diff --git a/glib/gwakeup.c b/glib/gwakeup.c
index 0f76be62b..582b2aa34 100644
--- a/glib/gwakeup.c
+++ b/glib/gwakeup.c
@@ -206,10 +206,20 @@ g_wakeup_get_pollfd (GWakeup *wakeup,
 void
 g_wakeup_acknowledge (GWakeup *wakeup)
 {
-  char buffer[16];
-
   /* read until it is empty */
-  while (read (wakeup->fds[0], buffer, sizeof buffer) == sizeof buffer);
+
+  if (wakeup->fds[1] == -1)
+    {
+      uint64_t value;
+
+      while (read (wakeup->fds[0], &value, sizeof (value)) == sizeof (value));
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      uint8_t value;
+
+      while (read (wakeup->fds[0], &value, sizeof (value)) == sizeof (value));
+    }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -233,7 +243,7 @@ g_wakeup_signal (GWakeup *wakeup)
 
   if (wakeup->fds[1] == -1)
     {
-      guint64 one = 1;
+      uint64_t one = 1;
 
       /* eventfd() case. It requires a 64-bit counter increment value to be
        * written. */
@@ -243,7 +253,7 @@ g_wakeup_signal (GWakeup *wakeup)
     }
   else
     {
-      guint8 one = 1;
+      uint8_t one = 1;
 
       /* Non-eventfd() case. Only a single byte needs to be written, and it can
        * have an arbitrary value. */
diff --git a/glib/tests/gwakeuptest.c b/glib/tests/gwakeuptest.c
index b37fb43fc..ab36c858a 100644
--- a/glib/tests/gwakeuptest.c
+++ b/glib/tests/gwakeuptest.c
@@ -1,12 +1,5 @@
 #include <glib.h>
 #include <glib/gwakeup.h>
-#ifdef G_OS_UNIX
-#include <unistd.h>
-#endif
-
-#ifdef _WIN32
-static void alarm (int sec) { }
-#endif
 
 static gboolean
 check_signaled (GWakeup *wakeup)
@@ -32,9 +25,6 @@ test_semantics (void)
   GWakeup *wakeup;
   gint i;
 
-  /* prevent the test from deadlocking */
-  alarm (60);
-
   wakeup = g_wakeup_new ();
   g_assert (!check_signaled (wakeup));
 
@@ -66,9 +56,6 @@ test_semantics (void)
   g_assert (!check_signaled (wakeup));
 
   g_wakeup_free (wakeup);
-
-  /* cancel the alarm */
-  alarm (0);
 }
 
 struct token
@@ -213,9 +200,6 @@ test_threaded (void)
 {
   gint i;
 
-  /* make sure we don't block forever */
-  alarm (60);
-
   /* simple mainloop test based on GWakeup.
    *
    * create a bunch of contexts and a thread to 'run' each one.  create
@@ -252,9 +236,6 @@ test_threaded (void)
     }
 
   g_wakeup_free (last_token_wakeup);
-
-  /* cancel alarm */
-  alarm (0);
 }
 
 int