diff --git a/LibOS/shim/include/shim_internal.h b/LibOS/shim/include/shim_internal.h
index ff96aa87..c67377e3 100644
--- a/LibOS/shim/include/shim_internal.h
+++ b/LibOS/shim/include/shim_internal.h
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ static inline void do_pause (void);
     do { debug("%s (" __FILE__ ":%d)\n", __func__, __LINE__); } while (0)
 
 /* definition for syscall table */
-void handle_signal (bool delayed_only);
+void handle_signal (void);
 long convert_pal_errno (long err);
 void syscall_wrapper(void);
 void syscall_wrapper_after_syscalldb(void);
@@ -210,13 +210,13 @@ static inline uint64_t get_cur_preempt (void) {
     SHIM_ARG_TYPE __shim_##name(args) {                     \
         SHIM_ARG_TYPE ret = 0;                              \
         uint64_t preempt = get_cur_preempt();               \
-        /* handle_signal(true); */                          \
+        /* handle_signal(); */                              \
         /* check_stack_hook(); */                           \
         BEGIN_SYSCALL_PROFILE();
 
 #define END_SHIM(name)                                      \
         END_SYSCALL_PROFILE(name);                          \
-        handle_signal(false);                               \
+        handle_signal();                                    \
         assert(preempt == get_cur_preempt());               \
         return ret;                                         \
     }
@@ -470,10 +470,10 @@ static inline PAL_HANDLE thread_create (void * func, void * arg)
 static inline void __disable_preempt (shim_tcb_t * tcb)
 {
     //tcb->context.syscall_nr += SYSCALL_NR_PREEMPT_INC;
-    /* Assert if this counter overflows */
-    assert((tcb->context.preempt & ~SIGNAL_DELAYED) != ~SIGNAL_DELAYED);
     tcb->context.preempt++;
-    //debug("disable preempt: %d\n", tcb->context.preempt & ~SIGNAL_DELAYED);
+    /* Assert if this counter overflows */
+    assert(tcb->context.preempt != 0);
+    //debug("disable preempt: %d\n", tcb->context.preempt);
 }
 
 static inline void disable_preempt (shim_tcb_t * tcb)
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ static inline void __enable_preempt (shim_tcb_t * tcb)
     /* Assert if this counter underflows */
     assert(tcb->context.preempt > 0);
     tcb->context.preempt--;
-    //debug("enable preempt: %d\n", tcb->context.preempt & ~SIGNAL_DELAYED);
+    //debug("enable preempt: %d\n", tcb->context.preempt);
 }
 
 void __handle_signal (shim_tcb_t * tcb, int sig);
@@ -500,10 +500,10 @@ static inline void enable_preempt (shim_tcb_t * tcb)
     if (!tcb && !(tcb = shim_get_tls()))
         return;
 
-    if (!(tcb->context.preempt & ~SIGNAL_DELAYED))
+    if (!tcb->context.preempt)
         return;
 
-    if ((tcb->context.preempt & ~SIGNAL_DELAYED) == 1)
+    if (tcb->context.preempt == 1)
         __handle_signal(tcb, 0);
 
     __enable_preempt(tcb);
diff --git a/LibOS/shim/include/shim_tls.h b/LibOS/shim/include/shim_tls.h
index 1dfbcac6..24960a44 100644
--- a/LibOS/shim/include/shim_tls.h
+++ b/LibOS/shim/include/shim_tls.h
@@ -47,8 +47,6 @@ struct shim_context {
 
 #include <shim_defs.h>
 
-#define SIGNAL_DELAYED       (0x80000000UL)
-
 #endif /* IN_SHIM */
 
 struct debug_buf;
diff --git a/LibOS/shim/src/bookkeep/shim_signal.c b/LibOS/shim/src/bookkeep/shim_signal.c
index 1418816f..824fcc37 100644
--- a/LibOS/shim/src/bookkeep/shim_signal.c
+++ b/LibOS/shim/src/bookkeep/shim_signal.c
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ void deliver_signal (siginfo_t * info, PAL_CONTEXT * context)
     __store_context(tcb, context, signal);
     signal->pal_context = context;
 
-    if ((tcb->context.preempt & ~SIGNAL_DELAYED) > 1 ||
+    if (tcb->context.preempt > 1 ||
         __sigismember(&cur_thread->signal_mask, sig)) {
         struct shim_signal ** signal_log = NULL;
         if ((signal = malloc_copy(signal,sizeof(struct shim_signal))) &&
@@ -551,11 +551,8 @@ static void resume_upcall (PAL_PTR event, PAL_NUM arg, PAL_CONTEXT * context)
 
     if (!is_internal_tid(get_cur_tid())) {
         __disable_preempt(tcb);
-        if ((tcb->context.preempt & ~SIGNAL_DELAYED) > 1) {
-            tcb->context.preempt |= SIGNAL_DELAYED;
-        } else {
+        if (tcb->context.preempt <= 1)
             __handle_signal(tcb, 0);
-        }
         __enable_preempt(tcb);
     }
     DkExceptionReturn(event);
@@ -695,11 +692,10 @@ void __handle_signal (shim_tcb_t * tcb, int sig)
         __handle_one_signal(tcb, sig, signal);
         free(signal);
         DkThreadYieldExecution();
-        tcb->context.preempt &= ~SIGNAL_DELAYED;
     }
 }
 
-void handle_signal (bool delayed_only)
+void handle_signal (void)
 {
     shim_tcb_t * tcb = shim_get_tls();
     assert(tcb);
@@ -712,12 +708,10 @@ void handle_signal (bool delayed_only)
 
     __disable_preempt(tcb);
 
-    if ((tcb->context.preempt & ~SIGNAL_DELAYED) > 1) {
-        debug("signal delayed (%ld)\n", tcb->context.preempt & ~SIGNAL_DELAYED);
-        tcb->context.preempt |= SIGNAL_DELAYED;
-    } else if (!(delayed_only && !(tcb->context.preempt & SIGNAL_DELAYED))) {
+    if (tcb->context.preempt > 1)
+        debug("signal delayed (%ld)\n", tcb->context.preempt);
+    else
         __handle_signal(tcb, 0);
-    }
 
     __enable_preempt(tcb);
     debug("__enable_preempt: %s:%d\n", __FILE__, __LINE__);
diff --git a/LibOS/shim/src/shim_malloc.c b/LibOS/shim/src/shim_malloc.c
index 4f507428..9d7cc102 100644
--- a/LibOS/shim/src/shim_malloc.c
+++ b/LibOS/shim/src/shim_malloc.c
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ void * __system_malloc (size_t size)
             /* If the allocation is interrupted by signal, try to handle the
              * signal and then retry the allocation. */
             if (PAL_NATIVE_ERRNO == PAL_ERROR_INTERRUPTED) {
-                handle_signal(true);
+                handle_signal();
                 continue;
             }