diff --git a/lib/frr_pthread.c b/lib/frr_pthread.c
index 3a4bc712fc..0b4d7c77ae 100644
--- a/lib/frr_pthread.c
+++ b/lib/frr_pthread.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "zlog.h"
 #include "libfrr.h"
 #include "libfrr_trace.h"
+#include "sigevent.h"
 
 DEFINE_MTYPE_STATIC(LIB, FRR_PTHREAD, "FRR POSIX Thread");
 DEFINE_MTYPE_STATIC(LIB, PTHREAD_PRIM, "POSIX sync primitives");
@@ -185,10 +186,9 @@ int frr_pthread_run(struct frr_pthread *fpt, const pthread_attr_t *attr)
 
 	assert(frr_is_after_fork || !"trying to start thread before fork()");
 
-	/* Ensure we never handle signals on a background thread by blocking
-	 * everything here (new thread inherits signal mask)
-	 */
-	sigfillset(&blocksigs);
+	sigemptyset(&blocksigs);
+	frr_sigset_add_mainonly(&blocksigs);
+	/* new thread inherits mask */
 	pthread_sigmask(SIG_BLOCK, &blocksigs, &oldsigs);
 
 	frrtrace(1, frr_libfrr, frr_pthread_run, fpt->name);
diff --git a/lib/frrcu.c b/lib/frrcu.c
index b85c525c58..1e7ed99eff 100644
--- a/lib/frrcu.c
+++ b/lib/frrcu.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 #include "frrcu.h"
 #include "seqlock.h"
 #include "atomlist.h"
+#include "sigevent.h"
 
 DEFINE_MTYPE_STATIC(LIB, RCU_THREAD,    "RCU thread");
 DEFINE_MTYPE_STATIC(LIB, RCU_NEXT,      "RCU sequence barrier");
@@ -346,7 +347,19 @@ static void rcu_start(void)
 	 */
 	sigset_t oldsigs, blocksigs;
 
-	sigfillset(&blocksigs);
+	/* technically, the RCU thread is very poorly suited to run even just a
+	 * crashlog handler, since zlog_sigsafe() could deadlock on transiently
+	 * invalid (due to RCU) logging data structures
+	 *
+	 * but given that when we try to write a crashlog, we're already in
+	 * b0rked territory anyway - give the crashlog handler a chance.
+	 *
+	 * (also cf. the SIGALRM usage in writing crashlogs to avoid hung
+	 * processes on any kind of deadlock in crash handlers)
+	 */
+	sigemptyset(&blocksigs);
+	frr_sigset_add_mainonly(&blocksigs);
+	/* new thread inherits mask */
 	pthread_sigmask(SIG_BLOCK, &blocksigs, &oldsigs);
 
 	rcu_active = true;
diff --git a/lib/sigevent.h b/lib/sigevent.h
index 0b07f594c1..2c51ba3767 100644
--- a/lib/sigevent.h
+++ b/lib/sigevent.h
@@ -45,6 +45,33 @@ bool frr_sigevent_check(sigset_t *setp);
 /* check whether there are signals to handle, process any found */
 extern int frr_sigevent_process(void);
 
+/* Ensure we don't handle "application-type" signals on a secondary thread by
+ * blocking these signals when creating threads
+ *
+ * NB: SIGSEGV, SIGABRT, etc. must be allowed on all threads or we get no
+ * crashlogs.  Since signals vary a little bit between platforms, below is a
+ * list of known things to go to the main thread.  Any unknown signals should
+ * stay thread-local.
+ */
+static inline void frr_sigset_add_mainonly(sigset_t *blocksigs)
+{
+	/* signals we actively handle */
+	sigaddset(blocksigs, SIGHUP);
+	sigaddset(blocksigs, SIGINT);
+	sigaddset(blocksigs, SIGTERM);
+	sigaddset(blocksigs, SIGUSR1);
+
+	/* signals we don't actively use but that semantically belong */
+	sigaddset(blocksigs, SIGUSR2);
+	sigaddset(blocksigs, SIGQUIT);
+	sigaddset(blocksigs, SIGCHLD);
+	sigaddset(blocksigs, SIGPIPE);
+	sigaddset(blocksigs, SIGTSTP);
+	sigaddset(blocksigs, SIGTTIN);
+	sigaddset(blocksigs, SIGTTOU);
+	sigaddset(blocksigs, SIGWINCH);
+}
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif