diff --git a/index.d.ts b/index.d.ts
index bdd9c94161..2f846e6922 100644
--- a/index.d.ts
+++ b/index.d.ts
@@ -851,7 +851,8 @@ export type ExecaChildPromise<OptionsType extends Options = Options> = {
 
 	[More info.](https://nodejs.org/api/child_process.html#subprocesskillsignal)
 	*/
-	kill(signalOrError: Parameters<ChildProcess['kill']>[0] | Error): ReturnType<ChildProcess['kill']>;
+	kill(signal: Parameters<ChildProcess['kill']>[0], error?: Error): ReturnType<ChildProcess['kill']>;
+	kill(error?: Error): ReturnType<ChildProcess['kill']>;
 };
 
 export type ExecaChildProcess<OptionsType extends Options = Options> = ChildProcess &
diff --git a/index.test-d.ts b/index.test-d.ts
index b850e3a7fe..ce110b8ac2 100644
--- a/index.test-d.ts
+++ b/index.test-d.ts
@@ -1300,11 +1300,15 @@ expectType<boolean>(execa('unicorns').kill());
 execa('unicorns').kill('SIGKILL');
 execa('unicorns').kill(undefined);
 execa('unicorns').kill(new Error('test'));
-expectError(execa('unicorns').kill('SIGKILL', {}));
+execa('unicorns').kill('SIGKILL', new Error('test'));
+execa('unicorns').kill(undefined, new Error('test'));
 expectError(execa('unicorns').kill(null));
 expectError(execa('unicorns').kill(0n));
 expectError(execa('unicorns').kill([new Error('test')]));
 expectError(execa('unicorns').kill({message: 'test'}));
+expectError(execa('unicorns').kill(undefined, {}));
+expectError(execa('unicorns').kill('SIGKILL', {}));
+expectError(execa('unicorns').kill(null, new Error('test')));
 
 expectError(execa(['unicorns', 'arg']));
 expectType<ExecaChildProcess>(execa('unicorns'));
diff --git a/lib/kill.js b/lib/kill.js
index ca873a8457..f7e597cd3e 100644
--- a/lib/kill.js
+++ b/lib/kill.js
@@ -8,24 +8,34 @@ import {DiscardedError} from './error.js';
 const DEFAULT_FORCE_KILL_TIMEOUT = 1000 * 5;
 
 // Monkey-patches `childProcess.kill()` to add `forceKillAfterDelay` behavior and `.kill(error)`
-export const spawnedKill = ({kill, spawned, options: {forceKillAfterDelay, killSignal}, controller}, signalOrError = killSignal) => {
-	const signal = handleKillError(signalOrError, spawned, killSignal);
+export const spawnedKill = ({kill, spawned, options: {forceKillAfterDelay, killSignal}, controller}, signalOrError, errorArgument) => {
+	const {signal, error} = parseKillArguments(signalOrError, errorArgument, killSignal);
+	emitKillError(spawned, error);
 	const killResult = kill(signal);
 	setKillTimeout({kill, signal, forceKillAfterDelay, killSignal, killResult, controller});
 	return killResult;
 };
 
-const handleKillError = (signalOrError, spawned, killSignal) => {
-	if (typeof signalOrError === 'string' || typeof signalOrError === 'number') {
-		return signalOrError;
+const parseKillArguments = (signalOrError, errorArgument, killSignal) => {
+	const [signal = killSignal, error] = isErrorInstance(signalOrError)
+		? [undefined, signalOrError]
+		: [signalOrError, errorArgument];
+
+	if (typeof signal !== 'string' && typeof signal !== 'number') {
+		throw new TypeError(`The first argument must be an error instance or a signal name string/number: ${signal}`);
 	}
 
-	if (isErrorInstance(signalOrError)) {
-		spawned.emit(errorSignal, signalOrError);
-		return killSignal;
+	if (error !== undefined && !isErrorInstance(error)) {
+		throw new TypeError(`The second argument is optional. If specified, it must be an error instance: ${error}`);
 	}
 
-	throw new TypeError(`The first argument must be an error instance or a signal name string/number: ${signalOrError}`);
+	return {signal, error};
+};
+
+const emitKillError = (spawned, error) => {
+	if (error !== undefined) {
+		spawned.emit(errorSignal, error);
+	}
 };
 
 // Like `error` signal but internal to Execa.
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index d2670b2605..66b522fd98 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -325,9 +325,11 @@ A `streamName` can be passed to pipe `"stderr"`, `"all"` (both `stdout` and `std
 
 Returns `execaChildProcess`, which allows chaining `.pipe()` then `await`ing the [final result](#childprocessresult).
 
-#### kill(signalOrError?)
+#### kill(signal, error?)
+#### kill(error?)
 
-`signalOrError`: `string | number | Error`\
+`signal`: `string | number`\
+`error`: `Error`\
 _Returns_: `boolean`
 
 Sends a [signal](https://nodejs.org/api/os.html#signal-constants) to the child process. The default signal is the [`killSignal`](#killsignal) option. `killSignal` defaults to `SIGTERM`, which [terminates](#isterminated) the child process.
diff --git a/test/kill.js b/test/kill.js
index a290f1a9de..421eea4d47 100644
--- a/test/kill.js
+++ b/test/kill.js
@@ -427,11 +427,14 @@ test('child process errors use killSignal', async t => {
 	t.is(thrownError.signal, 'SIGINT');
 });
 
-const testInvalidKillArgument = async (t, killArgument) => {
+const testInvalidKillArgument = async (t, killArgument, secondKillArgument) => {
 	const subprocess = execa('empty.js');
+	const message = secondKillArgument instanceof Error || secondKillArgument === undefined
+		? /error instance or a signal name/
+		: /second argument is optional/;
 	t.throws(() => {
-		subprocess.kill(killArgument);
-	}, {message: /error instance or a signal name/});
+		subprocess.kill(killArgument, secondKillArgument);
+	}, {message});
 	await subprocess;
 };
 
@@ -440,6 +443,9 @@ test('Cannot call .kill(0n)', testInvalidKillArgument, 0n);
 test('Cannot call .kill(true)', testInvalidKillArgument, true);
 test('Cannot call .kill(errorObject)', testInvalidKillArgument, {name: '', message: '', stack: ''});
 test('Cannot call .kill([error])', testInvalidKillArgument, [new Error('test')]);
+test('Cannot call .kill(undefined, true)', testInvalidKillArgument, undefined, true);
+test('Cannot call .kill("SIGTERM", true)', testInvalidKillArgument, 'SIGTERM', true);
+test('Cannot call .kill(true, error)', testInvalidKillArgument, true, new Error('test'));
 
 test('.kill(error) propagates error', async t => {
 	const subprocess = execa('forever.js');
@@ -458,8 +464,18 @@ test('.kill(error) propagates error', async t => {
 
 test('.kill(error) uses killSignal', async t => {
 	const subprocess = execa('forever.js', {killSignal: 'SIGINT'});
-	subprocess.kill(new Error('test'));
-	t.like(await t.throwsAsync(subprocess), {signal: 'SIGINT'});
+	const error = new Error('test');
+	subprocess.kill(error);
+	t.is(await t.throwsAsync(subprocess), error);
+	t.is(error.signal, 'SIGINT');
+});
+
+test('.kill(signal, error) uses signal', async t => {
+	const subprocess = execa('forever.js');
+	const error = new Error('test');
+	subprocess.kill('SIGINT', error);
+	t.is(await t.throwsAsync(subprocess), error);
+	t.is(error.signal, 'SIGINT');
 });
 
 test('.kill(error) is a noop if process already exited', async t => {