--- src/init.c
+++ src/init.c	2005-10-19 10:01:15.000000000 +0000
@@ -20,6 +20,14 @@
  *
  */
 
+/*
+ *		4 Sep 2001, Andrea Arcangeli:
+ *		Fix a race in spawn() that is used to deadlock init in a
+ *		waitpid() loop: must set the childhandler as default before forking
+ *		off the child or the chld_handler could run before the waitpid loop
+ *		has a chance to find its zombie-child.
+ */
+
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
@@ -976,6 +984,7 @@ int spawn(CHILD *ch, int *res)
   				dup(f);
   				dup(f);
 			}
+			SETSIG(sa, SIGCHLD, SIG_DFL, SA_RESTART);
 			if ((pid = fork()) < 0) {
   				initlog(L_VB, "cannot fork");
 				exit(1);
@@ -988,7 +997,6 @@ int spawn(CHILD *ch, int *res)
 				SETSIG(sa, SIGINT, SIG_IGN, SA_RESTART);
 				SETSIG(sa, SIGTSTP, SIG_IGN, SA_RESTART);
 				SETSIG(sa, SIGQUIT, SIG_IGN, SA_RESTART);
-				SETSIG(sa, SIGCHLD, SIG_DFL, SA_RESTART);
 
 				while ((rc = waitpid(pid, &st, 0)) != pid)
 					if (rc < 0 && errno == ECHILD)