--- httpd-2.2.24/server/mpm/prefork/prefork.c~	2012-07-27 21:51:57.000000000 +0200
+++ httpd-2.2.24/server/mpm/prefork/prefork.c	2013-04-09 17:58:05.772765411 +0200
@@ -1043,14 +1043,31 @@
          * extra child
          */
         if (pid.pid != -1) {
+            process_score *child_record;
             processed_status = ap_process_child_status(&pid, exitwhy, status);
+            child_slot = find_child_by_pid(&pid);
             if (processed_status == APEXIT_CHILDFATAL) {
-                mpm_state = AP_MPMQ_STOPPING;
-                return 1;
+                /* fix race condition found in PR 39311
+                * A child created at the same time as a graceful happens 
+                * can find the lock missing and create a fatal error.
+                * It is not fatal for the last generation to be in this state.
+                */
+               child_record = ap_get_scoreboard_process(child_slot);
+               if (child_slot < 0
+                   || child_record->generation
+                      == ap_my_generation) {
+                   mpm_state = AP_MPMQ_STOPPING;
+                   return DONE;
+               }
+               else {
+                   ap_log_error(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_WARNING, 0, ap_server_conf,
+                                "Ignoring fatal error in child of previous "
+                                "generation (pid %ld).",
+                                (long)pid.pid);
+               } 
             }
 
             /* non-fatal death... note that it's gone in the scoreboard. */
-            child_slot = find_child_by_pid(&pid);
             if (child_slot >= 0) {
                 (void) ap_update_child_status_from_indexes(child_slot, 0, SERVER_DEAD,
                                                            (request_rec *) NULL);