diff --git a/src/3proxy.c b/src/3proxy.c
index d3f3af2..91415ef 100644
--- a/src/3proxy.c
+++ b/src/3proxy.c
@@ -511,6 +511,11 @@ int WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPWSTR lpCmdLine, int
 	return 1;
   }
 
+#ifndef _WIN32
+  /* before readconfig() starts the services: a client gone while it is
+     written to is an error, not the end */
+  signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN);
+#endif
   _3proxy_mutex_init(&config_mutex);
   _3proxy_mutex_init(&bandlim_mutex);
   _3proxy_mutex_init(&connlim_mutex);
@@ -561,7 +566,6 @@ int WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPWSTR lpCmdLine, int
 	 signal(SIGCONT, mysigpause);
 	 signal(SIGTERM, mysigterm);
 	 signal(SIGUSR1, mysigusr1);
-	 signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN);
 	 cyclestep();
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/proxymain.c b/src/proxymain.c
index 03c65ed..d6922a5 100644
--- a/src/proxymain.c
+++ b/src/proxymain.c
@@ -418,6 +418,9 @@ int MODULEMAINFUNC (int argc, char** argv){
  WSADATA wd;
  WSAStartup(MAKEWORD( 1, 1 ), &wd);
 
+#else
+ /* a client gone while it is written to is an error, not the end */
+ signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN);
 #endif
 
 #endif