diff --git a/dist/tools/jlink/jlink.sh b/dist/tools/jlink/jlink.sh
index ee25a4dc6d..b48015b982 100755
--- a/dist/tools/jlink/jlink.sh
+++ b/dist/tools/jlink/jlink.sh
@@ -236,15 +236,16 @@ do_term() {
     JLINK_PIDFILE=$(mktemp -t "jilnk_pid.XXXXXXXXXX")
     # will be called by trap
     cleanup() {
-        JLINK_PID="$(cat ${JLINK_PIDFILE})"
-        kill ${JLINK_PID}
-        rm -r "${JLINK_PIDFILE}"
+        if [ -f $JLINK_PIDFILE ]; then
+            JLINK_PID="$(cat ${JLINK_PIDFILE})"
+            kill ${JLINK_PID}
+            rm -r "${JLINK_PIDFILE}"
+        fi
         exit 0
     }
     # cleanup after script terminates
-    trap "cleanup ${JLINK_PIDFILE}" EXIT
-    # don't trapon Ctrl+C, because JLink keeps running
-    trap '' INT
+    trap "cleanup ${JLINK_PIDFILE}" EXIT INT
+
     # start Jlink as RTT server
     sh -c "${JLINK} ${JLINK_SERIAL} \
             -ExitOnError 1 \