diff --git a/.hgignore b/.hgignore
index b254ad8..d5366d6 100644
--- a/.hgignore
+++ b/.hgignore
@@ -4,3 +4,6 @@
 ^build/
 ^pkg/
 \.orig$
+.*\.swp$
+cscope.out$
+valgrind.out$
diff --git a/src/self_pipe.c b/src/self_pipe.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..992fa31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/self_pipe.c
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+/**
+ * self_pipe.c
+ *
+ * author: Alex Young <alex@bytemark.co.uk>
+ *
+ * Wrapper for the self-pipe trick for select()-based thread
+ * synchronisation.   Get yourself a self_pipe with self_pipe_create(), 
+ * select() on the read end of the pipe with the help of
+ * self_pipe_fd_set( sig, fds  ) and self_pipe_fd_isset( sig, fds ).
+ * When you've received a signal, clear it with
+ * self_pipe_signal_clear(sig) so that the buffer doesn't get filled.
+ *
+ */
+
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+
+
+#include "util.h"
+#include "self_pipe.h"
+
+#define ERR_MSG_PIPE "Couldn't open a pipe for signaling." 
+#define ERR_MSG_FCNTL "Couldn't set a signalling pipe non-blocking."
+#define ERR_MSG_WRITE "Couldn't write to a signaling pipe."
+#define ERR_MSG_READ "Couldn't read from a signaling pipe."
+
+void self_pipe_server_error( int err, char *msg )
+{
+	char errbuf[1024];
+
+	strerror_r( err, errbuf, 1024 );
+
+	debug(msg);
+	SERVER_ERROR( "%s\t%s", msg, errbuf );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Allocate a struct self_pipe, opening the pipe and allocating a
+ * pthread mutex.
+ *
+ * Returns NULL if the pipe couldn't be opened or if we couldn't set it
+ * non-blocking.
+ *
+ * Remember to call self_pipe_destroy when you're done with the return
+ * value.
+ */
+struct self_pipe * self_pipe_create(void)
+{
+	struct self_pipe *sig = xmalloc( sizeof( struct self_pipe ) );
+	int fds[2];
+	int fcntl_err;
+	
+	if ( NULL == sig ) { return NULL; }
+
+	if ( pipe( fds ) ) {
+		free( sig );
+		self_pipe_server_error( errno, ERR_MSG_PIPE );
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	if ( fcntl( fds[0], F_SETFD, O_NONBLOCK ) || fcntl( fds[1], F_SETFD, O_NONBLOCK ) ) {
+		fcntl_err = errno;
+		while( close( fds[0] ) == -1 && errno == EINTR );
+		while( close( fds[1] ) == -1 && errno == EINTR );
+		free( sig );
+		self_pipe_server_error( fcntl_err, ERR_MSG_FCNTL );
+
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	sig->read_fd = fds[0];
+	sig->write_fd = fds[1];
+
+	return sig;
+}
+
+
+/**
+ * Send a signal to anyone select()ing on this signal.
+ *
+ * Returns 1 on success.  Can fail if weirdness happened to the write fd
+ * of the pipe in the self_pipe struct.
+ */
+int self_pipe_signal( struct self_pipe * sig )
+{
+	if ( write( sig->write_fd, "1", 1 ) != 1 ) {
+		self_pipe_server_error( errno, ERR_MSG_WRITE );
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	return 1;
+}
+
+
+/** 
+ * Clear a received signal from the pipe.  Every signal sent must be
+ * cleared by one (and only one) recipient when they return from select().
+ */
+int self_pipe_signal_clear( struct self_pipe *sig )
+{
+	char buf[1];
+
+	read( sig->read_fd, buf, 1 );
+	return 1;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Close the pipe and free the self_pipe.  Do not try to use the
+ * self_pipe struct after calling this, the innards are mush.
+ */
+int self_pipe_destroy( struct self_pipe * sig )
+{
+	while( close( sig->read_fd  ) == -1 && errno == EINTR );
+	while( close( sig->write_fd ) == -1 && errno == EINTR );
+
+	/* Just in case anyone *does* try to use this after free,
+	 * we should set the memory locations to an error value
+	 */
+	sig->read_fd = -1;
+	sig->write_fd = -1;
+
+	free( sig );
+	return 1;
+}
+
+int self_pipe_fd_set( struct self_pipe * sig, fd_set * fds)
+{
+	FD_SET( sig->read_fd, fds );
+	return 1;
+}
+
+int self_pipe_fd_isset( struct self_pipe * sig, fd_set * fds)
+{
+	return FD_ISSET( sig->read_fd, fds );
+}
diff --git a/src/self_pipe.h b/src/self_pipe.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..17b3269
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/self_pipe.h
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#define SELF_PIPE_H
+
+#include <sys/select.h>
+
+struct self_pipe {
+	int read_fd;
+	int write_fd;
+};
+
+
+struct self_pipe * self_pipe_create(void);
+int self_pipe_signal( struct self_pipe * sig );
+int self_pipe_signal_clear( struct self_pipe *sig );
+int self_pipe_destroy( struct self_pipe * sig );
+int self_pipe_fd_set( struct self_pipe * sig, fd_set * fds );
+int self_pipe_fd_isset( struct self_pipe *sig, fd_set *fds );
diff --git a/tests/check_self_pipe.c b/tests/check_self_pipe.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f1d04a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/check_self_pipe.c
@@ -0,0 +1,197 @@
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+#include <check.h>
+#include <mcheck.h>
+
+#include "self_pipe.h"
+
+START_TEST( test_opens_pipe )
+{
+	struct self_pipe* sig;
+	char buf[] = " ";
+
+	sig = self_pipe_create();
+
+	write( sig->write_fd, "1", 1 );
+	read(  sig->read_fd, buf, 1 );
+
+	fail_unless( buf[0] == '1', "Pipe does not seem to be open;" );
+	self_pipe_destroy( sig );
+}
+END_TEST
+
+
+void * signal_thread( void * thing )
+{
+	struct self_pipe *sig = (struct self_pipe *)thing;
+	usleep( 100000 );
+	self_pipe_signal( sig );
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+pthread_t start_signal_thread( struct self_pipe *sig )
+{
+	pthread_attr_t attr;
+	pthread_t thread_id;
+
+	pthread_attr_init( &attr );
+	pthread_create( &thread_id, &attr, signal_thread, sig );
+	pthread_attr_destroy( &attr );
+
+	return thread_id;
+}
+
+
+START_TEST( test_signals )
+{
+	struct self_pipe* sig;
+	fd_set fds;
+	pthread_t signal_thread_id;
+
+	sig = self_pipe_create();
+
+	FD_ZERO( &fds );
+	self_pipe_fd_set( sig, &fds );
+
+	signal_thread_id = start_signal_thread( sig );
+	if ( select( FD_SETSIZE, &fds, NULL, NULL, NULL ) == -1 ) {
+		fail( strerror(errno) );
+	}
+	self_pipe_signal_clear( sig );
+
+	fail_unless( self_pipe_fd_isset( sig, &fds ), "Signalled pipe was not FD_ISSET." );
+	pthread_join( signal_thread_id, NULL );
+
+	self_pipe_destroy( sig );
+}
+END_TEST
+
+
+START_TEST( test_destroy_closes_read_pipe )
+{
+	struct self_pipe* sig;
+	ssize_t read_len;
+	int orig_read_fd;
+
+	sig = self_pipe_create();
+	orig_read_fd = sig->read_fd;
+	self_pipe_destroy( sig );
+
+	while( (read_len = read( orig_read_fd, "", 0 )) == -1 && errno == EINTR );
+
+	switch( read_len ) {
+		case 0:
+			fail("The read fd wasn't closed." );
+			break;
+		case -1:
+			switch(errno) {
+				case EBADF:
+					/* This is what we want */
+					break;
+				case EAGAIN:
+					fail( "The read fd wasn't closed." );
+					break;
+				default:
+					fail( strerror( errno ) );
+					break;
+			}
+			break;
+		default:
+			fail( "The read fd wasn't closed, and had data in it." );
+			break;
+	}
+}
+END_TEST
+
+
+START_TEST( test_destroy_closes_write_pipe )
+{
+	struct self_pipe * sig;
+	ssize_t write_len;
+	int orig_write_fd;
+
+	sig = self_pipe_create();
+	orig_write_fd = sig->write_fd;
+	self_pipe_destroy( sig );
+
+	while ( ( write_len = write( orig_write_fd, "", 0 ) ) == -1 && errno == EINTR );
+
+	switch( write_len ) {
+		case 0:
+			fail( "The write fd wasn't closed." );
+			break;
+		case -1:
+			switch( errno ) {
+				case EPIPE:
+				case EBADF:
+					/* This is what we want */
+					break;
+				case EAGAIN:
+					fail("The write fd wasn't closed." );
+					break;
+				default:
+					fail( strerror( errno ) );
+					break;
+			}
+			break;
+		default:
+			/* To get here, the write(_,_,0) would have to
+			 * write some bytes.
+			 */
+			fail( "The write fd wasn't closed, and something REALLY WEIRD is going on." );
+			break;
+	}
+
+}
+END_TEST
+
+
+START_TEST( test_signal_after_destroy_fails )
+{
+	struct self_pipe* sig;
+
+	sig = self_pipe_create();
+	self_pipe_destroy( sig );
+
+	fail_unless( self_pipe_signal( sig ) == 0, "Signaling a closed self_pipe didn't return 0." );
+}
+END_TEST
+
+
+Suite *self_pipe_suite()
+{
+	Suite *s = suite_create("self_pipe");
+
+	TCase *tc_create = tcase_create("create");
+	TCase *tc_signal = tcase_create("signal");
+	TCase *tc_destroy = tcase_create("destroy");
+
+	tcase_add_test(tc_create, test_opens_pipe);
+	tcase_add_test(tc_signal, test_signals );
+	tcase_add_test(tc_destroy, test_destroy_closes_read_pipe );
+	tcase_add_test(tc_destroy, test_destroy_closes_write_pipe );
+	/* We don't test that destroy free()'s the self_pipe pointer because
+	 * that'll be caught by valgrind.
+	 */
+
+	suite_add_tcase(s, tc_create);
+	suite_add_tcase(s, tc_signal);
+	suite_add_tcase(s, tc_destroy);
+
+	return s;
+}
+
+int main(void)
+{
+	int number_failed;
+	
+	Suite *s = self_pipe_suite();
+	SRunner *sr = srunner_create(s);
+	srunner_run_all(sr, CK_NORMAL);
+	number_failed = srunner_ntests_failed(sr);
+	srunner_free(sr);
+	return (number_failed == 0) ? 0 : 1;
+}
+