diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 88a20114d..f5197ecbe 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -577,6 +577,18 @@ AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(void *)
 AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(long long)
 AC_CHECK_SIZEOF(__int64)
 
+AC_CACHE_CHECK([for sig_atomic_t], ac_cv_type_sig_atomic_t,
+  [AC_TRY_LINK([#include <signal.h>
+     #include <sys/types.h>
+     sig_atomic_t val = 42;],
+    [return val == 42 ? 0 : 1],
+   ac_cv_type_sig_atomic_t=yes,
+   ac_cv_type_sig_atomic_t=no)])
+if test x$ac_cv_type_sig_atomic_t = xyes; then
+   AC_DEFINE(HAVE_SIG_ATOMIC_T, 1,
+     [Define if you have the 'sig_atomic_t' type.])
+fi
+
 if test x$ac_cv_sizeof_long = x8 || test x$ac_cv_sizeof_long_long = x8 || test x$ac_cv_sizeof___int64 = x8 ; then
   :
 else
diff --git a/glib/gmain.c b/glib/gmain.c
index e37744a59..077a9354c 100644
--- a/glib/gmain.c
+++ b/glib/gmain.c
@@ -388,8 +388,13 @@ static GMainContext *default_main_context;
 /* UNIX signals work by marking one of these variables then waking the
  * worker context to check on them and dispatch accordingly.
  */
-static volatile gchar unix_signal_pending[NSIG];
-static volatile gboolean any_unix_signal_pending;
+#ifdef HAVE_SIG_ATOMIC_T
+static volatile sig_atomic_t unix_signal_pending[NSIG];
+static volatile sig_atomic_t any_unix_signal_pending;
+#else
+static volatile int unix_signal_pending[NSIG];
+static volatile int any_unix_signal_pending;
+#endif
 
 /* Guards all the data below */
 G_LOCK_DEFINE_STATIC (unix_signal_lock);