diff --git a/lib/std/crypto/tlcsprng.zig b/lib/std/crypto/tlcsprng.zig
index 8a2c24916b..c2cb119d4a 100644
--- a/lib/std/crypto/tlcsprng.zig
+++ b/lib/std/crypto/tlcsprng.zig
@@ -48,6 +48,16 @@ const Context = struct {
     gimli: std.crypto.core.Gimli,
 };
 
+var install_atfork_handler = std.once(struct {
+    // Install the global handler only once.
+    // The same handler is shared among threads and is inherinted by fork()-ed
+    // processes.
+    fn do() void {
+        const r = std.c.pthread_atfork(null, null, childAtForkHandler);
+        std.debug.assert(r == 0);
+    }
+}.do);
+
 threadlocal var wipe_mem: []align(mem.page_size) u8 = &[_]u8{};
 
 fn tlsCsprngFill(_: *const std.rand.Random, buffer: []u8) void {
@@ -107,13 +117,9 @@ fn tlsCsprngFill(_: *const std.rand.Random, buffer: []u8) void {
                     break :wof;
                 } else |_| {}
 
-                os.madvise(
-                    wipe_mem.ptr,
-                    wipe_mem.len,
-                    os.MADV_WIPEONFORK,
-                ) catch {
+                if (os.madvise(wipe_mem.ptr, wipe_mem.len, os.MADV_WIPEONFORK)) |_| {
                     return initAndFill(buffer);
-                };
+                } else |_| {}
             }
 
             if (std.Thread.use_pthreads) {
@@ -139,17 +145,14 @@ fn tlsCsprngFill(_: *const std.rand.Random, buffer: []u8) void {
 }
 
 fn setupPthreadAtforkAndFill(buffer: []u8) void {
-    const failed = std.c.pthread_atfork(null, null, childAtForkHandler) != 0;
-    if (failed) {
-        const ctx = @ptrCast(*Context, wipe_mem.ptr);
-        ctx.init_state = .failed;
-        return fillWithOsEntropy(buffer);
-    } else {
-        return initAndFill(buffer);
-    }
+    install_atfork_handler.call();
+    return initAndFill(buffer);
 }
 
 fn childAtForkHandler() callconv(.C) void {
+    // The atfork handler is global, this function may be called after
+    // fork()-ing threads that never initialized the CSPRNG context.
+    if (wipe_mem.len == 0) return;
     std.crypto.utils.secureZero(u8, wipe_mem);
 }