diff --git a/script.go b/script.go
index 76c7185..cff9351 100644
--- a/script.go
+++ b/script.go
@@ -112,18 +112,6 @@ func Get(url string) *Pipe {
 	return NewPipe().Get(url)
 }
 
-// getStderr obtains the stderr writer on the pipe. This field
-// is protected by a mutex since stderr is accessed inside a
-// goroutine from [Pipe.Exec] and [Pipe.ExecForEach].
-func (p *Pipe) getStderr() io.Writer {
-	if p.mu == nil { // uninitialised pipe
-		return nil
-	}
-	p.mu.Lock()
-	defer p.mu.Unlock()
-	return p.stderr
-}
-
 // IfExists tests whether path exists, and creates a pipe whose error status
 // reflects the result. If the file doesn't exist, the pipe's error status will
 // be set, and if the file does exist, the pipe will have no error status. This
@@ -427,7 +415,7 @@ func (p *Pipe) Exec(cmdLine string) *Pipe {
 		cmd.Stdin = r
 		cmd.Stdout = w
 		cmd.Stderr = w
-		pipeStderr := p.getStderr()
+		pipeStderr := p.stdErr()
 		if pipeStderr != nil {
 			cmd.Stderr = pipeStderr
 		}
@@ -468,7 +456,7 @@ func (p *Pipe) ExecForEach(cmdLine string) *Pipe {
 			cmd := exec.Command(args[0], args[1:]...)
 			cmd.Stdout = w
 			cmd.Stderr = w
-			pipeStderr := p.getStderr()
+			pipeStderr := p.stdErr()
 			if pipeStderr != nil {
 				cmd.Stderr = pipeStderr
 			}
@@ -806,18 +794,6 @@ func (p *Pipe) SetError(err error) {
 	p.err = err
 }
 
-// setStderr sets the stderr writer on the pipe. This field
-// is protected by a mutex since stderr is accessed inside a
-// goroutine from [Pipe.Exec] and [Pipe.ExecForEach].
-func (p *Pipe) setStderr(stderr io.Writer) {
-	if p.mu == nil { // uninitialised pipe
-		return
-	}
-	p.mu.Lock()
-	defer p.mu.Unlock()
-	p.stderr = stderr
-}
-
 // SHA256Sum returns the hex-encoded SHA-256 hash of the entire contents of the
 // pipe, or an error.
 func (p *Pipe) SHA256Sum() (string, error) {
@@ -866,6 +842,18 @@ func (p *Pipe) Slice() ([]string, error) {
 	return result, p.Error()
 }
 
+// stdErr returns the pipe's configured standard error writer for commands run
+// via [Pipe.Exec] and [Pipe.ExecForEach]. The default is nil, which means that
+// error output will go to the pipe.
+func (p *Pipe) stdErr() io.Writer {
+	if p.mu == nil { // uninitialised pipe
+		return nil
+	}
+	p.mu.Lock()
+	defer p.mu.Unlock()
+	return p.stderr
+}
+
 // Stdout copies the pipe's contents to its configured standard output (using
 // [Pipe.WithStdout]), or to [os.Stdout] otherwise, and returns the number of
 // bytes successfully written, together with any error.
@@ -940,11 +928,12 @@ func (p *Pipe) WithReader(r io.Reader) *Pipe {
 	return p
 }
 
-// WithStderr redirects the standard error output for commands run via
-// [Pipe.Exec] or [Pipe.ExecForEach] to the writer w, instead of going to the
-// pipe as it normally would.
+// WithStderr sets the standard error output for [Pipe.Exec] or
+// [Pipe.ExecForEach] commands to w, instead of the pipe.
 func (p *Pipe) WithStderr(w io.Writer) *Pipe {
-	p.setStderr(w)
+	p.mu.Lock()
+	defer p.mu.Unlock()
+	p.stderr = w
 	return p
 }
 
diff --git a/script_test.go b/script_test.go
index bff16e3..e006e7b 100644
--- a/script_test.go
+++ b/script_test.go
@@ -1971,14 +1971,9 @@ func TestEncodeBase64_CorrectlyEncodesInputBytes(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// TestWithStdErrAfterExec_DoesNotResultInRaceCondition is a regression test
-// that was added to test against a race condition for [Pipe.stderr].
-func TestWithStdErrAfterExec_DoesNotResultInRaceCondition(t *testing.T) {
+func TestWithStdErr_IsConcurrencySafeAfterExec(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
-	stdOut := new(bytes.Buffer)
-	stdErr := new(bytes.Buffer)
-
-	_, err := script.Exec("echo").WithStdout(stdOut).WithStderr(stdErr).Stdout()
+	err := script.Exec("echo").WithStderr(nil).Wait()
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}