diff --git a/include/empthread.h b/include/empthread.h
index 116a3611..d0eed391 100644
--- a/include/empthread.h
+++ b/include/empthread.h
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ void empth_sleep _PROTO((long until));
 empth_sem_t *empth_sem_create _PROTO((char *name, int count));
 void empth_sem_signal _PROTO((empth_sem_t *));
 void empth_sem_wait _PROTO((empth_sem_t *));
-emp_sig_t empth_alarm _PROTO((int));
+void empth_alarm _PROTO((int));
 
 
 #include "prototypes.h"		/* must come at end, after defines and typedefs */
diff --git a/include/misc.h b/include/misc.h
index 65e698f0..92a49e5f 100644
--- a/include/misc.h
+++ b/include/misc.h
@@ -91,12 +91,6 @@ typedef u_char natid;		/* also change NSC_NATID in nsc.h */
 #define POSIXSIGNALS
 #endif
 
-#if defined(POSIXSIGNALS) || defined(__STDC__)
-typedef void emp_sig_t;
-#else
-typedef int emp_sig_t;
-#endif
-
 
 #if !defined(aix) && !defined(sgi)
 #ifndef ultrix			/* already defined in ultrix */
diff --git a/include/prototypes.h b/include/prototypes.h
index fb523a2f..4ca6c779 100644
--- a/include/prototypes.h
+++ b/include/prototypes.h
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@
 #include "commodity.h"
 
 /* src/server/main.c */
-extern emp_sig_t panic(int sig);
-extern emp_sig_t shutdwn(int sig);
+extern void panic(int sig);
+extern void shutdwn(int sig);
 
 /*****************************************************************************
  * src/lib/ * / *.c 
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ extern void empth_sleep(long int until);
 extern empth_sem_t *empth_sem_create(char *name, int cnt);
 extern void empth_sem_signal(empth_sem_t *sm);
 extern void empth_sem_wait(empth_sem_t *sm);
-extern emp_sig_t empth_alarm(int sig);
+extern void empth_alarm(int sig);
 #endif /* _EMPTH_LWP */
 
 /* src/lib/empthread/pthread.c */
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ extern void empth_exit(void);
 extern void empth_yield(void);
 extern void empth_terminate(empth_t *a);
 extern void empth_select(int fd, int flags);
-extern emp_sig_t empth_alarm(int sig);
+extern void empth_alarm(int sig);
 extern void empth_wakeup(empth_t *a);
 extern void empth_sleep(long until);
 extern empth_sem_t *empth_sem_create(char *name, int cnt);
diff --git a/src/lib/empthread/lwp.c b/src/lib/empthread/lwp.c
index ce5832fa..70a76531 100644
--- a/src/lib/empthread/lwp.c
+++ b/src/lib/empthread/lwp.c
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ empth_sem_wait(empth_sem_t *sm)
     lwpWait(sm);
 }
 
-emp_sig_t
+void
 empth_alarm(int sig)
 {
     /* no way we can be here while using LWP threads */
diff --git a/src/lib/empthread/ntthread.c b/src/lib/empthread/ntthread.c
index 4b4631e9..2accf92a 100644
--- a/src/lib/empthread/ntthread.c
+++ b/src/lib/empthread/ntthread.c
@@ -585,7 +585,7 @@ empth_select(int fd, int flags)
 /************************
  * empth_alarm
  */
-emp_sig_t
+void
 empth_alarm(int sig)
 {
     loc_Thread_t *pThread =
diff --git a/src/lib/empthread/pthread.c b/src/lib/empthread/pthread.c
index 8f190cbf..92f283ec 100644
--- a/src/lib/empthread/pthread.c
+++ b/src/lib/empthread/pthread.c
@@ -65,9 +65,6 @@ static void *
 empth_start(void *ctx)
 {
     struct sigaction act;
-    extern emp_sig_t panic();
-    extern emp_sig_t shutdwn();
-
 
     /* actually it should inherit all this from main but... */
 #ifdef SA_SIGINFO
@@ -411,7 +408,7 @@ empth_select(int fd, int flags)
 }
 
 
-emp_sig_t
+void
 empth_alarm(int sig)
 {
     struct sigaction act;
diff --git a/src/server/main.c b/src/server/main.c
index 2667a202..1de51efd 100644
--- a/src/server/main.c
+++ b/src/server/main.c
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ close_files(void)
 }
 
 /* we're going down.  try to close the files at least */
-emp_sig_t
+void
 panic(int sig)
 {
 #if !defined(_WIN32)
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ panic(int sig)
     _exit(0);
 }
 
-emp_sig_t
+void
 shutdwn(int sig)
 {
     struct player *p;