diff --git a/hurd/hurdsig.c b/hurd/hurdsig.c
index 3ba54290fe..a84e7bc54e 100644
--- a/hurd/hurdsig.c
+++ b/hurd/hurdsig.c
@@ -233,6 +233,9 @@ interrupted_reply_port_location (struct machine_thread_all_state *thread_state,
 #include <hurd/sigpreempt.h>
 #include "intr-msg.h"
 
+/* Timeout on interrupt_operation calls.  */
+mach_msg_timeout_t _hurdsig_interrupt_timeout = 1000;
+
 /* SS->thread is suspended.
 
    Abort any interruptible RPC operation the thread is doing.
@@ -299,7 +302,7 @@ _hurdsig_abort_rpcs (struct hurd_sigstate *ss, int signo, int sigthread,
 
 	mach_port_t *reply = interrupted_reply_port_location (state,
 							      sigthread);
-	error_t err = __interrupt_operation (intr_port);
+	error_t err = __interrupt_operation (intr_port, _hurdsig_interrupt_timeout);
 
 	if (err)
 	  {
diff --git a/hurd/report-wait.c b/hurd/report-wait.c
index 521c5220b9..35cf7c1a61 100644
--- a/hurd/report-wait.c
+++ b/hurd/report-wait.c
@@ -29,15 +29,20 @@ Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.  */
 static void
 describe_number (string_t description, const char *flavor, int i)
 {
+  int j;
   char *p = __stpcpy (description, flavor);
-  p += i / 10 + 1;
-  *p = '\0';
+
+  /* Allocate space for the number at the end of DESCRIPTION.  */
+  for (j = i; j >= 10; j /= 10)
+    p++;
+  p[1] = '\0';
+
   do
     {
-      *--p = '0' + i % 10;
+      *p-- = '0' + i % 10;
       i /= 10;
     } while (i != 0);
-  assert (p[-1] == '#');
+  assert (*p == '#');
 }
 
 static void