diff --git a/src/common.cpp b/src/common.cpp
index d0dea1c20..b52dbf076 100644
--- a/src/common.cpp
+++ b/src/common.cpp
@@ -598,16 +598,6 @@ void __attribute__((noinline)) debug(int level, const char *msg, ...) {
     errno = errno_old;
 }
 
-void read_ignore(int fd, void *buff, size_t count) {
-    size_t ignore __attribute__((unused));
-    ignore = read(fd, buff, count);
-}
-
-void write_ignore(int fd, const void *buff, size_t count) {
-    size_t ignore __attribute__((unused));
-    ignore = write(fd, buff, count);
-}
-
 void debug_safe(int level, const char *msg, const char *param1, const char *param2,
                 const char *param3, const char *param4, const char *param5, const char *param6,
                 const char *param7, const char *param8, const char *param9, const char *param10,
@@ -626,14 +616,14 @@ void debug_safe(int level, const char *msg, const char *param1, const char *para
         const char *end = strchr(cursor, '%');
         if (end == NULL) end = cursor + strlen(cursor);
 
-        write_ignore(STDERR_FILENO, cursor, end - cursor);
+        (void)write(STDERR_FILENO, cursor, end - cursor);
 
         if (end[0] == '%' && end[1] == 's') {
             // Handle a format string.
             assert(param_idx < sizeof params / sizeof *params);
             const char *format = params[param_idx++];
             if (!format) format = "(null)";
-            write_ignore(STDERR_FILENO, format, strlen(format));
+            (void)write(STDERR_FILENO, format, strlen(format));
             cursor = end + 2;
         } else if (end[0] == '\0') {
             // Must be at the end of the string.
@@ -645,7 +635,7 @@ void debug_safe(int level, const char *msg, const char *param1, const char *para
     }
 
     // We always append a newline.
-    write_ignore(STDERR_FILENO, "\n", 1);
+    (void)write(STDERR_FILENO, "\n", 1);
 
     errno = errno_old;
 }
diff --git a/src/common.h b/src/common.h
index d4a2f646f..aa0085378 100644
--- a/src/common.h
+++ b/src/common.h
@@ -179,10 +179,6 @@ extern bool g_profiling_active;
 /// Name of the current program. Should be set at startup. Used by the debug function.
 extern const wchar_t *program_name;
 
-// Variants of read() and write() that ignores return values, defeating a warning.
-void read_ignore(int fd, void *buff, size_t count);
-void write_ignore(int fd, const void *buff, size_t count);
-
 /// Set to false at run-time if it's been determined we can't trust the last modified timestamp on
 /// the tty.
 extern bool has_working_tty_timestamps;
@@ -207,7 +203,7 @@ extern bool has_working_tty_timestamps;
     {                                       \
         char exit_read_buff;                \
         show_stackframe(L'E');              \
-        read_ignore(0, &exit_read_buff, 1); \
+        (void)read(0, &exit_read_buff, 1); \
         exit_without_destructors(1);        \
     }
 
diff --git a/src/env_universal_common.cpp b/src/env_universal_common.cpp
index c340e5961..00228113f 100644
--- a/src/env_universal_common.cpp
+++ b/src/env_universal_common.cpp
@@ -1209,7 +1209,7 @@ class universal_notifier_named_pipe_t : public universal_notifier_t {
         // would cause us to hang!
         size_t read_amt = 64 * 1024;
         void *buff = malloc(read_amt);
-        read_ignore(this->pipe_fd, buff, read_amt);
+        (void)read(this->pipe_fd, buff, read_amt);
         free(buff);
     }
 
@@ -1308,7 +1308,7 @@ class universal_notifier_named_pipe_t : public universal_notifier_t {
             while (this->readback_amount > 0) {
                 char buff[64];
                 size_t amt_to_read = mini(this->readback_amount, sizeof buff);
-                read_ignore(this->pipe_fd, buff, amt_to_read);
+                (void)read(this->pipe_fd, buff, amt_to_read);
                 this->readback_amount -= amt_to_read;
             }
             assert(this->readback_amount == 0);
diff --git a/src/path.cpp b/src/path.cpp
index fcb383474..7af742974 100644
--- a/src/path.cpp
+++ b/src/path.cpp
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ static void maybe_issue_path_warning(const wcstring &which_dir, const wcstring &
         debug(0, _(L"The error was '%s'."), strerror(saved_errno));
         debug(0, _(L"Please set $%ls to a directory where you have write access."), env_var);
     }
-    write(STDERR_FILENO, "\n", 1);
+    (void)write(STDERR_FILENO, "\n", 1);
 }
 
 static void path_create(wcstring &path, const wcstring &xdg_var, const wcstring &which_dir,
diff --git a/src/reader.cpp b/src/reader.cpp
index 1e0e05698..8dff6cc6a 100644
--- a/src/reader.cpp
+++ b/src/reader.cpp
@@ -696,14 +696,14 @@ void reader_write_title(const wcstring &cmd, bool reset_cursor_position) {
         for (size_t i = 0; i < lst.size(); i++) {
             fputws(lst.at(i).c_str(), stdout);
         }
-        write(STDOUT_FILENO, "\a", 1);
+        (void)write(STDOUT_FILENO, "\a", 1);
     }
 
     proc_pop_interactive();
     set_color(rgb_color_t::reset(), rgb_color_t::reset());
     if (reset_cursor_position && !lst.empty()) {
         // Put the cursor back at the beginning of the line (issue #2453).
-        write(STDOUT_FILENO, "\r", 1);
+        (void)write(STDOUT_FILENO, "\r", 1);
     }
 }
 
@@ -1291,7 +1291,7 @@ static void reader_flash() {
     }
 
     reader_repaint();
-    write(STDOUT_FILENO, "\a", 1);
+    (void)write(STDOUT_FILENO, "\a", 1);
 
     pollint.tv_sec = 0;
     pollint.tv_nsec = 100 * 1000000;
@@ -3229,7 +3229,7 @@ const wchar_t *reader_readline(int nchars) {
         reader_repaint_if_needed();
     }
 
-    write(STDOUT_FILENO, "\n", 1);
+    (void)write(STDOUT_FILENO, "\n", 1);
 
     // Ensure we have no pager contents when we exit.
     if (!data->pager.empty()) {
diff --git a/src/wutil.cpp b/src/wutil.cpp
index 5b69c47f4..fd1586950 100644
--- a/src/wutil.cpp
+++ b/src/wutil.cpp
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ void safe_perror(const char *message) {
     safe_append(buff, safe_strerror(err), sizeof buff);
     safe_append(buff, "\n", sizeof buff);
 
-    write_ignore(STDERR_FILENO, buff, strlen(buff));
+    (void)write(STDERR_FILENO, buff, strlen(buff));
     errno = err;
 }