diff --git a/lib/stdlib/src/c.erl b/lib/stdlib/src/c.erl
index d6da6513dbd7..152deb6509c0 100644
--- a/lib/stdlib/src/c.erl
+++ b/lib/stdlib/src/c.erl
@@ -672,11 +672,22 @@ mfa_string(X) ->
     w(X).
 
 display_info(Pid) ->
-    case pinfo(Pid, [initial_call, current_function, reductions, message_queue_len,
-                     heap_size, stack_size, registered_name,
-                     {dictionary, '$process_description'},
-                     {dictionary, '$initial_call'}])
-    of
+    PInfo0 = pinfo(Pid, [initial_call, current_function, reductions, message_queue_len,
+                         heap_size, stack_size, registered_name,
+                         {dictionary, '$process_description'},
+                         {dictionary, '$initial_call'}]),
+    PInfo = case PInfo0 of
+                PInfo0 when is_list(PInfo0) ->
+                    PInfo0;
+                {badrpc, {'EXIT', {badarg, _}}} ->
+                    patch_old_pinfo(pinfo(Pid, [initial_call, current_function,
+                                                reductions, message_queue_len,
+                                                heap_size, stack_size, registered_name,
+                                                dictionary]));
+                _ ->
+                    undefined
+            end,
+    case PInfo of
 	undefined -> {0,0,0,0};
 	Info ->
 	    Call = initial_call(Info),
@@ -753,6 +764,13 @@ pinfo(Pid, What) ->
 	false -> process_info(Pid, What)
     end.
 
+patch_old_pinfo(undefined) ->
+    undefined;
+patch_old_pinfo(KeyList0) ->
+    {value, {dictionary, Dict}, KeyList} = lists:keytake(dictionary, 1, KeyList0),
+    PD = proplists:get_value('$process_description', Dict, undefined),
+    IC = proplists:get_value('$initial_call', Dict, undefined),
+    [{'$process_description', PD}, {'$initial_call', IC} | KeyList].
 
 fetch(Key, Info) ->
     case lists:keyfind(Key, 1, Info) of