diff --git a/core/reactor.cc b/core/reactor.cc
index 8ce4dff5fc..f449e08f6a 100644
--- a/core/reactor.cc
+++ b/core/reactor.cc
@@ -118,14 +118,69 @@ reactor_backend_epoll::reactor_backend_epoll()
     : _epollfd(file_desc::epoll_create(EPOLL_CLOEXEC)) {
 }
 
+reactor::signals::signals() : _pending_signals(0) {
+}
+
+reactor::signals::~signals() {
+    sigset_t mask;
+    sigfillset(&mask);
+    ::sigprocmask(SIG_BLOCK, &mask, NULL);
+}
+
+reactor::signals::signal_handler::signal_handler(int signo, std::function<void ()>&& handler)
+        : _handler(std::move(handler)) {
+    auto mask = make_sigset_mask(signo);
+    auto r = ::sigprocmask(SIG_UNBLOCK, &mask, NULL);
+    throw_system_error_on(r == -1);
+    struct sigaction sa;
+    sa.sa_sigaction = action;
+    sa.sa_mask = make_empty_sigset_mask();
+    sa.sa_flags = SA_SIGINFO | SA_RESTART;
+    r = ::sigaction(signo, &sa, nullptr);
+    throw_system_error_on(r == -1);
+}
+
+void
+reactor::signals::handle_signal(int signo, std::function<void ()>&& handler) {
+    _signal_handlers.emplace(std::piecewise_construct,
+        std::make_tuple(signo), std::make_tuple(signo, std::move(handler)));
+}
+
+void
+reactor::signals::handle_signal_once(int signo, std::function<void ()>&& handler) {
+    return handle_signal(signo, [fired = false, handler = std::move(handler)] () mutable {
+        if (!fired) {
+            fired = true;
+            handler();
+        }
+    });
+}
+
+bool reactor::signals::poll_signal() {
+    auto signals = _pending_signals.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
+    if (signals) {
+        _pending_signals.fetch_and(~signals, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(signals)*8; i++) {
+            if (signals & (1ull << i)) {
+               _signal_handlers.at(i)._handler();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    return signals;
+}
+
+void reactor::signals::action(int signo, siginfo_t* siginfo, void* ignore) {
+    engine()._signals._pending_signals.fetch_or(1ull << signo, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+}
+
 reactor::reactor()
     : _backend()
     , _exit_future(_exit_promise.get_future())
     , _cpu_started(0)
     , _io_context(0)
     , _io_context_available(max_aio)
-    , _reuseport(posix_reuseport_detect())
-    , _pending_signals(0) {
+    , _reuseport(posix_reuseport_detect()) {
+
     auto r = ::io_setup(max_aio, &_io_context);
     assert(r >= 0);
     struct sigevent sev;
@@ -575,51 +630,6 @@ void reactor::exit(int ret) {
     smp::submit_to(0, [this, ret] { _return = ret; stop(); });
 }
 
-void
-reactor::handle_signal(int signo, std::function<void ()>&& handler) {
-    _signal_handlers.emplace(std::piecewise_construct,
-            std::make_tuple(signo), std::make_tuple(signo, std::move(handler)));
-}
-
-void
-reactor::handle_signal_once(int signo, std::function<void ()>&& handler) {
-    return handle_signal(signo, [fired = false, handler = std::move(handler)] () mutable {
-        if (!fired) {
-            fired = true;
-            handler();
-        }
-    });
-}
-
-void sigaction(int signo, siginfo_t* siginfo, void* ignore) {
-    engine()._pending_signals.fetch_or(1ull << signo, std::memory_order_relaxed);
-}
-
-bool reactor::poll_signal() {
-    auto signals = _pending_signals.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
-    if (signals) {
-        _pending_signals.fetch_and(~signals, std::memory_order_relaxed);
-        for (size_t i = 0; i < sizeof(signals)*8; i++) {
-            if (signals & (1ull << i)) {
-               _signal_handlers.at(i)._handler();
-            }
-        }
-    }
-    return signals;
-}
-
-reactor::signal_handler::signal_handler(int signo, std::function<void ()>&& handler)
-        : _handler(std::move(handler)) {
-    auto mask = make_sigset_mask(signo);
-    auto r = ::sigprocmask(SIG_UNBLOCK, &mask, NULL);
-    throw_system_error_on(r == -1);
-    struct sigaction sa;
-    sa.sa_sigaction = sigaction;
-    sa.sa_mask = make_empty_sigset_mask();
-    sa.sa_flags = SA_SIGINFO | SA_RESTART;
-    r = ::sigaction(signo, &sa, nullptr);
-    throw_system_error_on(r == -1);
-}
 
 struct reactor::collectd_registrations {
     std::vector<scollectd::registration> regs;
@@ -707,13 +717,13 @@ int reactor::run() {
     poller io_poller([&] { return process_io(); });
 #endif
 
-    poller sig_poller([&] { return poll_signal(); } );
+    poller sig_poller([&] { return _signals.poll_signal(); } );
 
     if (_id == 0) {
        if (_handle_sigint) {
-          handle_signal_once(SIGINT, [this] { stop(); });
+          _signals.handle_signal_once(SIGINT, [this] { stop(); });
        }
-       handle_signal_once(SIGTERM, [this] { stop(); });
+       _signals.handle_signal_once(SIGTERM, [this] { stop(); });
     }
 
     _cpu_started.wait(smp::count).then([this] {
@@ -736,7 +746,7 @@ int reactor::run() {
         smp_poller = poller(smp::poll_queues);
     }
 
-    handle_signal(SIGALRM, [this] {
+    _signals.handle_signal(SIGALRM, [this] {
         complete_timers(_timers, _expired_timers, [this] {
             if (!_timers.empty()) {
                 enable_timer(_timers.get_next_timeout());
@@ -1106,7 +1116,7 @@ void smp_message_queue::start(unsigned cpuid) {
 /* not yet implemented for OSv. TODO: do the notification like we do class smp. */
 #ifndef HAVE_OSV
 thread_pool::thread_pool() : _worker_thread([this] { work(); }), _notify(pthread_self()) {
-    engine().handle_signal(SIGUSR1, [this] { inter_thread_wq.complete(); });
+    engine()._signals.handle_signal(SIGUSR1, [this] { inter_thread_wq.complete(); });
 }
 
 void thread_pool::work() {
diff --git a/core/reactor.hh b/core/reactor.hh
index ee80dd2ff6..e041333471 100644
--- a/core/reactor.hh
+++ b/core/reactor.hh
@@ -688,16 +688,28 @@ private:
     template <typename Func> // signature: bool ()
     static std::unique_ptr<pollfn> make_pollfn(Func&& func);
 
-    struct signal_handler {
-        signal_handler(int signo, std::function<void ()>&& handler);
-        std::function<void ()> _handler;
-    };
-    std::atomic<uint64_t> _pending_signals;
-    std::unordered_map<int, signal_handler> _signal_handlers;
-    bool poll_signal();
-    friend void sigaction(int signo, siginfo_t* siginfo, void* ignore);
+    class signals {
+    public:
+        signals();
+        ~signals();
 
+        bool poll_signal();
+        void handle_signal(int signo, std::function<void ()>&& handler);
+        void handle_signal_once(int signo, std::function<void ()>&& handler);
+        static void action(int signo, siginfo_t* siginfo, void* ignore);
+
+    private:
+        struct signal_handler {
+            signal_handler(int signo, std::function<void ()>&& handler);
+            std::function<void ()> _handler;
+        };
+        std::atomic<uint64_t> _pending_signals;
+        std::unordered_map<int, signal_handler> _signal_handlers;
+    };
+
+    signals _signals;
     thread_pool _thread_pool;
+    friend thread_pool;
 
     void run_tasks(circular_buffer<std::unique_ptr<task>>& tasks, size_t task_quota);
     bool posix_reuseport_detect();
@@ -744,9 +756,6 @@ public:
     template <typename Func>
     future<io_event> submit_io(Func prepare_io);
 
-    void handle_signal(int signo, std::function<void ()>&& handler);
-    void handle_signal_once(int signo, std::function<void ()>&& handler);
-
     int run();
     void exit(int ret);
     future<> when_started() { return _start_promise.get_future(); }