diff --git a/build/build.c b/build/build.c
index 5f99c8db7..10a3d02e2 100644
--- a/build/build.c
+++ b/build/build.c
@@ -157,8 +157,6 @@ rpmRC doScript(rpmSpec spec, rpmBuildFlags what, const char *name,
 
     rpmlog(RPMLOG_NOTICE, _("Executing(%s): %s\n"), name, buildCmd);
     if (!(child = fork())) {
-	/* NSPR messes with SIGPIPE, reset to default for the kids */
-	signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_DFL);
 	errno = 0;
 	(void) execvp(argv[0], (char *const *)argv);
 
diff --git a/build/rpmfc.c b/build/rpmfc.c
index 1c096f862..d6eba1155 100644
--- a/build/rpmfc.c
+++ b/build/rpmfc.c
@@ -269,8 +269,6 @@ static StringBuf getOutputFrom(ARGV_t argv,
     
     child = fork();
     if (child == 0) {
-	/* NSPR messes with SIGPIPE, reset to default for the kids */
-	signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_DFL);
 	close(toProg[1]);
 	close(fromProg[0]);
 	
diff --git a/cliutils.c b/cliutils.c
index 355ca5296..772a105ec 100644
--- a/cliutils.c
+++ b/cliutils.c
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ int initPipe(void)
     }
 
     if (!(pipeChild = fork())) {
-	(void) signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_DFL);
 	(void) close(p[1]);
 	(void) dup2(p[0], STDIN_FILENO);
 	(void) close(p[0]);
diff --git a/lib/rpmscript.c b/lib/rpmscript.c
index 6f6f74662..630171a99 100644
--- a/lib/rpmscript.c
+++ b/lib/rpmscript.c
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ static void doScriptExec(ARGV_const_t argv, ARGV_const_t prefixes,
     int xx;
     int open_max;
 
+    /* SIGPIPE is ignored in rpm, reset to default for the scriptlet */
     (void) signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_DFL);
 
     /* XXX Force FD_CLOEXEC on all inherited fdno's. */
diff --git a/rpmio/digest_nss.c b/rpmio/digest_nss.c
index f533bb571..992d9acf6 100644
--- a/rpmio/digest_nss.c
+++ b/rpmio/digest_nss.c
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ int rpmInitCrypto(void)
      * a private context if possible.
      */
     if (!_crypto_initialized) {
+	/* NSPR sets SIGPIPE to ignore behind our back, save and restore */
+	struct sigaction oact;
+	sigaction(SIGPIPE, NULL, &oact);
 #if HAVE_NSS_INITCONTEXT
 	PRUint32 flags = (NSS_INIT_READONLY|NSS_INIT_NOCERTDB|
 			  NSS_INIT_NOMODDB|NSS_INIT_FORCEOPEN|
@@ -67,6 +70,7 @@ int rpmInitCrypto(void)
 	} else {
 	    _crypto_initialized = 1;
 	}
+	sigaction(SIGPIPE, &oact, NULL);
     }
 
     /* Register one post-fork handler per process */