diff --git a/src/liboeffis.c b/src/liboeffis.c
index a2765c0..66a3b53 100644
--- a/src/liboeffis.c
+++ b/src/liboeffis.c
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ DEFINE_UNREF_CLEANUP_FUNC(source);
 static void
 tickle(struct oeffis *oeffis)
 {
-	write(oeffis->pipefd[1], "kitzel", 6);
+	xwrite(oeffis->pipefd[1], "kitzel", 6);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ tickled(struct source *source, void *data)
 {
 	/* Nothing to do here, just drain the data */
 	char buf[64];
-	read(source_get_fd(source), buf, sizeof(buf));
+	xread(source_get_fd(source), buf, sizeof(buf));
 }
 
 _public_ struct oeffis *
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ oeffis_new(void *user_data)
 
         /* set up a pipe we can write to to force the epoll to wake up even when
          * nothing else happens */
-	int rc = pipe2(oeffis->pipefd, O_CLOEXEC|O_NONBLOCK);
+	int rc = xpipe2(oeffis->pipefd, O_CLOEXEC|O_NONBLOCK);
 	if (rc < 0)
 		return NULL;
 
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ oeffis_get_eis_fd(struct oeffis *oeffis)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	return dup(oeffis->eis_fd);
+	return xdup(oeffis->eis_fd);
 }
 
 _public_ enum oeffis_event_type
@@ -328,15 +328,18 @@ portal_connect_to_eis(struct oeffis *oeffis)
 	sd_bus *bus = oeffis->bus;
 	int eisfd;
 
-	int rc = sd_bus_call_method(bus, oeffis->busname,
-				    "/org/freedesktop/portal/desktop",
-				    "org.freedesktop.portal.RemoteDesktop",
-				    "ConnectToEIS",
-				    &error,
-				    &response,
-				    "oa{sv}",
-				    oeffis->session_path,
-				    0);
+	int rc = 0;
+	with_signals_blocked(SIGALRM) {
+		rc = sd_bus_call_method(bus, oeffis->busname,
+					"/org/freedesktop/portal/desktop",
+					"org.freedesktop.portal.RemoteDesktop",
+					"ConnectToEIS",
+					&error,
+					&response,
+					"oa{sv}",
+					oeffis->session_path,
+					0);
+	}
 
 	if (rc < 0) {
 		oeffis_disconnect(oeffis, "Failed to call ConnectToEIS: %s", strerror(-rc));
@@ -350,7 +353,7 @@ portal_connect_to_eis(struct oeffis *oeffis)
 	}
 
 	/* the fd is owned by the message */
-	rc = xerrno(dup(eisfd));
+	rc = xerrno(xdup(eisfd));
 	if (rc < 0) {
 		oeffis_disconnect(oeffis, "Failed to dup fd: %s", strerror(-rc));
 		return;
@@ -401,13 +404,17 @@ portal_setup_request(struct oeffis *oeffis, sd_bus_message_handler_t response_ha
 	_cleanup_free_ char *token = xdp_token();
 	_cleanup_free_ char *handle = xdp_request_path(oeffis->sender_name, token);
 
-	int rc = sd_bus_match_signal(bus, &slot,
-				     oeffis->busname,
-				     handle,
-				     "org.freedesktop.portal.Request",
-				     "Response",
-				     response_handler,
-				     oeffis);
+	int rc = 0;
+	with_signals_blocked(SIGALRM) {
+		rc = sd_bus_match_signal(bus, &slot,
+					 oeffis->busname,
+					 handle,
+					 "org.freedesktop.portal.Request",
+					 "Response",
+					 response_handler,
+					 oeffis);
+	}
+
 	if (rc < 0) {
 		oeffis_disconnect(oeffis, "Failed to subscribe to Request.Response signal: %s", strerror(-rc));
 		return rc;
@@ -463,20 +470,22 @@ portal_start(struct oeffis *oeffis)
 	_cleanup_(sd_bus_error_free) sd_bus_error error = SD_BUS_ERROR_NULL;
 	_unref_(sd_bus_message) *response = NULL;
 	sd_bus *bus = oeffis->bus;
-	rc = sd_bus_call_method(bus,
-				oeffis->busname,
-				"/org/freedesktop/portal/desktop",
-				"org.freedesktop.portal.RemoteDesktop",
-				"Start",
-				&error,
-				&response,
-				"osa{sv}",
-				oeffis->session_path,
-				"", /* parent window */
-				1,
-				"handle_token", /* string key */
-				"s", token /* variant string */
-			       );
+	with_signals_blocked(SIGALRM) {
+		rc = sd_bus_call_method(bus,
+					oeffis->busname,
+					"/org/freedesktop/portal/desktop",
+					"org.freedesktop.portal.RemoteDesktop",
+					"Start",
+					&error,
+					&response,
+					"osa{sv}",
+					oeffis->session_path,
+					"", /* parent window */
+					1,
+					"handle_token", /* string key */
+					"s", token /* variant string */
+				       );
+	}
 
 	if (rc < 0) {
 		oeffis_disconnect(oeffis, "Failed to call method: %s", strerror(-rc));
@@ -534,21 +543,23 @@ portal_select_devices(struct oeffis *oeffis)
 
 	_cleanup_(sd_bus_error_free) sd_bus_error error = SD_BUS_ERROR_NULL;
 	_unref_(sd_bus_message) *response = NULL;
-	rc = sd_bus_call_method(bus,
-				oeffis->busname,
-				"/org/freedesktop/portal/desktop",
-				"org.freedesktop.portal.RemoteDesktop",
-				"SelectDevices",
-				&error,
-				&response,
-				"oa{sv}",
-				oeffis->session_path,
-				2,
-				"handle_token", /* string key */
-				"s", token, /* variant string */
-				"types", /* string key */
-				"u", oeffis->devices
-			       );
+	with_signals_blocked(SIGALRM) {
+		rc = sd_bus_call_method(bus,
+					oeffis->busname,
+					"/org/freedesktop/portal/desktop",
+					"org.freedesktop.portal.RemoteDesktop",
+					"SelectDevices",
+					&error,
+					&response,
+					"oa{sv}",
+					oeffis->session_path,
+					2,
+					"handle_token", /* string key */
+					"s", token, /* variant string */
+					"types", /* string key */
+					"u", oeffis->devices
+				       );
+	}
 
 	if (rc < 0) {
 		oeffis_disconnect(oeffis, "Failed to call method: %s", strerror(-rc));
@@ -671,19 +682,21 @@ portal_init(struct oeffis *oeffis, const char *busname)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	rc = sd_bus_call_method(bus,
-				busname,
-				"/org/freedesktop/portal/desktop",
-				"org.freedesktop.portal.RemoteDesktop",
-				"CreateSession",
-				&error,
-				&response,
-				"a{sv}", 2,
-				"handle_token", /* string key */
-				"s", token, /* variant string */
-				"session_handle_token", /* string key */
-				"s", session_token /* variant string */
-			       );
+	with_signals_blocked(SIGALRM) {
+		rc = sd_bus_call_method(bus,
+					busname,
+					"/org/freedesktop/portal/desktop",
+					"org.freedesktop.portal.RemoteDesktop",
+					"CreateSession",
+					&error,
+					&response,
+					"a{sv}", 2,
+					"handle_token", /* string key */
+					"s", token, /* variant string */
+					"session_handle_token", /* string key */
+					"s", session_token /* variant string */
+				       );
+	}
 
 	if (rc < 0) {
 		oeffis_disconnect(oeffis, "Failed to call method: %s", strerror(-rc));