diff --git a/cli/dts/lib.deno.unstable.d.ts b/cli/dts/lib.deno.unstable.d.ts
index 3bd9900212..50749e1d67 100644
--- a/cli/dts/lib.deno.unstable.d.ts
+++ b/cli/dts/lib.deno.unstable.d.ts
@@ -1176,6 +1176,9 @@ declare namespace Deno {
     output(): Promise<SpawnOutput>;
     /** Kills the process with given Signal. Defaults to SIGTERM. */
     kill(signo?: Signal): void;
+
+    ref(): void;
+    unref(): void;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/cli/tests/unit/spawn_test.ts b/cli/tests/unit/spawn_test.ts
index 594597412f..42df23b1f4 100644
--- a/cli/tests/unit/spawn_test.ts
+++ b/cli/tests/unit/spawn_test.ts
@@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ Deno.test(
 
 Deno.test(
   { permissions: { run: true, read: true } },
-  function spawnEnv() {
+  function spawnSyncEnv() {
     const { stdout } = Deno.spawnSync(Deno.execPath(), {
       args: [
         "eval",
@@ -712,3 +712,48 @@ Deno.test(function spawnSyncStdinPipedFails() {
     "Piped stdin is not supported for this function, use 'Deno.spawnChild()' instead",
   );
 });
+
+Deno.test(
+  { permissions: { write: true, run: true, read: true } },
+  async function spawnChildUnref() {
+    const enc = new TextEncoder();
+    const cwd = await Deno.makeTempDir({ prefix: "deno_command_test" });
+
+    const programFile = "unref.ts";
+    const program = `
+const child = await Deno.spawnChild(Deno.execPath(), {
+  cwd: Deno.args[0],
+  args: ["run", "-A", "--unstable", Deno.args[1]],
+});
+console.log("spawned pid", child.pid);
+child.unref();
+`;
+
+    const childProgramFile = "unref_child.ts";
+    const childProgram = `
+setInterval(() => {
+  console.log("hello from interval");
+}, 100);
+`;
+    Deno.writeFileSync(`${cwd}/${programFile}`, enc.encode(program));
+    Deno.writeFileSync(`${cwd}/${childProgramFile}`, enc.encode(childProgram));
+    // In this subprocess we are spawning another subprocess which has
+    // an infite interval set. Following call would never resolve unless
+    // child process gets unrefed.
+    const { success, stdout } = await Deno.spawn(Deno.execPath(), {
+      cwd,
+      args: ["run", "-A", "--unstable", programFile, cwd, childProgramFile],
+    });
+
+    assert(success);
+    const stdoutText = new TextDecoder().decode(stdout);
+    const pidStr = stdoutText.split(" ").at(-1);
+    assert(pidStr);
+    const pid = Number.parseInt(pidStr, 10);
+    await Deno.remove(cwd, { recursive: true });
+    // Child process should have been killed when parent process exits.
+    assertThrows(() => {
+      Deno.kill(pid, "SIGTERM");
+    }, Deno.errors.NotFound);
+  },
+);
diff --git a/ext/web/06_streams.js b/ext/web/06_streams.js
index 9ec028e4b6..7f67e81edf 100644
--- a/ext/web/06_streams.js
+++ b/ext/web/06_streams.js
@@ -647,13 +647,28 @@
 
   const DEFAULT_CHUNK_SIZE = 64 * 1024; // 64 KiB
 
-  function readableStreamForRid(rid) {
+  /**
+   * @callback unrefCallback
+   * @param {Promise} promise
+   * @returns {undefined}
+   */
+  /**
+   * @param {number} rid
+   * @param {unrefCallback=} unrefCallback
+   * @returns {ReadableStream<Uint8Array>}
+   */
+  function readableStreamForRid(rid, unrefCallback) {
     const stream = new ReadableStream({
       type: "bytes",
       async pull(controller) {
         const v = controller.byobRequest.view;
         try {
-          const bytesRead = await core.read(rid, v);
+          const promise = core.read(rid, v);
+
+          unrefCallback?.(promise);
+
+          const bytesRead = await promise;
+
           if (bytesRead === 0) {
             core.tryClose(rid);
             controller.close();
diff --git a/runtime/js/40_spawn.js b/runtime/js/40_spawn.js
index 54914dc090..a00b8cfda7 100644
--- a/runtime/js/40_spawn.js
+++ b/runtime/js/40_spawn.js
@@ -13,10 +13,13 @@
     TypeError,
     Uint8Array,
     PromiseAll,
+    SymbolFor,
   } = window.__bootstrap.primordials;
   const { readableStreamForRid, writableStreamForRid } =
     window.__bootstrap.streamUtils;
 
+  const promiseIdSymbol = SymbolFor("Deno.core.internalPromiseId");
+
   function spawnChild(command, {
     args = [],
     cwd = undefined,
@@ -71,6 +74,7 @@
 
   class Child {
     #rid;
+    #waitPromiseId;
 
     #pid;
     get pid() {
@@ -85,6 +89,8 @@
       return this.#stdin;
     }
 
+    #stdoutPromiseId;
+    #stdoutRid;
     #stdout = null;
     get stdout() {
       if (this.#stdout == null) {
@@ -93,6 +99,8 @@
       return this.#stdout;
     }
 
+    #stderrPromiseId;
+    #stderrRid;
     #stderr = null;
     get stderr() {
       if (this.#stderr == null) {
@@ -121,17 +129,25 @@
       }
 
       if (stdoutRid !== null) {
-        this.#stdout = readableStreamForRid(stdoutRid);
+        this.#stdoutRid = stdoutRid;
+        this.#stdout = readableStreamForRid(stdoutRid, (promise) => {
+          this.#stdoutPromiseId = promise[promiseIdSymbol];
+        });
       }
 
       if (stderrRid !== null) {
-        this.#stderr = readableStreamForRid(stderrRid);
+        this.#stderrRid = stderrRid;
+        this.#stderr = readableStreamForRid(stderrRid, (promise) => {
+          this.#stderrPromiseId = promise[promiseIdSymbol];
+        });
       }
 
       const onAbort = () => this.kill("SIGTERM");
       signal?.[add](onAbort);
 
-      this.#status = core.opAsync("op_spawn_wait", this.#rid).then((res) => {
+      const waitPromise = core.opAsync("op_spawn_wait", this.#rid);
+      this.#waitPromiseId = waitPromise[promiseIdSymbol];
+      this.#status = waitPromise.then((res) => {
         this.#rid = null;
         signal?.[remove](onAbort);
         return res;
@@ -186,6 +202,18 @@
       }
       core.opSync("op_kill", this.#pid, signo);
     }
+
+    ref() {
+      core.refOp(this.#waitPromiseId);
+      if (this.#stdoutPromiseId) core.refOp(this.#stdoutPromiseId);
+      if (this.#stderrPromiseId) core.refOp(this.#stderrPromiseId);
+    }
+
+    unref() {
+      core.unrefOp(this.#waitPromiseId);
+      if (this.#stdoutPromiseId) core.unrefOp(this.#stdoutPromiseId);
+      if (this.#stderrPromiseId) core.unrefOp(this.#stderrPromiseId);
+    }
   }
 
   function spawn(command, options) {
diff --git a/runtime/ops/spawn.rs b/runtime/ops/spawn.rs
index a6930b485e..b337f24884 100644
--- a/runtime/ops/spawn.rs
+++ b/runtime/ops/spawn.rs
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ pub struct ChildStatus {
   signal: Option<String>,
 }
 
-impl TryFrom<std::process::ExitStatus> for ChildStatus {
+impl TryFrom<ExitStatus> for ChildStatus {
   type Error = AnyError;
 
   fn try_from(status: ExitStatus) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {