diff --git a/src/classlib/gnuclasspath/classlib.h b/src/classlib/gnuclasspath/classlib.h
index 1ecf9f9..e8ec4e2 100644
--- a/src/classlib/gnuclasspath/classlib.h
+++ b/src/classlib/gnuclasspath/classlib.h
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ extern Thread *classlibJThread2Thread(Object *jThread);
 extern void classlibThreadName2Buff(Object *jThread, char *buffer,
                                     int buff_len);
 
+extern void classlibInitialiseSignalMask();
+
 #define classlibInitialiseSignals() \
     /* NOTHING TO DO */ TRUE
 
diff --git a/src/classlib/gnuclasspath/thread.c b/src/classlib/gnuclasspath/thread.c
index 6136e6d..b6abc73 100644
--- a/src/classlib/gnuclasspath/thread.c
+++ b/src/classlib/gnuclasspath/thread.c
@@ -139,6 +139,20 @@ void classlibThreadName2Buff(Object *jThread, char *buffer, int buff_len) {
     String2Buff(name, buffer, buff_len);
 }
 
+/* SIGQUIT and SIGINT are received synchronously via sigwait(),
+   so they must be blocked in all threads.  SIGPIPE is blocked
+   so writes to broken pipes fail with EPIPE.  Process-spawning
+   code must clear the inherited mask before exec. */
+void classlibInitialiseSignalMask() {
+    sigset_t mask;
+
+    sigemptyset(&mask);
+    sigaddset(&mask, SIGQUIT);
+    sigaddset(&mask, SIGINT);
+    sigaddset(&mask, SIGPIPE);
+    sigprocmask(SIG_BLOCK, &mask, NULL);
+}
+
 void classlibSignalThread(Thread *self) {
     sigset_t mask;
     int sig;
diff --git a/src/classlib/openjdk/classlib.h b/src/classlib/openjdk/classlib.h
index 015dfb2..43a2e57 100644
--- a/src/classlib/openjdk/classlib.h
+++ b/src/classlib/openjdk/classlib.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ extern void classlibSetThreadState(Thread *thread, int state);
 extern void classlibThreadName2Buff(Object *jThread, char *buffer,
                                     int buff_len);
 
+extern void classlibInitialiseSignalMask();
 extern int classlibInitialiseSignals();
 extern void classlibSignalThread(Thread *self);
 
diff --git a/src/classlib/openjdk/thread.c b/src/classlib/openjdk/thread.c
index 71fc8aa..21ea6a4 100644
--- a/src/classlib/openjdk/thread.c
+++ b/src/classlib/openjdk/thread.c
@@ -205,15 +205,43 @@ void classlibSignalThread(Thread *self) {
     }
 }
 
+/* Signals are received via asynchronous handlers. Make sure all
+   signals the VM uses are unblocked, so they can be delivered to
+   the registered handlers.  SIGQUIT and SIGPIPE are handled by
+   JamVM itself; SIGHUP, SIGINT and SIGTERM can be handled by the
+   class library via sun.misc.Signal, and are the only signals it
+   can register (see JVM_FindSignal) */
+void classlibInitialiseSignalMask() {
+    sigset_t mask;
+
+    sigemptyset(&mask);
+    sigaddset(&mask, SIGQUIT);
+    sigaddset(&mask, SIGINT);
+    sigaddset(&mask, SIGHUP);
+    sigaddset(&mask, SIGTERM);
+    sigaddset(&mask, SIGPIPE);
+    pthread_sigmask(SIG_UNBLOCK, &mask, NULL);
+}
+
+/* Writes to broken pipes must fail with EPIPE rather than kill
+   the VM.  Unlike blocking or SIG_IGN, a no-op handler is reset
+   to default on exec, so it doesn't leak into spawned children. */
+static void pipeHandler(int sig) {
+}
+
 int classlibInitialiseSignals() {
     struct sigaction act;
     Class *signal_class;
 
-    act.sa_handler = signalHandler;
+    act.sa_handler = pipeHandler;
     sigemptyset(&act.sa_mask);
     act.sa_flags = SA_RESTART;
-    sigaction(SIGQUIT, &act, NULL);
+    sigaction(SIGPIPE, &act, NULL);
 
+    /*
+     * Initialise everything used by signalHandler before installing
+     * it, as these signals may already be unblocked.
+     */
     sem_init(&signal_sem, 0, 0);
 
     signal_class = findSystemClass(SYMBOL(sun_misc_Signal));
@@ -222,6 +250,17 @@ int classlibInitialiseSignals() {
 
     signal_dispatch_mb = findMethod(signal_class, SYMBOL(dispatch),
                                                   SYMBOL(_I__V));
+    if(signal_dispatch_mb == NULL)
+        return FALSE;
 
-    return signal_dispatch_mb != NULL;
+    act.sa_handler = signalHandler;
+    sigemptyset(&act.sa_mask);
+    act.sa_flags = SA_RESTART;
+
+    sigaction(SIGQUIT, &act, NULL);
+    sigaction(SIGHUP, &act, NULL);
+    sigaction(SIGINT, &act, NULL);
+    sigaction(SIGTERM, &act, NULL);
+
+    return TRUE;
 }
diff --git a/src/thread.c b/src/thread.c
index e4fb7d1..8ca1fbc 100644
--- a/src/thread.c
+++ b/src/thread.c
@@ -761,8 +761,6 @@ void createJavaThread(Object *jThread, long long stack_size) {
     enableSuspend(self);
 }
 
-static void initialiseSignalMask();
-
 Thread *attachJNIThread(char *name, char is_daemon, Object *group) {
     Thread *thread = sysMalloc(sizeof(Thread));
     void *stack_base = nativeStackBase();
@@ -775,7 +773,7 @@ Thread *attachJNIThread(char *name, char is_daemon, Object *group) {
     memset(thread, 0, sizeof(Thread));
 
     /* Externally created threads will not inherit signal state */
-    initialiseSignalMask();
+    classlibInitialiseSignalMask();
 
     /* Initialise the thread and add it to the VM thread list */
     return attachThread(name, is_daemon, stack_base, thread, group);
@@ -1134,24 +1132,9 @@ void printThreadsDump(Thread *self) {
     resumeAllThreads(self);
 }
 
-static void initialiseSignalMask() {
-    sigset_t mask;
-
-    sigemptyset(&mask);
-    sigaddset(&mask, SIGQUIT);
-    sigaddset(&mask, SIGINT);
-    sigaddset(&mask, SIGPIPE);
-    sigprocmask(SIG_BLOCK, &mask, NULL);
-}
-
 static int initialiseSignals() {
     struct sigaction act;
 
-    /* Initialise signal mask.  Signal masks are per-thread,
-       but as this is the main thread it will be inherited
-       by all threads created wtihin Java */
-    initialiseSignalMask();
-
     /* Setup signal handler for thread suspension.  Signal
        handlers are process-wide */
 
@@ -1161,7 +1144,16 @@ static int initialiseSignals() {
     sigaction(SIGUSR1, &act, NULL);
 
     /* Do classlib specific initialisation */
-    return classlibInitialiseSignals();
+    if(!classlibInitialiseSignals())
+        return FALSE;
+
+    /* Initialise signal mask, after the handlers have been
+       installed. Signal masks are per-thread, but as this is
+       the main thread it will be inherited by all threads
+       created wtihin Java */
+    classlibInitialiseSignalMask();
+
+    return TRUE;
 }
 
 /* garbage collection support */