diff --git a/spec/core/io/close_spec.rb b/spec/core/io/close_spec.rb
index beacb3073..4a168e9c0 100644
--- a/spec/core/io/close_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/core/io/close_spec.rb
@@ -88,7 +88,6 @@
 end
 
 describe "IO#close on an IO.popen stream" do
-
   it "clears #pid" do
     io = IO.popen ruby_cmd('r = loop{puts "y"; 0} rescue 1; exit r'), 'r'
 
@@ -103,25 +102,18 @@
     io = IO.popen ruby_cmd('exit 0'), 'r'
     io.close
 
-    NATFIXME 'Handle $? with IO.popen', exception: NoMethodError, message: "undefined method `exitstatus' for nil" do
-      $?.exitstatus.should == 0
-    end
+    $?.exitstatus.should == 0
 
     io = IO.popen ruby_cmd('exit 1'), 'r'
     io.close
 
-    NATFIXME 'Handle $? with IO.popen', exception: NoMethodError, message: "undefined method `exitstatus' for nil" do
-      $?.exitstatus.should == 1
-    end
+    $?.exitstatus.should == 1
   end
 
   it "waits for the child to exit" do
     io = IO.popen ruby_cmd('r = loop{puts "y"; 0} rescue 1; exit r'), 'r'
     io.close
 
-    NATFIXME 'Handle $? with IO.popen', exception: NoMethodError, message: "undefined method `exitstatus' for nil" do
-      $?.exitstatus.should_not == 0
-    end
+    $?.exitstatus.should_not == 0
   end
-
 end
diff --git a/spec/core/io/popen_spec.rb b/spec/core/io/popen_spec.rb
index 930b7ea73..ec5094be2 100644
--- a/spec/core/io/popen_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/core/io/popen_spec.rb
@@ -39,9 +39,7 @@
     io = IO.popen ruby_cmd('r = loop{puts "y"; 0} rescue 1; exit r'), 'r'
     io.close
 
-    NATFIXME 'Handle $? with IO.popen', exception: NoMethodError, message: "undefined method `exitstatus' for nil" do
-      $?.exitstatus.should_not == 0
-    end
+    $?.exitstatus.should_not == 0
   end
 
   it "writes to a write-only pipe" do
@@ -70,9 +68,7 @@
     @io.write("bar")
     @io.close
 
-    NATFIXME 'Handle $? with IO.popen', exception: NoMethodError, message: "undefined method `exitstatus' for nil" do
-      $?.exitstatus.should == 0
-    end
+    $?.exitstatus.should == 0
 
     File.read(@fname).should == "bar"
   end
diff --git a/src/io_object.cpp b/src/io_object.cpp
index 55285a610..d41f4a217 100644
--- a/src/io_object.cpp
+++ b/src/io_object.cpp
@@ -703,6 +703,7 @@ Value IoObject::close(Env *env) {
     int result;
     if (m_fileptr && m_pid > 0) {
         result = pclose2(m_fileptr, m_pid);
+        set_status_object(env, m_pid, result);
     } else {
         result = ::close(m_fileno);
     }