death_pipe(void)
+{
+    for (int n = 0; n < 2; n++) {
+        if (death_pipe[n] >= 0)
+            close(death_pipe[n]);
+        death_pipe[n] = -1;
+    }
+}
 
 static void quit_request_sighandler(int signum)
 {
@@ -421,8 +430,7 @@ void terminal_setup_getch(struct input_ctx *ictx)
 
     if (pthread_create(&input_thread, NULL, terminal_thread, NULL)) {
         input_ctx = NULL;
-        close(death_pipe[0]);
-        close(death_pipe[1]);
+        close_death_pipe();
         return;
     }
 
@@ -450,8 +458,7 @@ void terminal_uninit(void)
     if (input_ctx) {
         (void)write(death_pipe[1], &(char){0}, 1);
         pthread_join(input_thread, NULL);
-        close(death_pipe[0]);
-        close(death_pipe[1]);
+        close_death_pipe();
         input_ctx = NULL;
     }
 
diff --git a/stream/stream.c b/stream/stream.c
index d4dea4486f..ca17fa787f 100644
--- a/stream/stream.c
+++ b/stream/stream.c
@@ -885,8 +885,10 @@ struct mp_cancel {
 static void cancel_destroy(void *p)
 {
     struct mp_cancel *c = p;
-    close(c->wakeup_pipe[0]);
-    close(c->wakeup_pipe[1]);
+    if (c->wakeup_pipe[0] >= 0) {
+        close(c->wakeup_pipe[0]);
+        close(c->wakeup_pipe[1]);
+    }
 }
 
 struct mp_cancel *mp_cancel_new(void *talloc_ctx)
diff --git a/video/out/x11_common.c b/video/out/x11_common.c
index 26f861be06..670dca9147 100644
--- a/video/out/x11_common.c
+++ b/video/out/x11_common.c
@@ -762,8 +762,10 @@ void vo_x11_uninit(struct vo *vo)
         sem_destroy(&x11->screensaver_sem);
     }
 
-    for (int n = 0; n < 2; n++)
-        close(x11->wakeup_pipe[n]);
+    if (x11->wakeup_pipe[0] >= 0) {
+        close(x11->wakeup_pipe[0]);
+        close(x11->wakeup_pipe[1]);
+    }
 
     talloc_free(x11);
     vo->x11 = NULL;