diff --git a/runner/executor.c b/runner/executor.c
index 62303ff8..52fee7d1 100644
--- a/runner/executor.c
+++ b/runner/executor.c
@@ -1247,18 +1247,25 @@ static bool should_die_because_signal(int sigfd)
 {
 	struct signalfd_siginfo siginfo;
 	int ret;
-
 	struct pollfd sigpoll = { .fd = sigfd, .events = POLLIN | POLLRDBAND };
 
-	if ((ret = poll(&sigpoll, 1, 0)) != 0) {
+	ret = poll(&sigpoll, 1, 0);
+
+	if (ret != 0) {
 		if (ret == -1) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "Poll on signalfd failed with %s\n", strerror(errno));
+			return true; /* something is wrong, let's die */
 		}
 
 		ret = read(sigfd, &siginfo, sizeof(siginfo));
 
+		if (ret == -1) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "Error reading from signalfd: %s\n", strerror(errno));
+			return false; /* we may want to retry later */
+		}
+
 		if (siginfo.ssi_signo == SIGCHLD) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "Runner got stray SIGCHLD while not executing any tests.\n");
-
 		} else {
 			fprintf(stderr, "Runner is being killed by %s\n",
 				strsignal(siginfo.ssi_signo));
@@ -1333,7 +1340,7 @@ bool execute(struct execute_state *state,
 	if (sigfd < 0) {
 		/* TODO: Handle better */
 		fprintf(stderr, "Cannot mask signals\n");
-		status = -1;
+		status = false;
 		goto end;
 	}
 
@@ -1419,7 +1426,7 @@ bool execute(struct execute_state *state,
 			close_watchdogs(settings);
 			sigprocmask(SIG_UNBLOCK, &sigmask, NULL);
 			/* make sure that we do not leave any signals unhandled */
-			if (should_die_because_signal(sigfd)){
+			if (should_die_because_signal(sigfd)) {
 				status = false;
 				goto end_post_signal_restore;
 			}