diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/run_tests.py b/src/calibre/utils/run_tests.py
index d854d41369..acf3d56695 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/run_tests.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/run_tests.py
@@ -308,6 +308,8 @@ def find_tests(which_tests=None, exclude_tests=None):
         a(find_tests())
         from calibre.utils.copy_files_test import find_tests
         a(find_tests())
+        from calibre.utils.safe_atexit import find_tests
+        a(find_tests())
         if iswindows:
             from calibre.utils.windows.wintest import find_tests
             a(find_tests())
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/safe_atexit.py b/src/calibre/utils/safe_atexit.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..89175f2681
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/safe_atexit.py
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# License: GPLv3 Copyright: 2025, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+
+# Atexit that works even if the process crashes
+
+import atexit
+import json
+import os
+import sys
+import time
+from contextlib import suppress
+from functools import wraps
+from threading import Lock
+
+from calibre.constants import iswindows
+from calibre.utils.filenames import make_long_path_useable
+from calibre.utils.ipc.simple_worker import start_pipe_worker
+
+lock = Lock()
+worker = None
+RMTREE_ACTION = 'rmtree'
+
+
+def thread_safe(f):
+
+    @wraps(f)
+    def wrapper(*a, **kw):
+        with lock:
+            return f(*a, **kw)
+    return wrapper
+
+
+@thread_safe
+def remove_folder(path: str) -> None:
+    _send_command(RMTREE_ACTION, os.path.abspath(path))
+
+
+def ensure_worker():
+    global worker
+    if worker is None:
+        worker = start_pipe_worker('from calibre.utils.safe_atexit import main; main()', stdout=None)
+        def close_worker():
+            worker.stdin.close()
+            worker.wait(10)
+        atexit.register(close_worker)
+    return worker
+
+
+def _send_command(action: str, payload: str) -> None:
+    worker = ensure_worker()
+    worker.stdin.write(json.dumps({'action': action, 'payload': payload}).encode('utf-8'))
+    worker.stdin.write(os.linesep.encode())
+    worker.stdin.flush()
+
+
+if iswindows:
+    def remove_dir(x):
+        x = make_long_path_useable(x)
+        import shutil
+        import time
+        for i in range(10):
+            try:
+                shutil.rmtree(x)
+                return
+            except Exception:
+                import os  # noqa
+                if os.path.exists(x):
+                    # In case some other program has one of the files open.
+                    time.sleep(0.1)
+                else:
+                    return
+        with suppress(Exception):
+            shutil.rmtree(x, ignore_errors=True)
+else:
+    def remove_dir(x):
+        import shutil
+        with suppress(Exception):
+            shutil.rmtree(x, ignore_errors=True)
+
+
+def main():
+    for line in sys.stdin.buffer:
+        if line:
+            try:
+                cmd = json.loads(line)
+                if cmd['action'] == RMTREE_ACTION:
+                    atexit.register(remove_dir, cmd['payload'])
+            except Exception:
+                import traceback
+                traceback.print_exc()
+
+
+def main_for_test(do_forced_exit=False):
+    tf = 'test-folder'
+    os.mkdir(tf)
+    open(os.path.join(tf, 'test-file'), 'w').close()
+    remove_folder(tf)
+    if do_forced_exit:
+        os._exit(os.EX_OK)
+    else:
+        sys.stdin.read()
+
+
+def find_tests():
+    import tempfile
+    import unittest
+
+    class TestSafeAtexit(unittest.TestCase):
+
+        def wait_for_empty(self, tdir, timeout=10):
+            st = time.monotonic()
+            while time.monotonic() - st < timeout:
+                q = os.listdir(tdir)
+                if not q:
+                    break
+                time.sleep(0.01)
+            self.assertFalse(q)
+
+        def test_safe_atexit(self):
+            with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tdir:
+                self.assertFalse(os.listdir(tdir))
+                p = start_pipe_worker('from calibre.utils.safe_atexit import main_for_test; main_for_test()', cwd=tdir)
+                p.stdin.close()
+                p.wait(10)
+                self.wait_for_empty(tdir)
+                p = start_pipe_worker('from calibre.utils.safe_atexit import main_for_test; main_for_test()', cwd=tdir)
+                p.kill()
+                p.wait(10)
+                self.wait_for_empty(tdir)
+                p = start_pipe_worker('from calibre.utils.safe_atexit import main_for_test; main_for_test(True)', cwd=tdir)
+                p.wait(10)
+                self.wait_for_empty(tdir)
+
+    return unittest.defaultTestLoader.loadTestsFromTestCase(TestSafeAtexit)