diff --git a/Lib/test/test_threadsignals.py b/Lib/test/test_threadsignals.py
index 778879d5ed8..fa58d76bd49 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_threadsignals.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_threadsignals.py
@@ -5,15 +5,11 @@
 import signal
 import os
 import sys
-from test import test_support, TestSkipped
+from test.test_support import run_unittest, TestSkipped
 
 if sys.platform[:3] in ('win', 'os2') or sys.platform=='riscos':
     raise TestSkipped, "Can't test signal on %s" % sys.platform
 
-signal_blackboard = { signal.SIGUSR1 : {'tripped': 0, 'tripped_by': 0 },
-                      signal.SIGUSR2 : {'tripped': 0, 'tripped_by': 0 },
-                      signal.SIGALRM : {'tripped': 0, 'tripped_by': 0 } }
-
 process_pid = os.getpid()
 signalled_all=thread.allocate_lock()
 
@@ -65,15 +61,22 @@ def test_signals(self):
         self.assertEqual( signal_blackboard[signal.SIGUSR2]['tripped'], 1)
         self.assertEqual( signal_blackboard[signal.SIGUSR2]['tripped_by'],
                            thread.get_ident())
+        signalled_all.release()
 
     def spawnSignallingThread(self):
         thread.start_new_thread(send_signals, ())
 
 
 def test_main():
+    global signal_blackboard
+    
+    signal_blackboard = { signal.SIGUSR1 : {'tripped': 0, 'tripped_by': 0 },
+                          signal.SIGUSR2 : {'tripped': 0, 'tripped_by': 0 },
+                          signal.SIGALRM : {'tripped': 0, 'tripped_by': 0 } }
+
     oldsigs = registerSignals((handle_signals, handle_signals, handle_signals))
     try:
-        test_support.run_unittest(ThreadSignals)
+        run_unittest(ThreadSignals)
     finally:
         registerSignals(oldsigs)