diff --git a/src/process/windows/SDL_windowsprocess.c b/src/process/windows/SDL_windowsprocess.c
index 65d8a394a0fab..cae6cfe1fc82c 100644
--- a/src/process/windows/SDL_windowsprocess.c
+++ b/src/process/windows/SDL_windowsprocess.c
@@ -520,8 +520,31 @@ bool SDL_SYS_CreateProcessWithProperties(SDL_Process *process, SDL_PropertiesID
     return result;
 }
 
+static BOOL CALLBACK terminate_app(HWND hwnd, LPARAM lparam)
+{
+    DWORD current_proc_id = 0, *term_info = (DWORD *) lparam;
+    GetWindowThreadProcessId(hwnd, &current_proc_id);
+    if (current_proc_id == term_info[0] && PostMessage(hwnd, WM_CLOSE, 0, 0)) {
+        term_info[1]++;
+    }
+    return TRUE;
+}
+
 bool SDL_SYS_KillProcess(SDL_Process *process, bool force)
 {
+    if (!force) {
+        // term_info[0] is the process ID, term_info[1] is number of successful tries
+        DWORD term_info[2];
+        term_info[0] = process->internal->process_information.dwProcessId;
+        term_info[1] = 0;
+        EnumWindows(terminate_app, (LPARAM) &term_info);
+        if (term_info[1] || PostThreadMessage(process->internal->process_information.dwThreadId, WM_CLOSE, 0, 0)) {
+            return true;
+        }
+        if (GenerateConsoleCtrlEvent(CTRL_BREAK_EVENT, term_info[0])) {
+            return true;
+        }
+    }
     if (!TerminateProcess(process->internal->process_information.hProcess, 1)) {
         return WIN_SetError("TerminateProcess failed");
     }