Wigan staved off the possibility of midweek relegation as Will Keane's second-half strike gave them victory at Stoke.
Defeat for the Championship's bottom club could have led to them going down if other results went against them in Wednesday's games.
But Keane scored with a shot on the turn from Max Power's ball into the box - his 11th goal of the season and first since mid-January - and Tendayi Darikwa should have added a second but just missed the target from Josh Magennis' cross.
Sub Ki-Jana Hoever forced a save from Jamie Jones as Stoke pressed in vain for an equaliser and they suffered their third loss in four winless games since a five-match unbeaten run.