diff --git a/Lib/test/test_signal.py b/Lib/test/test_signal.py
index 8d8a15d..311d0f0 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_signal.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_signal.py
@@ -520,7 +520,6 @@
     functions.
     """
     def setUp(self):
-        self.hndl_called = False
         self.has_pthread_kill = hasattr(signal, 'pthread_kill')
 
     def handler(self, signum, frame):
@@ -610,87 +609,108 @@
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(hasattr(signal, 'pthread_sigmask'),
                          'need signal.pthread_sigmask()')
-    @unittest.skipUnless(hasattr(os, 'fork'), 'need os.fork()')
-    def wait_helper(self, test, handler, blocked):
-        signum = signal.SIGALRM
+    def wait_helper(self, test, blocked):
+        """
+        test: body of the "def test(signum):" function.
+        blocked: number of the blocked signal
+        """
+        code = '''
+import signal
+import sys
+
+def handler(signum, frame):
+    1/0
+
+def test(signum):
+%s
+
+blocked = %s
+signum = signal.SIGALRM
+
+# child: block and wait the signal
+try:
+    signal.signal(signum, handler)
+    signal.pthread_sigmask(signal.SIG_BLOCK, [blocked])
+
+    # Do the tests
+    test(signum)
+
+    # The handler must not be called on unblock
+    try:
+        signal.pthread_sigmask(signal.SIG_UNBLOCK, [blocked])
+    except ZeroDivisionError:
+        print("the signal handler has been called",
+              file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(1)
+except BaseException as err:
+    print("error: {}".format(err), file=sys.stderr)
+    sys.stderr.flush()
+    sys.exit(1)
+''' % (test, blocked)
 
         # sig*wait* must be called with the signal blocked: since the current
-        # process might have several threads running, we fork() a child process
-        # to have a single thread.
-        pid = os.fork()
-        if pid == 0:
-            # child: block and wait the signal
-            try:
-                signal.signal(signum, handler)
-                signal.pthread_sigmask(signal.SIG_BLOCK, [blocked])
-
-                # Do the tests
-                test(signum)
-
-                # The handler must not be called on unblock
-                try:
-                    signal.pthread_sigmask(signal.SIG_UNBLOCK, [blocked])
-                except ZeroDivisionError:
-                    print("the signal handler has been called",
-                          file=sys.stderr)
-                    os._exit(1)
-            except BaseException as err:
-                print("error: {}".format(err), file=sys.stderr)
-                sys.stderr.flush()
-                os._exit(1)
-            else:
-                os._exit(0)
-        else:
-            # parent: check that the child correcty received the signal
-            self.assertEqual(os.waitpid(pid, 0), (pid, 0))
+        # process might have several threads running, use a subprocess to have
+        # a single thread.
+        assert_python_ok('-c', code)
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(hasattr(signal, 'sigwait'),
                          'need signal.sigwait()')
     def test_sigwait(self):
-        def test(signum):
+        test = '''
             signal.alarm(1)
-            self.assertEqual(signum, signal.sigwait([signum]))
+            received = signal.sigwait([signum])
+            assert received == signum , 'received %s, not %s' % (received, signum)
+        '''
 
-        self.wait_helper(test, self.handler, signal.SIGALRM)
+        self.wait_helper(test, signal.SIGALRM)
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(hasattr(signal, 'sigwaitinfo'),
                          'need signal.sigwaitinfo()')
     def test_sigwaitinfo(self):
-        def test(signum):
+        test = '''
             signal.alarm(1)
             info = signal.sigwaitinfo([signum])
-            self.assertEqual(signum, info.si_signo)
+            assert info.si_signo == signum, "info.si_signo != %s" % signum
+        '''
 
-        self.wait_helper(test, self.handler, signal.SIGALRM)
+        self.wait_helper(test, signal.SIGALRM)
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(hasattr(signal, 'sigtimedwait'),
                          'need signal.sigtimedwait()')
     def test_sigtimedwait(self):
-        def test(signum):
+        test = '''
             signal.alarm(1)
             info = signal.sigtimedwait([signum], (10, 1000))
-            self.assertEqual(signum, info.si_signo)
+            assert info.si_signo == signum, 'info.si_signo != %s' % signum
+        '''
 
-        self.wait_helper(test, self.handler, signal.SIGALRM)
+        self.wait_helper(test, signal.SIGALRM)
 
-    # check that polling with sigtimedwait works
     @unittest.skipUnless(hasattr(signal, 'sigtimedwait'),
                          'need signal.sigtimedwait()')
+    # issue #12303: sigtimedwait() takes 30 seconds on FreeBSD 6 (kernel bug)
+    @unittest.skipIf(sys.platform =='freebsd6',
+        'sigtimedwait() with a null timeout doens\'t work on FreeBSD 6')
     def test_sigtimedwait_poll(self):
-        def test(signum):
-            self.kill(signum)
+        # check that polling with sigtimedwait works
+        test = '''
+            import os
+            os.kill(os.getpid(), signum)
             info = signal.sigtimedwait([signum], (0, 0))
-            self.assertEqual(signum, info.si_signo)
+            assert info.si_signo == signum, 'info.si_signo != %s' % signum
+        '''
 
-        self.wait_helper(test, self.handler, signal.SIGALRM)
+        self.wait_helper(test, signal.SIGALRM)
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(hasattr(signal, 'sigtimedwait'),
                          'need signal.sigtimedwait()')
     def test_sigtimedwait_timeout(self):
-        def test(signum):
-            self.assertEqual(None, signal.sigtimedwait([signum], (1, 35500)))
+        test = '''
+            received = signal.sigtimedwait([signum], (1, 0))
+            assert received is None, "received=%r" % (received,)
+        '''
 
-        self.wait_helper(test, self.handler, signal.SIGALRM)
+        self.wait_helper(test, signal.SIGALRM)
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(hasattr(signal, 'sigtimedwait'),
                          'need signal.sigtimedwait()')
@@ -700,25 +720,30 @@
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, signal.sigtimedwait, [signum], (0, -1))
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, signal.sigtimedwait, [signum], (-1, 0))
 
-    def alarm_handler(self, signum, frame):
-        self.hndl_called = True
-
     @unittest.skipUnless(hasattr(signal, 'sigwaitinfo'),
                          'need signal.sigwaitinfo()')
     def test_sigwaitinfo_interrupted(self):
-        def test(signum):
+        test = '''
+            import errno
+
+            hndl_called = True
+            def alarm_handler(signum, frame):
+                hndl_called = False
+
+            signal.signal(signal.SIGALRM, alarm_handler)
             signal.alarm(1)
             try:
                 signal.sigwaitinfo([signal.SIGUSR1])
             except OSError as e:
                 if e.errno == errno.EINTR:
-                    self.assertTrue(self.hndl_called)
+                    assert hndl_called, "SIGALRM handler not called"
                 else:
-                    self.fail("Expected EINTR to be raised by sigwaitinfo")
+                    raise Exception("Expected EINTR to be raised by sigwaitinfo")
             else:
-                self.fail("Expected EINTR to be raised by sigwaitinfo")
+                raise Exception("Expected EINTR to be raised by sigwaitinfo")
+        '''
 
-        self.wait_helper(test, self.alarm_handler, signal.SIGUSR1)
+        self.wait_helper(test, signal.SIGUSR1)
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(hasattr(signal, 'sigwait'),
                          'need signal.sigwait()')