diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 34a5f2b..633f953 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-This dwm 6.4 (89f9905, 2022-12-07) side project has a different take on dwm patching. It uses preprocessor directives to decide whether or not to include a patch during build time. Essentially this means that this build, for better or worse, contains both the patched _and_ the original code. The aim being that you can select which patches to include and the build will contain that code and nothing more. Due to the complexity of some of the patches dwm-flexipatch has diverged from mainstream dwm by making some core patches non-optional for maintenance reasons. For the classic dwm-flexipatch build refer to branch [dwm-flexipatch-1.0](https://github.com/bakkeby/dwm-flexipatch/tree/dwm-flexipatch-1.0).
+This dwm 6.4 (712d663, 2023-01-28) side project has a different take on dwm patching. It uses preprocessor directives to decide whether or not to include a patch during build time. Essentially this means that this build, for better or worse, contains both the patched _and_ the original code. The aim being that you can select which patches to include and the build will contain that code and nothing more. Due to the complexity of some of the patches dwm-flexipatch has diverged from mainstream dwm by making some core patches non-optional for maintenance reasons. For the classic dwm-flexipatch build refer to branch [dwm-flexipatch-1.0](https://github.com/bakkeby/dwm-flexipatch/tree/dwm-flexipatch-1.0).
 
 For example to include the `alpha` patch then you would only need to flip this setting from 0 to 1 in [patches.h](https://github.com/bakkeby/dwm-flexipatch/blob/master/patches.def.h):
 ```c
diff --git a/dwm.c b/dwm.c
index 91e0f2a..3d3eef0 100644
--- a/dwm.c
+++ b/dwm.c
@@ -706,8 +706,10 @@ static void setlayout(const Arg *arg);
 static void setmfact(const Arg *arg);
 static void setup(void);
 static void seturgent(Client *c, int urg);
-static void showhide(Client *c);
+#if COOL_AUTOSTART_PATCH
 static void sigchld(int unused);
+#endif // COOL_AUTOSTART_PATCH
+static void showhide(Client *c);
 static void spawn(const Arg *arg);
 #if RIODRAW_PATCH
 static pid_t spawncmd(const Arg *arg);
@@ -3648,9 +3650,21 @@ setup(void)
 	XkbStateRec xkbstate;
 	#endif // XKB_PATCH
 	Atom utf8string;
-
+	#if COOL_AUTOSTART_PATCH
 	/* clean up any zombies immediately */
 	sigchld(0);
+	#else
+	struct sigaction sa;
+
+	/* do not transform children into zombies when they terminate */
+	sigemptyset(&sa.sa_mask);
+	sa.sa_flags = SA_NOCLDSTOP | SA_NOCLDWAIT | SA_RESTART;
+	sa.sa_handler = SIG_IGN;
+	sigaction(SIGCHLD, &sa, NULL);
+
+	/* clean up any zombies (inherited from .xinitrc etc) immediately */
+	while (waitpid(-1, NULL, WNOHANG) > 0);
+	#endif // COOL_AUTOSTART_PATCH
 
 	#if RESTARTSIG_PATCH
 	signal(SIGHUP, sighup);
@@ -3931,15 +3945,15 @@ showhide(Client *c)
 	}
 }
 
+#if COOL_AUTOSTART_PATCH
 void
 sigchld(int unused)
 {
-	#if COOL_AUTOSTART_PATCH
 	pid_t pid;
-	#endif // COOL_AUTOSTART_PATCH
+
 	if (signal(SIGCHLD, sigchld) == SIG_ERR)
 		die("can't install SIGCHLD handler:");
-	#if COOL_AUTOSTART_PATCH
+
 	while (0 < (pid = waitpid(-1, NULL, WNOHANG))) {
 		pid_t *p, *lim;
 
@@ -3954,10 +3968,8 @@ sigchld(int unused)
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	#else
-	while (0 < waitpid(-1, NULL, WNOHANG));
-	#endif // COOL_AUTOSTART_PATCH
 }
+#endif // COOL_AUTOSTART_PATCH
 
 #if RIODRAW_PATCH
 void