diff --git a/orte/orted/orted_main.c b/orte/orted/orted_main.c
index 0c2ac1df79..6086c1a351 100644
--- a/orte/orted/orted_main.c
+++ b/orte/orted/orted_main.c
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ static opal_event_t sigusr2_handler;
 #endif  /* __WINDOWS__ */
 char *log_path = NULL;
 static opal_event_t *orted_exit_event;
+static bool signals_set=false;
 
 static void shutdown_callback(int fd, short flags, void *arg);
 static void shutdown_signal(int fd, short flags, void *arg);
@@ -374,7 +375,8 @@ int orte_daemon(int argc, char *argv[])
                 }
                 
                 /* otherwise, return with non-zero status */
-                return ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE;
+                ret = ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE;
+                goto DONE;
             }
         }
     }
@@ -410,7 +412,7 @@ int orte_daemon(int argc, char *argv[])
      */
     if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = orte_wait_event(&orted_exit_event, &orte_exit, "orted_shutdown", shutdown_callback))) {
         ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
-        return ret;
+        goto DONE;
     }
     
     /* setup the primary daemon command receive function */
@@ -418,7 +420,7 @@ int orte_daemon(int argc, char *argv[])
                                   ORTE_RML_NON_PERSISTENT, orte_daemon_recv, NULL);
     if (ret != ORTE_SUCCESS && ret != ORTE_ERR_NOT_IMPLEMENTED) {
         ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
-        return ret;
+        goto DONE;
     }
     
     /* Set signal handlers to catch kill signals so we can properly clean up
@@ -441,6 +443,8 @@ int orte_daemon(int argc, char *argv[])
     opal_signal_add(&sigusr2_handler, NULL);
 #endif  /* __WINDOWS__ */
 
+    signals_set = true;
+    
     /* setup stdout/stderr */
     if (orte_debug_daemons_file_flag) {
         /* if we are debugging to a file, then send stdout/stderr to
@@ -451,7 +455,7 @@ int orte_daemon(int argc, char *argv[])
         if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = orte_util_convert_jobid_to_string(&jobidstring,
                                         ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME->jobid))) {
             ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
-            return ret;
+            goto DONE;
         }
 
         /* define a log file name in the session directory */
@@ -608,13 +612,13 @@ int orte_daemon(int argc, char *argv[])
         if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_dss.pack(buffer, &rml_uri, 1, OPAL_STRING))) {
             ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
             OBJ_RELEASE(buffer);
-            return ret;
+            goto DONE;
         }
         /* send our architecture */
         if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_dss.pack(buffer, &orte_process_info.arch, 1, OPAL_INT32))) {
             ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
             OBJ_RELEASE(buffer);
-            return ret;
+            goto DONE;
         }
         if (orte_timing) {
             int64_t secs, usecs;
@@ -623,13 +627,13 @@ int orte_daemon(int argc, char *argv[])
             if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_dss.pack(buffer, &secs, 1, OPAL_INT64))) {
                 ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
                 OBJ_RELEASE(buffer);
-                return ret;
+                goto DONE;
             }
             usecs = starttime.tv_usec;
             if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_dss.pack(buffer, &usecs, 1, OPAL_INT64))) {
                 ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
                 OBJ_RELEASE(buffer);
-                return ret;
+                goto DONE;
             }
             /* get and send our setup time */
             gettimeofday(&setuptime, NULL);
@@ -643,12 +647,12 @@ int orte_daemon(int argc, char *argv[])
             if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_dss.pack(buffer, &secs, 1, OPAL_INT64))) {
                 ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
                 OBJ_RELEASE(buffer);
-                return ret;
+                goto DONE;
             }
             if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_dss.pack(buffer, &usecs, 1, OPAL_INT64))) {
                 ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
                 OBJ_RELEASE(buffer);
-                return ret;
+                goto DONE;
             }
             /* include the actual timestamp so the HNP can figure out how
              * long it took for this message to arrive
@@ -657,20 +661,20 @@ int orte_daemon(int argc, char *argv[])
             if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_dss.pack(buffer, &secs, 1, OPAL_INT64))) {
                 ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
                 OBJ_RELEASE(buffer);
-                return ret;
+                goto DONE;
             }
             usecs = setuptime.tv_usec;
             if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (ret = opal_dss.pack(buffer, &usecs, 1, OPAL_INT64))) {
                 ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
                 OBJ_RELEASE(buffer);
-                return ret;
+                goto DONE;
             }
         }
         if (0 > (ret = orte_rml.send_buffer(ORTE_PROC_MY_HNP, buffer,
                                             ORTE_RML_TAG_ORTED_CALLBACK, 0))) {
             ORTE_ERROR_LOG(ret);
             OBJ_RELEASE(buffer);
-            return ret;
+            goto DONE;
         }
         OBJ_RELEASE(buffer);  /* done with this */
     }
@@ -688,6 +692,16 @@ int orte_daemon(int argc, char *argv[])
     opal_event_dispatch();
 
     /* should never get here, but if we do... */
+DONE:
+    if (signals_set) {
+        /* Release all local signal handlers */
+        opal_event_del(&term_handler);
+        opal_event_del(&int_handler);
+#ifndef __WINDOWS__
+        opal_signal_del(&sigusr1_handler);
+        opal_signal_del(&sigusr2_handler);
+#endif  /* __WINDOWS__ */
+    }
     
     /* cleanup any lingering session directories */
     orte_session_dir_cleanup(ORTE_JOBID_WILDCARD);
@@ -696,7 +710,7 @@ int orte_daemon(int argc, char *argv[])
     OBJ_DESTRUCT(&orte_exit);
 
     /* Finalize and clean up ourselves */
-    ret = orte_finalize();
+    orte_finalize();
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -754,13 +768,15 @@ static void shutdown_callback(int fd, short flags, void *arg)
         exit(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
     }
 
-    /* Release all local signal handlers */
-    opal_event_del(&term_handler);
-    opal_event_del(&int_handler);
+    if (signals_set) {
+        /* Release all local signal handlers */
+        opal_event_del(&term_handler);
+        opal_event_del(&int_handler);
 #ifndef __WINDOWS__
-    opal_signal_del(&sigusr1_handler);
-    opal_signal_del(&sigusr2_handler);
+        opal_signal_del(&sigusr1_handler);
+        opal_signal_del(&sigusr2_handler);
 #endif  /* __WINDOWS__ */
+    }
 
     /* Finalize and clean up ourselves */
     ret = orte_finalize();
diff --git a/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c b/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
index c6adb7ab02..a93d51548a 100644
--- a/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
+++ b/orte/tools/orterun/orterun.c
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ static opal_event_t *abort_exit_event=NULL;
 static bool forcibly_die = false;
 static opal_event_t *timeout_ev=NULL;
 static bool profile_is_set = false;
+static bool signals_set=false;
 
 /*
  * Globals
@@ -603,6 +604,8 @@ int orterun(int argc, char *argv[])
     }
 #endif  /* __WINDOWS__ */
     
+    signals_set = true;
+    
     /* we are an hnp, so update the contact info field for later use */
     orte_process_info.my_hnp_uri = orte_rml.get_contact_info();
     
@@ -683,7 +686,8 @@ int orterun(int argc, char *argv[])
         ORTE_ERROR_LOG(rc);
         orte_show_help("help-orterun.txt", "orterun:precondition", false,
                        orterun_basename, NULL, NULL, rc);
-        return rc;
+        ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
+        goto DONE;
     }
 
     /* setup to listen for commands sent specifically to me, even though I would probably
@@ -695,13 +699,15 @@ int orterun(int argc, char *argv[])
                                  ORTE_RML_NON_PERSISTENT, orte_daemon_recv, NULL);
     if (rc != ORTE_SUCCESS && rc != ORTE_ERR_NOT_IMPLEMENTED) {
         ORTE_ERROR_LOG(rc);
-        return rc;
+        ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
+        goto DONE;
     }
     
     /* setup the data server */
     if (ORTE_SUCCESS != (rc = orte_data_server_init())) {
         ORTE_ERROR_LOG(rc);
-        return rc;
+        ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
+        goto DONE;
     }
     
     /* if an uri for the ompi-server was provided, set the route */
@@ -729,7 +735,7 @@ int orterun(int argc, char *argv[])
                                    orterun_basename, ompi_server,
                                    (long)orterun_globals.server_wait_timeout,
                                    ORTE_ERROR_NAME(rc));
-                    orte_exit_status = ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE;
+                    ORTE_UPDATE_EXIT_STATUS(ORTE_ERROR_DEFAULT_EXIT_CODE);
                     goto DONE;
                 }
             }
@@ -751,7 +757,22 @@ int orterun(int argc, char *argv[])
     /* we only reach this point by jumping there due
      * to an error - so just cleanup and leave
      */
-DONE:    
+DONE:
+    if (signals_set) {
+        /* Remove the TERM and INT signal handlers */
+        opal_signal_del(&term_handler);
+        opal_signal_del(&int_handler);
+#ifndef __WINDOWS__
+        /** Remove the USR signal handlers */
+        opal_signal_del(&sigusr1_handler);
+        opal_signal_del(&sigusr2_handler);
+        if (orte_forward_job_control) {
+            opal_signal_del(&sigtstp_handler);
+            opal_signal_del(&sigcont_handler);
+        }
+#endif  /* __WINDOWS__ */
+    }
+
     /* whack any lingering session directory files from our jobs */
     orte_session_dir_cleanup(ORTE_JOBID_WILDCARD);
     
@@ -837,6 +858,21 @@ static void job_completed(int trigpipe, short event, void *arg)
      * all we can do is cleanly exit ourselves
      */
 DONE:
+    if (signals_set) {
+        /* Remove the TERM and INT signal handlers */
+        opal_signal_del(&term_handler);
+        opal_signal_del(&int_handler);
+#ifndef __WINDOWS__
+        /** Remove the USR signal handlers */
+        opal_signal_del(&sigusr1_handler);
+        opal_signal_del(&sigusr2_handler);
+        if (orte_forward_job_control) {
+            opal_signal_del(&sigtstp_handler);
+            opal_signal_del(&sigcont_handler);
+        }
+#endif  /* __WINDOWS__ */
+    }
+    
     /* whack any lingering session directory files from our jobs */
     orte_session_dir_cleanup(ORTE_JOBID_WILDCARD);
     
@@ -861,18 +897,20 @@ static void terminated(int trigpipe, short event, void *arg)
         free(timeout_ev);
     }
     
-    /* Remove the TERM and INT signal handlers */
-    opal_signal_del(&term_handler);
-    opal_signal_del(&int_handler);
+    if (signals_set) {
+        /* Remove the TERM and INT signal handlers */
+        opal_signal_del(&term_handler);
+        opal_signal_del(&int_handler);
 #ifndef __WINDOWS__
-    /** Remove the USR signal handlers */
-    opal_signal_del(&sigusr1_handler);
-    opal_signal_del(&sigusr2_handler);
-    if (orte_forward_job_control) {
-        opal_signal_del(&sigtstp_handler);
-        opal_signal_del(&sigcont_handler);
-    }
+        /** Remove the USR signal handlers */
+        opal_signal_del(&sigusr1_handler);
+        opal_signal_del(&sigusr2_handler);
+        if (orte_forward_job_control) {
+            opal_signal_del(&sigtstp_handler);
+            opal_signal_del(&sigcont_handler);
+        }
 #endif  /* __WINDOWS__ */
+    }
     
     /* get the daemon job object */
     if (NULL == (daemons = orte_get_job_data_object(ORTE_PROC_MY_NAME->jobid))) {
@@ -1133,6 +1171,20 @@ static void abort_exit_callback(int fd, short ign, void *arg)
          * the point of setting the job up, so there is nothing
          * to do but just clean ourselves up and exit
          */
+        if (signals_set) {
+            /* Remove the TERM and INT signal handlers */
+            opal_signal_del(&term_handler);
+            opal_signal_del(&int_handler);
+#ifndef __WINDOWS__
+            /** Remove the USR signal handlers */
+            opal_signal_del(&sigusr1_handler);
+            opal_signal_del(&sigusr2_handler);
+            if (orte_forward_job_control) {
+                opal_signal_del(&sigtstp_handler);
+                opal_signal_del(&sigcont_handler);
+            }
+#endif  /* __WINDOWS__ */
+        }
         orte_session_dir_cleanup(ORTE_JOBID_WILDCARD);
         
         /* need to release jdata separately as it won't be