diff --git a/Lib/test/support.py b/Lib/test/support.py
--- a/Lib/test/support.py
+++ b/Lib/test/support.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
     "TestHandler", "Matcher", "can_symlink", "skip_unless_symlink",
     "skip_unless_xattr", "import_fresh_module", "requires_zlib",
     "PIPE_MAX_SIZE", "failfast", "anticipate_failure", "run_with_tz",
-    "requires_bz2", "requires_lzma"
+    "requires_bz2", "requires_lzma", "no_crash_popups",
     ]
 
 class Error(Exception):
@@ -1907,6 +1907,26 @@
     msg = "no non-broken extended attribute support"
     return test if ok else unittest.skip(msg)(test)
 
+if sys.platform.startswith('win'):
+    @contextlib.contextmanager
+    def no_crash_popups():
+        """Disable Windows Error Reporting dialogs using SetErrorMode."""
+        # see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms680621%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
+        import ctypes
+        k32 = ctypes.windll.kernel32
+        old_error_mode = k32.GetErrorMode()
+        SEM_NOGPFAULTERRORBOX = 0x02
+        k32.SetErrorMode(old_error_mode | SEM_NOGPFAULTERRORBOX)
+        try:
+            yield
+        finally:
+            k32.SetErrorMode(old_error_mode)
+else:
+    # this is a no-op for other platforms
+    @contextlib.contextmanager
+    def no_crash_popups():
+        yield
+
 def patch(test_instance, object_to_patch, attr_name, new_value):
     """Override 'object_to_patch'.'attr_name' with 'new_value'.
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_capi.py b/Lib/test/test_capi.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_capi.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_capi.py
@@ -44,11 +44,12 @@
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(threading, 'Threading required for this test.')
     def test_no_FatalError_infinite_loop(self):
-        p = subprocess.Popen([sys.executable, "-c",
-                              'import _testcapi;'
-                              '_testcapi.crash_no_current_thread()'],
-                             stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
-                             stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
+        with support.no_crash_popups():
+            p = subprocess.Popen([sys.executable, "-c",
+                                  'import _testcapi;'
+                                  '_testcapi.crash_no_current_thread()'],
+                                 stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+                                 stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
         (out, err) = p.communicate()
         self.assertEqual(out, b'')
         # This used to cause an infinite loop.