diff --git a/linux-user/signal.c b/linux-user/signal.c
index 5ca6d62b15..246315571c 100644
--- a/linux-user/signal.c
+++ b/linux-user/signal.c
@@ -66,12 +66,6 @@ static uint8_t host_to_target_signal_table[_NSIG] = {
     [SIGPWR] = TARGET_SIGPWR,
     [SIGSYS] = TARGET_SIGSYS,
     /* next signals stay the same */
-    /* Nasty hack: Reverse SIGRTMIN and SIGRTMAX to avoid overlap with
-       host libpthread signals.  This assumes no one actually uses SIGRTMAX :-/
-       To fix this properly we need to do manual signal delivery multiplexed
-       over a single host signal.  */
-    [__SIGRTMIN] = __SIGRTMAX,
-    [__SIGRTMAX] = __SIGRTMIN,
 };
 static uint8_t target_to_host_signal_table[_NSIG];
 
@@ -480,31 +474,45 @@ static int core_dump_signal(int sig)
     }
 }
 
+static void signal_table_init(void)
+{
+    int host_sig, target_sig;
+
+    /*
+     * Nasty hack: Reverse SIGRTMIN and SIGRTMAX to avoid overlap with
+     * host libpthread signals.  This assumes no one actually uses SIGRTMAX :-/
+     * To fix this properly we need to do manual signal delivery multiplexed
+     * over a single host signal.
+     */
+    host_to_target_signal_table[__SIGRTMIN] = __SIGRTMAX;
+    host_to_target_signal_table[__SIGRTMAX] = __SIGRTMIN;
+
+    /* generate signal conversion tables */
+    for (host_sig = 1; host_sig < _NSIG; host_sig++) {
+        if (host_to_target_signal_table[host_sig] == 0) {
+            host_to_target_signal_table[host_sig] = host_sig;
+        }
+    }
+    for (host_sig = 1; host_sig < _NSIG; host_sig++) {
+        target_sig = host_to_target_signal_table[host_sig];
+        target_to_host_signal_table[target_sig] = host_sig;
+    }
+}
+
 void signal_init(void)
 {
     TaskState *ts = (TaskState *)thread_cpu->opaque;
     struct sigaction act;
     struct sigaction oact;
-    int i, j;
+    int i;
     int host_sig;
 
-    /* generate signal conversion tables */
-    for(i = 1; i < _NSIG; i++) {
-        if (host_to_target_signal_table[i] == 0)
-            host_to_target_signal_table[i] = i;
-    }
-    for(i = 1; i < _NSIG; i++) {
-        j = host_to_target_signal_table[i];
-        target_to_host_signal_table[j] = i;
-    }
+    /* initialize signal conversion tables */
+    signal_table_init();
 
     /* Set the signal mask from the host mask. */
     sigprocmask(0, 0, &ts->signal_mask);
 
-    /* set all host signal handlers. ALL signals are blocked during
-       the handlers to serialize them. */
-    memset(sigact_table, 0, sizeof(sigact_table));
-
     sigfillset(&act.sa_mask);
     act.sa_flags = SA_SIGINFO;
     act.sa_sigaction = host_signal_handler;