diff --git a/src/bin/psql/t/020_cancel.pl b/src/bin/psql/t/020_cancel.pl
index 0765d82b92..081a1468d9 100644
--- a/src/bin/psql/t/020_cancel.pl
+++ b/src/bin/psql/t/020_cancel.pl
@@ -29,35 +29,10 @@ SKIP:
 
 	my ($stdin, $stdout, $stderr);
 
-	# Test whether shell supports $PPID.  It's part of POSIX, but some
-	# pre-/non-POSIX shells don't support it (e.g., NetBSD).
-	$stdin = "\\! echo \$PPID";
-	IPC::Run::run([ 'psql', '-X', '-v', 'ON_ERROR_STOP=1' ],
-		'<', \$stdin, '>', \$stdout, '2>', \$stderr);
-	$stdout =~ /^\d+$/ or skip "shell apparently does not support \$PPID", 2;
-
 	# Now start the real test
 	my $h = IPC::Run::start([ 'psql', '-X', '-v', 'ON_ERROR_STOP=1' ],
 		\$stdin, \$stdout, \$stderr);
 
-	# Get the PID
-	$stdout = '';
-	$stderr = '';
-	$stdin = "\\! echo \$PPID >$tempdir/psql.pid\n";
-	pump $h while length $stdin;
-	my $count;
-	my $psql_pid;
-	until (
-		-s "$tempdir/psql.pid"
-		  and ($psql_pid =
-			PostgreSQL::Test::Utils::slurp_file("$tempdir/psql.pid")) =~
-		  /^\d+\n/s)
-	{
-		($count++ < 100 * $PostgreSQL::Test::Utils::timeout_default)
-		  or die "pid file did not appear";
-		usleep(10_000);
-	}
-
 	# Send sleep command and wait until the server has registered it
 	$stdin = "select pg_sleep($PostgreSQL::Test::Utils::timeout_default);\n";
 	pump $h while length $stdin;
@@ -66,7 +41,7 @@ SKIP:
 	) or die "timed out";
 
 	# Send cancel request
-	kill 'INT', $psql_pid;
+	$h->signal('INT');
 
 	my $result = finish $h;