diff --git a/os/utils.c b/os/utils.c
index 9b6fb3081..b45719e26 100644
--- a/os/utils.c
+++ b/os/utils.c
@@ -1243,14 +1243,15 @@ SmartScheduleTimer(int sig)
     SmartScheduleTime += SmartScheduleInterval;
 }
 
-void
-SmartScheduleInit(void)
+static int
+SmartScheduleEnable(void)
 {
+    int ret = 0;
 #ifdef SMART_SCHEDULE_POSSIBLE
     struct sigaction act;
 
     if (SmartScheduleDisable)
-        return;
+        return 0;
 
     memset((char *) &act, 0, sizeof(struct sigaction));
 
@@ -1259,11 +1260,40 @@ SmartScheduleInit(void)
     act.sa_handler = SmartScheduleTimer;
     sigemptyset(&act.sa_mask);
     sigaddset(&act.sa_mask, SIGALRM);
-    if (sigaction(SIGALRM, &act, 0) < 0) {
+    ret = sigaction(SIGALRM, &act, 0);
+#endif
+    return ret;
+}
+
+static int
+SmartSchedulePause(void)
+{
+    int ret = 0;
+#ifdef SMART_SCHEDULE_POSSIBLE
+    struct sigaction act;
+
+    if (SmartScheduleDisable)
+        return 0;
+
+    memset((char *) &act, 0, sizeof(struct sigaction));
+
+    act.sa_handler = SIG_IGN;
+    sigemptyset(&act.sa_mask);
+    ret = sigaction(SIGALRM, &act, 0);
+#endif
+    return ret;
+}
+
+void
+SmartScheduleInit(void)
+{
+    if (SmartScheduleDisable)
+        return;
+
+    if (SmartScheduleEnable() < 0) {
         perror("sigaction for smart scheduler");
         SmartScheduleDisable = TRUE;
     }
-#endif
 }
 
 #ifdef SIG_BLOCK
@@ -1438,8 +1468,6 @@ static struct pid {
     int pid;
 } *pidlist;
 
-OsSigHandlerPtr old_alarm = NULL;       /* XXX horrible awful hack */
-
 void *
 Popen(const char *command, const char *type)
 {
@@ -1462,8 +1490,7 @@ Popen(const char *command, const char *type)
     }
 
     /* Ignore the smart scheduler while this is going on */
-    old_alarm = OsSignal(SIGALRM, SIG_IGN);
-    if (old_alarm == SIG_ERR) {
+    if (SmartSchedulePause() < 0) {
         close(pdes[0]);
         close(pdes[1]);
         free(cur);
@@ -1476,7 +1503,7 @@ Popen(const char *command, const char *type)
         close(pdes[0]);
         close(pdes[1]);
         free(cur);
-        if (OsSignal(SIGALRM, old_alarm) == SIG_ERR)
+        if (SmartScheduleEnable() < 0)
             perror("signal");
         return NULL;
     case 0:                    /* child */
@@ -1651,7 +1678,7 @@ Pclose(void *iop)
     /* allow EINTR again */
     OsReleaseSignals();
 
-    if (old_alarm && OsSignal(SIGALRM, old_alarm) == SIG_ERR) {
+    if (SmartScheduleEnable() < 0) {
         perror("signal");
         return -1;
     }