diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index f9c4d7e..105ce6e 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -1340,6 +1340,11 @@ static int timer_load(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque, int version_id)
 void CALLBACK host_alarm_handler(UINT uTimerID, UINT uMsg,
                                  DWORD_PTR dwUser, DWORD_PTR dw1, DWORD_PTR dw2)
 #else
+static void host_alarm_handler_empty(int host_signum)
+{
+	return;
+}
+
 static void host_alarm_handler(int host_signum)
 #endif
 {
@@ -1571,15 +1576,15 @@ static int dynticks_start_timer(struct qemu_alarm_timer *t)
     struct sigevent ev = { { 0 } };
     timer_t host_timer;
     struct sigaction act;
+    struct itimerspec timeout;
 
     sigfillset(&act.sa_mask);
     act.sa_flags = 0;
-    act.sa_handler = host_alarm_handler;
+    act.sa_handler = host_alarm_handler_empty;
 
     sigaction(SIGALRM, &act, NULL);
 
-    ev.sigev_notify = SIGEV_SIGNAL;
-    ev.sigev_signo = SIGALRM;
+    ev.sigev_notify = SIGEV_NONE;
 
     if (timer_create(CLOCK_REALTIME, &ev, &host_timer)) {
         perror("timer_create");
@@ -1589,6 +1594,11 @@ static int dynticks_start_timer(struct qemu_alarm_timer *t)
 
         return -1;
     }
+    timeout.it_interval.tv_sec = 0;
+    timeout.it_interval.tv_nsec = 10000; /* 0 for one-shot timer */
+    timeout.it_value.tv_sec =  0;
+    timeout.it_value.tv_nsec = 10000;
+    timer_settime(host_timer, 0 /* RELATIVE */, &timeout, NULL);
 
     t->priv = (void *)(long)host_timer;
 
@@ -1604,6 +1614,7 @@ static void dynticks_stop_timer(struct qemu_alarm_timer *t)
 
 static void dynticks_rearm_timer(struct qemu_alarm_timer *t)
 {
+    return;
     timer_t host_timer = (timer_t)(long)t->priv;
     struct itimerspec timeout;
     int64_t nearest_delta_us = INT64_MAX;