I've submitted two patches to the python patch collector <http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=949332&group_id=5470&atid=305470> is something that should probably work with any pthreads based Unix implementation. It simply unblocks the type of signals that are normally delivered synchronously and that the pthreads standard says should not be blocked. Another patch, <http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&aid=948614&group_id=5470&atid=305470> redirects LinuxThreads asynchronous signals to Python's main thread. Right now it is done at compile time, but I think I can change this to a runtime check. As the patches are written, I doubt they can both be applied onto a standard Python. The purposes don't conflict, though and could probably both be used.