diff --git a/src/demo/demo.c b/src/demo/demo.c
index ad67ca506..3d75b5a34 100644
--- a/src/demo/demo.c
+++ b/src/demo/demo.c
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv){
   // ensure SIGWINCH is delivered only to a thread doing input
   sigemptyset(&sigmask);
   sigaddset(&sigmask, SIGWINCH);
-  pthread_sigmask(SIG_SETMASK, &sigmask, NULL);
+  pthread_sigmask(SIG_BLOCK, &sigmask, NULL);
   const char* spec;
   FILE* json = NULL; // emit JSON summary to this file? (-J)
   notcurses_options nopts = {};
diff --git a/src/lib/internal.h b/src/lib/internal.h
index f0f130270..fc4360142 100644
--- a/src/lib/internal.h
+++ b/src/lib/internal.h
@@ -610,9 +610,6 @@ typedef struct notcurses {
   int loglevel;
   palette256 palette; // 256-indexed palette can be used instead of/with RGB
   bool palette_damage[NCPALETTESIZE];
-  // we block many signals while writing out a frame, since interrupted escapes
-  // can lock up a terminal. this preserves the signal mask on entry.
-  sigset_t old_blocked_signals;
   unsigned stdio_blocking_save; // was stdio blocking at entry? restore on stop.
 } notcurses;
 
@@ -1618,8 +1615,8 @@ int setup_signals(void* nc, bool no_quit_sigs, bool no_winch_sig,
 int drop_signals(void* nc);
 
 // block a few signals for the duration of a write to the terminal.
-int block_signals(struct notcurses* nc);
-int unblock_signals(struct notcurses* nc);
+int block_signals(sigset_t* old_blocked_signals);
+int unblock_signals(const sigset_t* old_blocked_signals);
 
 void ncvisual_printbanner(const notcurses* nc);
 
diff --git a/src/lib/render.c b/src/lib/render.c
index 0bd245e27..5541fefdd 100644
--- a/src/lib/render.c
+++ b/src/lib/render.c
@@ -1145,11 +1145,12 @@ raster_and_write(notcurses* nc, ncpile* p, FILE* out){
   }
   int ret = 0;
   //fflush(nc->ttyfp);
-  block_signals(nc);
+  sigset_t oldmask;
+  block_signals(&oldmask);
   if(blocking_write(fileno(nc->ttyfp), nc->rstate.mstream, nc->rstate.mstrsize)){
     ret = -1;
   }
-  unblock_signals(nc);
+  unblock_signals(&oldmask);
 //fprintf(stderr, "%lu/%lu %lu/%lu %lu/%lu %d\n", nc->stats.defaultelisions, nc->stats.defaultemissions, nc->stats.fgelisions, nc->stats.fgemissions, nc->stats.bgelisions, nc->stats.bgemissions, ret);
   if(nc->renderfp){
     fprintf(nc->renderfp, "%s\n", nc->rstate.mstream);
diff --git a/src/lib/signal.c b/src/lib/signal.c
index bdc403944..ad076c1f1 100644
--- a/src/lib/signal.c
+++ b/src/lib/signal.c
@@ -30,17 +30,15 @@ static sigset_t wblock_signals;
 
 static int(*fatal_callback)(void*); // fatal handler callback
 
-int block_signals(notcurses* nc){
-  if(pthread_sigmask(SIG_BLOCK, &wblock_signals, &nc->old_blocked_signals)){
-    logerror(nc, "Couldn't block signals prior to write (%s)\n", strerror(errno));
+int block_signals(sigset_t* old_blocked_signals){
+  if(pthread_sigmask(SIG_BLOCK, &wblock_signals, old_blocked_signals)){
     return -1;
   }
   return 0;
 }
 
-int unblock_signals(notcurses* nc){
-  if(pthread_sigmask(SIG_SETMASK, &nc->old_blocked_signals, NULL)){
-    logerror(nc, "Error restoring signal mask after write (%s)\n", strerror(errno));
+int unblock_signals(const sigset_t* old_blocked_signals){
+  if(pthread_sigmask(SIG_SETMASK, old_blocked_signals, NULL)){
     return -1;
   }
   return 0;
diff --git a/src/player/play.cpp b/src/player/play.cpp
index 57b0b1c0a..02779b31f 100644
--- a/src/player/play.cpp
+++ b/src/player/play.cpp
@@ -501,6 +501,11 @@ auto main(int argc, char** argv) -> int {
     std::cerr << "Couldn't set locale based off LANG\n";
     return EXIT_FAILURE;
   }
+  sigset_t sigmask;
+  // ensure SIGWINCH is delivered only to a thread doing input
+  sigemptyset(&sigmask);
+  sigaddset(&sigmask, SIGWINCH);
+  pthread_sigmask(SIG_BLOCK, &sigmask, NULL);
   float timescale, displaytime;
   ncscale_e scalemode;
   notcurses_options ncopts{};