diff --git a/src/Updater.cpp b/src/Updater.cpp
index 9fc5a64..2e25321 100644
--- a/src/Updater.cpp
+++ b/src/Updater.cpp
@@ -172,40 +172,45 @@ void Updater::ThreadProc()
     pfd.fd = this->event_reader;
     pfd.events = POLLIN;
 
-    while (true)
-    {
-        int ret = poll(&pfd, 1, std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::milliseconds>(updateRate).count()); // 1000 ms timeout
+    try {
+        while (true)
+        {
+            int ret = poll(&pfd, 1, std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::milliseconds>(updateRate).count()); // 1000 ms timeout
 
-        if (ret == -1)
-        {
-            Lv2Log::error("Updater: Poll error.");
-            break;
-        }
-        else if (ret == 0)
-        {
-            CheckForUpdate(true);
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            // Event occurred
-            uint64_t value;
-            ssize_t s = read(event_reader, &value, sizeof(uint64_t));
-            if (s == sizeof(uint64_t))
+            if (ret == -1)
             {
-                if (value == CHECK_NOW_EVENT)
+                Lv2Log::error("Updater: Poll error.");
+                break;
+            }
+            else if (ret == 0)
+            {
+                CheckForUpdate(true);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                // Event occurred
+                uint64_t value;
+                ssize_t s = read(event_reader, &value, sizeof(uint64_t));
+                if (s == sizeof(uint64_t))
                 {
-                    CheckForUpdate(true);
-                }
-                else if (value == UNCACHED_CHECK_NOW_EVENT)
-                {
-                    CheckForUpdate(false);
-                }
-                else
-                {
-                    break;
+                    if (value == CHECK_NOW_EVENT)
+                    {
+                        CheckForUpdate(true);
+                    }
+                    else if (value == UNCACHED_CHECK_NOW_EVENT)
+                    {
+                        CheckForUpdate(false);
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        break;
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
+    } catch (const std::exception&e)
+    {
+        Lv2Log::error(SS("Updater: Service thread terminated abnormally: " << e.what()));
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 43a845b..5a19f19 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -220,8 +220,28 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
                 return EXIT_SUCCESS; // tell systemd not to auto-restart.
             }
         }
+        // only accept signals on the main thread.
+        // block now so that threads spawned by model inherit the block mask.
+        int sig;
+        sigset_t sigSet;
+        int s;
+        sigemptyset(&sigSet);
+        sigaddset(&sigSet, SIGINT);
+        sigaddset(&sigSet, SIGTERM);
+        sigaddset(&sigSet, SIGUSR1);
+
+        s = pthread_sigmask(SIG_BLOCK, &sigSet, NULL);
+        if (s != 0)
+        {
+            throw std::logic_error("pthread_sigmask failed.");
+        }
+
+
+
         PiPedalModel model;
 
+
+
         model.SetRestartListener(
             []()
             {
@@ -243,20 +263,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
         model.WaitForAudioDeviceToComeOnline();
 
-        // only accept signals on the main thread.
-        int sig;
-        sigset_t sigSet;
-        int s;
-        sigemptyset(&sigSet);
-        sigaddset(&sigSet, SIGINT);
-        sigaddset(&sigSet, SIGTERM);
-        sigaddset(&sigSet, SIGUSR1);
-
-        s = pthread_sigmask(SIG_BLOCK, &sigSet, NULL);
-        if (s != 0)
-        {
-            throw std::logic_error("pthread_sigmask failed.");
-        }
 
 #if JACK_HOST
         if (systemd)