diff --git a/src/sys/ptrace/bsd.rs b/src/sys/ptrace/bsd.rs
index fe07f55b8e..df8508a862 100644
--- a/src/sys/ptrace/bsd.rs
+++ b/src/sys/ptrace/bsd.rs
@@ -103,6 +103,14 @@ pub fn cont<T: Into<Option<Signal>>>(pid: Pid, sig: T) -> Result<()> {
     }
 }
 
+/// Issues a kill request as with ptrace(PT_KILL, ..-)
+/// This request is equivalent to ptrace(PT_CONTINUE, ..., SIGKILL); 
+pub fn kill(pid: Pid) -> Result<()> {
+    unsafe {
+        ptrace_other(Request::PT_KILL, pid, 0 as AddressType, 0).map(|_| ())
+    }
+}
+
 /// Move the stopped tracee process forward by a single step as with
 /// `ptrace(PT_STEP, ...)`
 ///
diff --git a/src/sys/ptrace/linux.rs b/src/sys/ptrace/linux.rs
index 03ab1f1fe2..7d6dbfadac 100644
--- a/src/sys/ptrace/linux.rs
+++ b/src/sys/ptrace/linux.rs
@@ -320,6 +320,15 @@ pub fn cont<T: Into<Option<Signal>>>(pid: Pid, sig: T) -> Result<()> {
     }
 }
 
+
+/// Issues a kill request as with ptrace(PTRACE_KILL, ..-)
+/// This request is equivalent to ptrace(PTRACE_CONT, ..., SIGKILL); 
+pub fn kill(pid: Pid) -> Result<()> {
+    unsafe {
+        ptrace_other(Request::PTRACE_KILL, pid, ptr::null_mut(), ptr::null_mut()).map(|_| ())
+    }
+}
+
 /// Move the stopped tracee process forward by a single step as with 
 /// `ptrace(PTRACE_SINGLESTEP, ...)`
 ///
diff --git a/test/sys/test_ptrace.rs b/test/sys/test_ptrace.rs
index ed62a88955..9608d0a240 100644
--- a/test/sys/test_ptrace.rs
+++ b/test/sys/test_ptrace.rs
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ fn test_ptrace_setsiginfo() {
 #[test]
 fn test_ptrace_cont() {
     use nix::sys::ptrace;
-    use nix::sys::signal::{kill, raise, Signal};
+    use nix::sys::signal::{raise, Signal};
     use nix::sys::wait::{waitpid, WaitStatus};
     use nix::unistd::fork;
     use nix::unistd::ForkResult::*;
@@ -87,14 +87,14 @@ fn test_ptrace_cont() {
             assert_eq!(waitpid(child, None), Ok(WaitStatus::Stopped(child, Signal::SIGTRAP)));
             ptrace::cont(child, None).unwrap();
             assert_eq!(waitpid(child, None), Ok(WaitStatus::Stopped(child, Signal::SIGTRAP)));
-            ptrace::cont(child, Signal::SIGKILL).unwrap();
+            ptrace::kill(child).unwrap();
             match waitpid(child, None) {
                 Ok(WaitStatus::Signaled(pid, Signal::SIGKILL, _)) if pid == child => {
                     // Some systems require the tracee is in 
                     // signal-delivery-stop otherwise the signal is discarded
                     // and the tracee doesn't actually get killed despite
                     // receiving the signal
-                    let _ = kill(child, None);
+                    //let _ = kill(child, None);
                 }
                 _ => panic!("The process should have been killed"),
             }