diff --git a/testserver/exec_linux.go b/testserver/exec_linux.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b3742f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testserver/exec_linux.go
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+// Copyright 2021 The Cockroach Authors.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or
+// implied. See the License for the specific language governing
+// permissions and limitations under the License.
+
+// +build linux
+
+package testserver
+
+import (
+	"os/exec"
+	"syscall"
+)
+
+// execCommand attaches the Pdeathsig to tear down the cockroach cluster if the
+// parent process dies.
+func execCommand(name string, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
+	cmd := exec.Command(name, args...)
+	cmd.SysProcAttr.Pdeathsig = syscall.SIGKILL
+	return cmd
+}
diff --git a/testserver/exec_not_linux.go b/testserver/exec_not_linux.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d0ea8fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testserver/exec_not_linux.go
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+// Copyright 2021 The Cockroach Authors.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or
+// implied. See the License for the specific language governing
+// permissions and limitations under the License.
+
+// +build !linux
+
+package testserver
+
+import "os/exec"
+
+func execCommand(name string, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
+	return exec.Command(name, args...)
+}
diff --git a/testserver/testserver.go b/testserver/testserver.go
index 172a02d..bcf0813 100644
--- a/testserver/testserver.go
+++ b/testserver/testserver.go
@@ -62,10 +62,9 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach-go/v2/testserver/version"
 	// Import postgres driver.
 	_ "github.com/lib/pq"
-
-	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach-go/v2/testserver/version"
 )
 
 var customBinaryFlag = flag.String("cockroach-binary", "", "Use specified cockroach binary")
@@ -438,7 +437,7 @@ func (ts *testServerImpl) Start() error {
 	ts.state = stateRunning
 	ts.mu.Unlock()
 
-	ts.cmd = exec.Command(ts.cmdArgs[0], ts.cmdArgs[1:]...)
+	ts.cmd = execCommand(ts.cmdArgs[0], ts.cmdArgs[1:]...)
 	ts.cmd.Env = []string{"COCKROACH_MAX_OFFSET=1ns"}
 
 	if len(ts.stdout) > 0 {