diff --git a/doc/emacs/cmdargs.texi b/doc/emacs/cmdargs.texi
index 5a3c1c14ab1..f9904d1f2e6 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/cmdargs.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/cmdargs.texi
@@ -260,9 +260,14 @@ on.  To invoke a Lisp program, use the @samp{-batch} option in
 conjunction with one or more of @samp{-l}, @samp{-f} or @samp{--eval}
 (@pxref{Action Arguments}).  @xref{Command Example}, for an example.
 
+@vindex kill-emacs-on-sigint
 In batch mode, Emacs does not display the text being edited, and the
 standard terminal interrupt characters such as @kbd{C-z} and @kbd{C-c}
-have their usual effect.  Emacs functions that normally print a
+have their usual effect: for @kbd{C-c} that effect is either to
+exit Emacs or to signal @code{quit}, depending on the variable
+@code{kill-emacs-on-sigint}.
+
+Emacs functions that normally print a
 message in the echo area will print to either the standard output
 stream (@code{stdout}) or the standard error stream (@code{stderr})
 instead.  (To be precise, functions like @code{prin1}, @code{princ}
diff --git a/etc/NEWS b/etc/NEWS
index dd9db73285c..8caf6d5cbfa 100644
--- a/etc/NEWS
+++ b/etc/NEWS
@@ -4593,6 +4593,14 @@ is a proper list, in which case the list will be returned as is,
 otherwise the function will return the object wrapped in a
 singleton list.
 
+---
+** In batch mode, 'C-c' (i.e. SIGINT) can either 'quit' or kill Emacs.
+By default it kills Emacs, as before, but 'kill-emacs-on-sigint'
+can be set to nil to change that.
+The response to SIGINT in interactive sessions is unaffected,
+e.g. in a normal GUI session it still kills Emacs whereas in a terminal
+it causes 'quit' since it is used for 'C-g'.
+
 
 * Changes in Emacs 31.1 on Non-Free Operating Systems
 
diff --git a/src/keyboard.c b/src/keyboard.c
index c64b2a6dd57..6f0b5fbb2ec 100644
--- a/src/keyboard.c
+++ b/src/keyboard.c
@@ -12543,11 +12543,17 @@ handle_interrupt_signal (int sig)
   struct terminal *terminal = get_named_terminal (dev_tty);
   if (!terminal)
     {
-      /* If there are no frames there, let's pretend that we are a
-         well-behaving UN*X program and quit.  We must not call Lisp
+      /* There are no frames, so either 'quit' or exit.
+         If 'kill-emacs-on-sigint', pretend that we are a
+         well-behaving UN*X program and exit.  We must not call Lisp
          in a signal handler, so tell maybe_quit to exit when it is
          safe.  */
-      Vquit_flag = Qkill_emacs;
+      Vquit_flag = (kill_emacs_on_sigint
+		    /* Don't risk running ELisp code while shutting down
+		       and limit the effect of 'kill_emacs_on_sigint'
+		       to batch sessions.  */
+		    || NILP (Vrun_hooks) || !noninteractive
+		    ? Qkill_emacs : Qt);
     }
   else
     {
@@ -13224,17 +13230,18 @@ init_keyboard (void)
      it for the initial terminal since there is no window system there.  */
   init_kboard (current_kboard, Qnil);
 
+  /* Before multi-tty support, these handlers used to be installed
+     only if the current session was a tty session.  Now an Emacs
+     session may have multiple display types, so we always handle
+     SIGINT.  There is special code in handle_interrupt_signal to exit
+     Emacs on SIGINT when there are no termcap frames on the
+     controlling terminal.  */
+  struct sigaction action;
+  emacs_sigaction_init (&action, deliver_interrupt_signal);
+  sigaction (SIGINT, &action, 0);
+
   if (!noninteractive)
     {
-      /* Before multi-tty support, these handlers used to be installed
-         only if the current session was a tty session.  Now an Emacs
-         session may have multiple display types, so we always handle
-         SIGINT.  There is special code in handle_interrupt_signal to exit
-         Emacs on SIGINT when there are no termcap frames on the
-         controlling terminal.  */
-      struct sigaction action;
-      emacs_sigaction_init (&action, deliver_interrupt_signal);
-      sigaction (SIGINT, &action, 0);
 #ifndef DOS_NT
       /* For systems with SysV TERMIO, C-g is set up for both SIGINT and
 	 SIGQUIT and we can't tell which one it will give us.  */
@@ -13401,6 +13408,12 @@ syms_of_keyboard (void)
 	       doc: /* Message displayed by `normal-top-level'.  */);
   Vinternal__top_level_message = regular_top_level_message;
 
+  DEFVAR_BOOL ("kill-emacs-on-sigint", kill_emacs_on_sigint,
+	       doc: /* If non-nil, a SIGINT event causes Emacs to exit.
+If nil, a SIGINT event causes a `quit` signal instead.
+This is effective only in `noninteractive' sessions.  */);
+  kill_emacs_on_sigint = true;
+
   /* Tool-bars.  */
   DEFSYM (QCimage, ":image");
   DEFSYM (Qhelp_echo, "help-echo");
diff --git a/test/src/keyboard-tests.el b/test/src/keyboard-tests.el
index ae47e4b3b4b..e4a1bf36a63 100644
--- a/test/src/keyboard-tests.el
+++ b/test/src/keyboard-tests.el
@@ -81,6 +81,34 @@
     (should-error (read-event "foo: "))
     (should-error (read-char-exclusive "foo: "))))
 
+(ert-deftest keyboard-sigint-to-quit () ;; bug#80942
+  (with-temp-buffer
+    (let* ((exit-msg "Exit via Quit")
+           (proc
+            (make-process
+             :name "keyboard-sigint-to-quit"
+             :buffer (current-buffer)
+             :command
+             `(,(expand-file-name invocation-name invocation-directory)
+               "-Q" "--batch" "--eval"
+               ,(prin1-to-string
+                 `(progn (setq kill-emacs-on-sigint nil)
+                         (message "Ready!")
+                         (condition-case nil
+                             (dotimes (_ 3) (sit-for 1))
+                           (quit (message "%s" ,exit-msg)))))))))
+      (while (progn (accept-process-output proc 1.0)
+                    (goto-char (point-min))
+                    (not (re-search-forward "Ready!" nil t)))
+        ) ;; (message "Waiting for subprocess to be ready")
+      ;; (message "Subprocess is ready")
+      (interrupt-process proc)
+      (while (prog1 (memq (process-status proc) '(run))
+               (accept-process-output proc 1.0))
+        ) ;; (message "Waiting for subprocess to exit")
+      (goto-char (point-min))
+      (should (re-search-forward exit-msg nil t)))))
+
 ;;; Tests for `read-key-sequence' code paths.
 
 ;;;; Helpers