diff --git a/arch/um/drivers/net_user.c b/arch/um/drivers/net_user.c
index 90d7f2e8ead8..29185cad9fff 100644
--- a/arch/um/drivers/net_user.c
+++ b/arch/um/drivers/net_user.c
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ static int change_tramp(char **argv, char *output, int output_len)
 	close(fds[1]);
 
 	if (pid > 0)
-		CATCH_EINTR(err = waitpid(pid, NULL, 0));
+		helper_wait(pid, 0, "change_tramp");
 	return pid;
 }
 
diff --git a/arch/um/drivers/slip_user.c b/arch/um/drivers/slip_user.c
index 5f06204d6871..b8711e50da80 100644
--- a/arch/um/drivers/slip_user.c
+++ b/arch/um/drivers/slip_user.c
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ static int slip_tramp(char **argv, int fd)
 {
 	struct slip_pre_exec_data pe_data;
 	char *output;
-	int status, pid, fds[2], err, output_len;
+	int pid, fds[2], err, output_len;
 
 	err = os_pipe(fds, 1, 0);
 	if (err < 0) {
@@ -109,15 +109,7 @@ static int slip_tramp(char **argv, int fd)
 	read_output(fds[0], output, output_len);
 	printk("%s", output);
 
-	CATCH_EINTR(err = waitpid(pid, &status, 0));
-	if (err < 0)
-		err = errno;
-	else if (!WIFEXITED(status) || (WEXITSTATUS(status) != 0)) {
-		printk(UM_KERN_ERR "'%s' didn't exit with status 0\n", argv[0]);
-		err = -EINVAL;
-	}
-	else err = 0;
-
+	err = helper_wait(pid, 0, argv[0]);
 	close(fds[0]);
 
 out_free:
diff --git a/arch/um/drivers/slirp_user.c b/arch/um/drivers/slirp_user.c
index 1865089ff41a..89c1be225fda 100644
--- a/arch/um/drivers/slirp_user.c
+++ b/arch/um/drivers/slirp_user.c
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ out:
 static void slirp_close(int fd, void *data)
 {
 	struct slirp_data *pri = data;
-	int status,err;
+	int err;
 
 	close(fd);
 	close(pri->slave);
@@ -98,18 +98,9 @@ static void slirp_close(int fd, void *data)
 		       "(%d)\n", pri->pid, errno);
 	}
 #endif
-
-	CATCH_EINTR(err = waitpid(pri->pid, &status, WNOHANG));
-	if (err < 0) {
-		printk(UM_KERN_ERR "slirp_close: waitpid returned %d\n", errno);
+	err = helper_wait(pri->pid, 1, "slirp_close");
+	if (err < 0)
 		return;
-	}
-
-	if (err == 0) {
-		printk(UM_KERN_ERR "slirp_close: process %d has not exited\n",
-		       pri->pid);
-		return;
-	}
 
 	pri->pid = -1;
 }
diff --git a/arch/um/drivers/ubd_user.c b/arch/um/drivers/ubd_user.c
index 41d254bd38df..48fc7452bc1d 100644
--- a/arch/um/drivers/ubd_user.c
+++ b/arch/um/drivers/ubd_user.c
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ int start_io_thread(unsigned long sp, int *fd_out)
 		goto out_close;
 	}
 
-	pid = clone(io_thread, (void *) sp, CLONE_FILES | CLONE_VM | SIGCHLD,
-		    NULL);
+	pid = clone(io_thread, (void *) sp, CLONE_FILES | CLONE_VM, NULL);
 	if(pid < 0){
 		err = -errno;
 		printk("start_io_thread - clone failed : errno = %d\n", errno);
diff --git a/arch/um/include/os.h b/arch/um/include/os.h
index fbf0a87c6eaa..6f0d1c741bca 100644
--- a/arch/um/include/os.h
+++ b/arch/um/include/os.h
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ extern int execvp_noalloc(char *buf, const char *file, char *const argv[]);
 extern int run_helper(void (*pre_exec)(void *), void *pre_data, char **argv);
 extern int run_helper_thread(int (*proc)(void *), void *arg,
 			     unsigned int flags, unsigned long *stack_out);
-extern int helper_wait(int pid);
+extern int helper_wait(int pid, int nohang, char *pname);
 
 
 /* tls.c */
diff --git a/arch/um/os-Linux/aio.c b/arch/um/os-Linux/aio.c
index 4158118c4a56..93dc0c80ebaf 100644
--- a/arch/um/os-Linux/aio.c
+++ b/arch/um/os-Linux/aio.c
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ static int init_aio_24(void)
 		goto out_close_pipe;
 
 	err = run_helper_thread(not_aio_thread, NULL,
-				CLONE_FILES | CLONE_VM | SIGCHLD, &aio_stack);
+				CLONE_FILES | CLONE_VM, &aio_stack);
 	if (err < 0)
 		goto out_close_pipe;
 
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ static int init_aio_26(void)
 	}
 
 	err = run_helper_thread(aio_thread, NULL,
-				CLONE_FILES | CLONE_VM | SIGCHLD, &aio_stack);
+				CLONE_FILES | CLONE_VM, &aio_stack);
 	if (err < 0)
 		return err;
 
diff --git a/arch/um/os-Linux/drivers/ethertap_user.c b/arch/um/os-Linux/drivers/ethertap_user.c
index 4ff553603449..07ca0cb472ac 100644
--- a/arch/um/os-Linux/drivers/ethertap_user.c
+++ b/arch/um/os-Linux/drivers/ethertap_user.c
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ static int etap_tramp(char *dev, char *gate, int control_me,
 		      int control_remote, int data_me, int data_remote)
 {
 	struct etap_pre_exec_data pe_data;
-	int pid, status, err, n;
+	int pid, err, n;
 	char version_buf[sizeof("nnnnn\0")];
 	char data_fd_buf[sizeof("nnnnnn\0")];
 	char gate_buf[sizeof("nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn\0")];
@@ -131,13 +131,7 @@ static int etap_tramp(char *dev, char *gate, int control_me,
 	}
 	if (c != 1) {
 		printk(UM_KERN_ERR "etap_tramp : uml_net failed\n");
-		err = -EINVAL;
-		CATCH_EINTR(n = waitpid(pid, &status, 0));
-		if (n < 0)
-			err = -errno;
-		else if (!WIFEXITED(status) || (WEXITSTATUS(status) != 1))
-			printk(UM_KERN_ERR "uml_net didn't exit with "
-			       "status 1\n");
+		err = helper_wait(pid, 0, "uml_net");
 	}
 	return err;
 }
diff --git a/arch/um/os-Linux/drivers/tuntap_user.c b/arch/um/os-Linux/drivers/tuntap_user.c
index 6c55d3c8ead8..1037a3b6386e 100644
--- a/arch/um/os-Linux/drivers/tuntap_user.c
+++ b/arch/um/os-Linux/drivers/tuntap_user.c
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ static int tuntap_open_tramp(char *gate, int *fd_out, int me, int remote,
 		       "errno = %d\n", errno);
 		return err;
 	}
-	CATCH_EINTR(waitpid(pid, NULL, 0));
+	helper_wait(pid, 0, "tuntap_open_tramp");
 
 	cmsg = CMSG_FIRSTHDR(&msg);
 	if (cmsg == NULL) {
diff --git a/arch/um/os-Linux/helper.c b/arch/um/os-Linux/helper.c
index 7a72dbb61b0d..fba3f0fefeef 100644
--- a/arch/um/os-Linux/helper.c
+++ b/arch/um/os-Linux/helper.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ int run_helper(void (*pre_exec)(void *), void *pre_data, char **argv)
 	data.fd = fds[1];
 	data.buf = __cant_sleep() ? kmalloc(PATH_MAX, UM_GFP_ATOMIC) :
 					kmalloc(PATH_MAX, UM_GFP_KERNEL);
-	pid = clone(helper_child, (void *) sp, CLONE_VM | SIGCHLD, &data);
+	pid = clone(helper_child, (void *) sp, CLONE_VM, &data);
 	if (pid < 0) {
 		ret = -errno;
 		printk("run_helper : clone failed, errno = %d\n", errno);
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ int run_helper(void (*pre_exec)(void *), void *pre_data, char **argv)
 			ret = n;
 			kill(pid, SIGKILL);
 		}
-		CATCH_EINTR(waitpid(pid, NULL, 0));
+		CATCH_EINTR(waitpid(pid, NULL, __WCLONE));
 	}
 
 out_free2:
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ int run_helper_thread(int (*proc)(void *), void *arg, unsigned int flags,
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	sp = stack + UM_KERN_PAGE_SIZE - sizeof(void *);
-	pid = clone(proc, (void *) sp, flags | SIGCHLD, arg);
+	pid = clone(proc, (void *) sp, flags, arg);
 	if (pid < 0) {
 		err = -errno;
 		printk("run_helper_thread : clone failed, errno = %d\n",
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ int run_helper_thread(int (*proc)(void *), void *arg, unsigned int flags,
 		return err;
 	}
 	if (stack_out == NULL) {
-		CATCH_EINTR(pid = waitpid(pid, &status, 0));
+		CATCH_EINTR(pid = waitpid(pid, &status, __WCLONE));
 		if (pid < 0) {
 			err = -errno;
 			printk("run_helper_thread - wait failed, errno = %d\n",
@@ -150,14 +150,30 @@ int run_helper_thread(int (*proc)(void *), void *arg, unsigned int flags,
 	return pid;
 }
 
-int helper_wait(int pid)
+int helper_wait(int pid, int nohang, char *pname)
 {
-	int ret;
+	int ret, status;
+	int wflags = __WCLONE;
 
-	CATCH_EINTR(ret = waitpid(pid, NULL, WNOHANG));
+	if (nohang)
+		wflags |= WNOHANG;
+
+	if (!pname)
+		pname = "helper_wait";
+
+	CATCH_EINTR(ret = waitpid(pid, &status, wflags));
 	if (ret < 0) {
-		ret = -errno;
-		printk("helper_wait : waitpid failed, errno = %d\n", errno);
-	}
-	return ret;
+		printk(UM_KERN_ERR "%s : waitpid process %d failed, "
+		       "errno = %d\n", pname, pid, errno);
+		return -errno;
+	} else if (nohang && ret == 0) {
+		printk(UM_KERN_ERR "%s : process %d has not exited\n",
+		       pname, pid);
+		return -ECHILD;
+	} else if (!WIFEXITED(status) || WEXITSTATUS(status) != 0) {
+		printk(UM_KERN_ERR "%s : process %d didn't exit with "
+		       "status 0\n", pname, pid);
+		return -ECHILD;
+	} else
+		return 0;
 }
diff --git a/arch/um/os-Linux/process.c b/arch/um/os-Linux/process.c
index 37781db4ceca..bda5c3150d6c 100644
--- a/arch/um/os-Linux/process.c
+++ b/arch/um/os-Linux/process.c
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ void os_kill_process(int pid, int reap_child)
 {
 	kill(pid, SIGKILL);
 	if (reap_child)
-		CATCH_EINTR(waitpid(pid, NULL, 0));
+		CATCH_EINTR(waitpid(pid, NULL, __WALL));
 }
 
 /* This is here uniquely to have access to the userspace errno, i.e. the one
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ void os_kill_ptraced_process(int pid, int reap_child)
 	ptrace(PTRACE_KILL, pid);
 	ptrace(PTRACE_CONT, pid);
 	if (reap_child)
-		CATCH_EINTR(waitpid(pid, NULL, 0));
+		CATCH_EINTR(waitpid(pid, NULL, __WALL));
 }
 
 /* Don't use the glibc version, which caches the result in TLS. It misses some
diff --git a/arch/um/os-Linux/skas/process.c b/arch/um/os-Linux/skas/process.c
index d77c81d7068a..e8b7a97e83d3 100644
--- a/arch/um/os-Linux/skas/process.c
+++ b/arch/um/os-Linux/skas/process.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ void wait_stub_done(int pid)
 	int n, status, err;
 
 	while (1) {
-		CATCH_EINTR(n = waitpid(pid, &status, WUNTRACED));
+		CATCH_EINTR(n = waitpid(pid, &status, WUNTRACED | __WALL));
 		if ((n < 0) || !WIFSTOPPED(status))
 			goto bad_wait;
 
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ static void handle_trap(int pid, struct uml_pt_regs *regs,
 			panic("handle_trap - continuing to end of syscall "
 			      "failed, errno = %d\n", errno);
 
-		CATCH_EINTR(err = waitpid(pid, &status, WUNTRACED));
+		CATCH_EINTR(err = waitpid(pid, &status, WUNTRACED | __WALL));
 		if ((err < 0) || !WIFSTOPPED(status) ||
 		   (WSTOPSIG(status) != SIGTRAP + 0x80)) {
                         err = ptrace_dump_regs(pid);
@@ -255,16 +255,18 @@ int start_userspace(unsigned long stub_stack)
 		panic("start_userspace : mmap failed, errno = %d", errno);
 	sp = (unsigned long) stack + UM_KERN_PAGE_SIZE - sizeof(void *);
 
-	flags = CLONE_FILES | SIGCHLD;
+	flags = CLONE_FILES;
 	if (proc_mm)
 		flags |= CLONE_VM;
+	else
+		flags |= SIGCHLD;
 
 	pid = clone(userspace_tramp, (void *) sp, flags, (void *) stub_stack);
 	if (pid < 0)
 		panic("start_userspace : clone failed, errno = %d", errno);
 
 	do {
-		CATCH_EINTR(n = waitpid(pid, &status, WUNTRACED));
+		CATCH_EINTR(n = waitpid(pid, &status, WUNTRACED | __WALL));
 		if (n < 0)
 			panic("start_userspace : wait failed, errno = %d",
 			      errno);
@@ -314,7 +316,7 @@ void userspace(struct uml_pt_regs *regs)
 			      "pid=%d, ptrace operation = %d, errno = %d\n",
 			      pid, op, errno);
 
-		CATCH_EINTR(err = waitpid(pid, &status, WUNTRACED));
+		CATCH_EINTR(err = waitpid(pid, &status, WUNTRACED | __WALL));
 		if (err < 0)
 			panic("userspace - waitpid failed, errno = %d\n",
 			      errno);
diff --git a/arch/um/os-Linux/util.c b/arch/um/os-Linux/util.c
index ef095436a78c..3e058ce9ffb6 100644
--- a/arch/um/os-Linux/util.c
+++ b/arch/um/os-Linux/util.c
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ void os_dump_core(void)
 	 * nothing reasonable to do if that fails.
 	 */
 
-	while ((pid = waitpid(-1, NULL, WNOHANG)) > 0)
+	while ((pid = waitpid(-1, NULL, WNOHANG | __WALL)) > 0)
 		os_kill_ptraced_process(pid, 0);
 
 	abort();