diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 301a15914..ca270af93 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -529,7 +529,8 @@ AC_CHECK_FUNCS( socket \
                 perror \
                 closesocket \
                 setvbuf \
-                sigaction
+                sigaction \
+                signal
 )
 
 dnl removed 'getpass' check on October 26, 2000
@@ -553,8 +554,6 @@ dnl   $PATH:/usr/bin/:/usr/local/bin )
 dnl AC_SUBST(RANLIB)
 
 AC_OUTPUT( Makefile \
-           curl.spec \
-           curl-ssl.spec \
 	   docs/Makefile \
 	   include/Makefile \
 	   include/curl/Makefile \
diff --git a/lib/url.c b/lib/url.c
index 76b8f4e8d..492192ed0 100644
--- a/lib/url.c
+++ b/lib/url.c
@@ -726,6 +726,12 @@ CURLcode curl_connect(CURL *curl, CURLconnect **in_connect)
   sigact.sa_handler = alarmfunc;
   sigact.sa_flags &= ~SA_RESTART;
   sigaction(SIGALRM, &sigact, NULL);
+#else
+  /* no sigaction(), revert to the much lamer signal() */
+#ifdef HAVE_SIGNAL
+  signal(SIGALRM, alarmfunc);
+#endif
+
 #endif
 
   /* Parse <url> */