diff --git a/py/src/gnumake_tokenpool/read_byte.py b/py/src/gnumake_tokenpool/read_byte.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..200b4e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/py/src/gnumake_tokenpool/read_byte.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# pipe one byte from stdin to stdout
+
+# raise OSError("test: asdf") # test exception
+# import sys; sys.exit(123) # test error
+# import time; time.sleep(999) # test timeout
+
+import os
+
+try:
+  _bytes = os.read(0, 1)
+except BlockingIOError as e:
+  if e.errno == 11:
+    # Resource temporarily unavailable
+    import sys
+    sys.exit(e.errno)
+  raise e
+except OSError as e:
+  if e.errno == 9:
+    # Bad file descriptor = pipe is closed
+    import sys
+    sys.exit(e.errno)
+  raise e
+
+os.write(1, _bytes)
diff --git a/py/src/gnumake_tokenpool/tokenpool.py b/py/src/gnumake_tokenpool/tokenpool.py
index 8aaf691..fa14f97 100644
--- a/py/src/gnumake_tokenpool/tokenpool.py
+++ b/py/src/gnumake_tokenpool/tokenpool.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
-import sys, os, stat, select, signal, time, re
+import sys, os, stat, select, time, re, subprocess, _compat_pickle
 
-from contextlib import contextmanager
 from datetime import datetime
 from typing import List, Any, Iterator, Never
 
@@ -15,6 +14,52 @@ class InvalidToken(Exception):
   pass
 
 
+def _parse_exception(_bytes):
+  #print("_bytes", repr(_bytes))
+  e_msg = _bytes.strip()
+  e_trace = b""
+  e_name = b""
+  parts = e_msg.rsplit(b"\n", 1)
+  #print("parts", repr(parts))
+  if len(parts) == 2:
+    e_trace, e_msg = parts
+  parts = e_msg.split(b": ", 1)
+  #print("parts", repr(parts))
+  if len(parts) == 2:
+    e_name, e_msg = parts
+  e_class = Exception
+  if re.fullmatch(rb"[A-Z][A-Za-z]+", e_name):
+    # eval is evil...
+    # e_class_2 = eval(e_name)
+    # if issubclass(e_class_2, BaseException):
+    #   e_class = e_class_2
+    # also check e_name versus list of built-in exceptions
+    # https://docs.python.org/3/library/exceptions.html
+    e_name = e_name.decode("ascii")
+    if (
+      e_name in _compat_pickle.PYTHON2_EXCEPTIONS or
+      e_name in _compat_pickle.PYTHON3_OSERROR_EXCEPTIONS or
+      e_name in _compat_pickle.PYTHON3_IMPORTERROR_EXCEPTIONS or
+      e_name in _compat_pickle.MULTIPROCESSING_EXCEPTIONS or
+      e_name == "OSError" or
+      e_name == "ImportError"
+    ):
+      e_class = eval(e_name)
+  try:
+    e_msg = e_msg.decode("utf8")
+  except UnicodeDecodeError:
+    pass
+  try:
+    e_trace = e_trace.decode("utf8")
+  except UnicodeDecodeError:
+    pass
+  try:
+    text = _bytes.decode("utf8").strip()
+  except UnicodeDecodeError:
+    text = repr(stderr)
+  return e_class, e_msg + "\n\nexception parsed from inner exception:\n\n" + text
+
+
 class JobClient:
   "jobclient for the gnumake jobserver"
 
@@ -27,11 +72,9 @@ def __init__(
       max_load: int | None = None,
       debug: bool | None = None,
       debug2: bool | None = None,
-      use_cysignals: bool | None = None,
     ):
 
     self._fdRead: int | None = None
-    self._fdReadDup: int | None = None
     self._fdWrite: int | None = None
     self._fifoPath = None
     self._fdFifo = None
@@ -40,6 +83,8 @@ def __init__(
     self._fileRead = None
     self._fileWrite = None
 
+    self._read_byte_py_path = os.path.dirname(__file__) + "/read_byte.py"
+
     self._debug = bool(os.environ.get("DEBUG_JOBCLIENT"))
     self._debug2 = bool(os.environ.get("DEBUG_JOBCLIENT_2")) # more verbose
 
@@ -51,16 +96,6 @@ def __init__(
     self._log = self._get_log(self._debug)
     self._log2 = self._get_log(self._debug2)
 
-    if use_cysignals is not False:
-      try:
-        from cysignals.pysignals import changesignal
-      except ImportError:
-        if use_cysignals:
-          raise
-      else:
-        self._log("init: using cysignals.pysignals.changesignal")
-        self._changesignal = changesignal   # type: ignore
-
     makeFlags = os.environ.get("MAKEFLAGS", "")
     if makeFlags:
       self._log(f"init: MAKEFLAGS: {makeFlags}")
@@ -181,7 +216,11 @@ def maxLoad(self) -> int | None:
     return self._maxLoad
 
 
-  def acquire(self) -> int | None:
+  def acquire(
+      self,
+      # a successful read takes about 0.1 to 0.2 seconds
+      timeout=0.5,
+    ) -> int | None:
     # http://make.mad-scientist.net/papers/jobserver-implementation/
 
     # check if fdRead is readable
@@ -190,50 +229,43 @@ def acquire(self) -> int | None:
       self._log2(f"acquire failed: fd is empty")
       return None
 
-    # handle race condition:
-    # between select and read, another process can read from the pipe.
-    # when the pipe is empty, read can block forever.
-    # by closing fdReadDup, we interrupt read
-    if self._fdRead and not self._fdReadDup:
-      self._fdReadDup = os.dup(self._fdRead)
-
-    if not self._fdReadDup:
-      self._log(f"acquire: failed to duplicate fd")
-      return None
+    args = [
+      sys.executable, # python
+      self._read_byte_py_path,
+    ]
 
-    def read_timeout_handler(_signum: int, _frame: Any) -> None:
+    self._log(f"acquire: read with timeout {timeout} ...")
+    buffer = b""
+    t1 = time.time()
+    try:
+      proc = subprocess.run(
+        args,
+        capture_output=True,
+        timeout=timeout,
+        stdin=self._fdRead,
+        #check=True, # raise CalledProcessError
+      )
+      buffer = proc.stdout
+      t2 = time.time()
+      self._log(f"acquire: read done after {t2 - t1} seconds")
+    except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
       self._log(f"acquire: read timeout")
-      assert self._fdReadDup
-      os.close(self._fdReadDup)
-
-    # SIGALRM = timer has fired = read timeout
-    with self._changesignal(signal.SIGALRM, read_timeout_handler):
-      try:
-        # Set SA_RESTART to limit EINTR occurrences.
-        # by default, signal.signal clears the SA_RESTART flag.
-        # TODO is this necessary?
-        signal.siginterrupt(signal.SIGALRM, False)
-
-        read_timeout = 0.1
-        signal.setitimer(signal.ITIMER_REAL, read_timeout) # set timer for SIGALRM. unix only
-
-        # blocking read
-        self._log(f"acquire: read with timeout {read_timeout} ...")
-        buffer = b""
-        try:
-          buffer = os.read(self._fdReadDup, 1)
-        except BlockingIOError as e:
-          if e.errno == 11: # Resource temporarily unavailable
-            self._log2(f"acquire failed: fd is empty 2")
-            return None # jobserver is full, try again later
-          raise e # unexpected error
-        except OSError as e:
-          if e.errno == 9: # EBADF: Bad file descriptor = pipe is closed
-            self._log(f"acquire: read failed: {e}")
-            return None # jobserver is full, try again later
-          raise e # unexpected error
-      finally:
-        signal.setitimer(signal.ITIMER_REAL, 0) # clear timer. unix only
+      return None
+      #raise TimeoutError
+    #except subprocess.CalledProcessError as proc:
+    if proc.returncode != 0:
+      if proc.returncode == 11: # Resource temporarily unavailable
+        self._log2(f"acquire failed: fd is empty 2")
+        return None # jobserver is full, try again later
+      if proc.returncode == 9: # EBADF: Bad file descriptor = pipe is closed
+        #self._log(f"acquire: read failed: {e}")
+        self._log(f"acquire: read failed: Bad file descriptor")
+        return None # jobserver is full, try again later
+      if proc.returncode == 1:
+        e_class, e_msg = _parse_exception(proc.stderr)
+        raise e_class(e_msg) # unexpected error
+      e_msg = f"read_byte_py process returned {proc.returncode}. stdout={repr(proc.stdout)}. stderr={repr(proc.stderr)}"
+      raise Exception(e_msg) # unexpected error
 
     #if len(buffer) == 0:
     #  return None
@@ -315,13 +347,3 @@ def _get_stat(self, fd: int) -> os.stat_result:
         self._log(f"init failed: fd {fd} stat failed: {e}")
         raise NoJobServer()
       raise e # unexpected error
-
-  @staticmethod
-  @contextmanager
-  def _changesignal(sig: int, action: Any) -> Iterator[None]:
-    old_sig_handler = signal.signal(sig, action)
-    try:
-      yield
-    finally:
-      # clear signal handler
-      signal.signal(sig, old_sig_handler)