diff --git a/qemu-lock.h b/qemu-lock.h
index a72edda1d2..e460e129a5 100644
--- a/qemu-lock.h
+++ b/qemu-lock.h
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@
 #include <pthread.h>
 #define spin_lock pthread_mutex_lock
 #define spin_unlock pthread_mutex_unlock
+static inline void spin_unlock_safe(pthread_mutex_t *lock)
+{
+    /* unlocking an unlocked mutex results in undefined behavior */
+    pthread_mutex_trylock(lock);
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(lock);
+}
 #define spinlock_t pthread_mutex_t
 #define SPIN_LOCK_UNLOCKED PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER
 
@@ -46,4 +52,8 @@ static inline void spin_unlock(spinlock_t *lock)
 {
 }
 
+static inline void spin_unlock_safe(spinlock_t *lock)
+{
+}
+
 #endif
diff --git a/user-exec.c b/user-exec.c
index ef9b1727b3..1ec5d9af9a 100644
--- a/user-exec.c
+++ b/user-exec.c
@@ -88,6 +88,10 @@ static inline int handle_cpu_signal(uintptr_t pc, unsigned long address,
     qemu_printf("qemu: SIGSEGV pc=0x%08lx address=%08lx w=%d oldset=0x%08lx\n",
                 pc, address, is_write, *(unsigned long *)old_set);
 #endif
+
+    /* Maybe we're still holding the TB fiddling lock? */
+    spin_unlock_safe(&tb_lock);
+
     /* XXX: locking issue */
     if (is_write && h2g_valid(address)
         && page_unprotect(h2g(address), pc, puc)) {