--- a/src/core/ngx_cycle.c
+++ b/src/core/ngx_cycle.c
@@ -569,12 +569,14 @@ ngx_init_cycle(ngx_cycle_t *old_cycle)
         }
     }
 
-    if (ngx_open_listening_sockets(cycle) != NGX_OK) {
-        goto failed;
-    }
+    if (ngx_process != NGX_PROCESS_SIGNALLER) {
+        if (ngx_open_listening_sockets(cycle) != NGX_OK) {
+            goto failed;
+        }
 
-    if (!ngx_test_config) {
-        ngx_configure_listening_socket(cycle);
+        if (!ngx_test_config) {
+            ngx_configure_listening_socket(cycle);
+        }
     }
 
 
@@ -986,6 +988,58 @@ ngx_delete_pidfile(ngx_cycle_t *cycle)
 }
 
 
+ngx_int_t
+ngx_signal_process(ngx_cycle_t *cycle, char *sig)
+{
+    ssize_t           n;
+    ngx_int_t         pid;
+    ngx_file_t        file;
+    ngx_core_conf_t  *ccf;
+    u_char            buf[NGX_INT64_LEN + 2];
+
+    ngx_log_error(NGX_LOG_NOTICE, cycle->log, 0, "signal process started");
+
+    ccf = (ngx_core_conf_t *) ngx_get_conf(cycle->conf_ctx, ngx_core_module);
+
+    file.name = ccf->pid;
+    file.log = cycle->log;
+
+    file.fd = ngx_open_file(file.name.data, NGX_FILE_RDONLY,
+                            NGX_FILE_OPEN, NGX_FILE_DEFAULT_ACCESS);
+
+    if (file.fd == NGX_INVALID_FILE) {
+        ngx_log_error(NGX_LOG_ERR, cycle->log, ngx_errno,
+                      ngx_open_file_n " \"%s\" failed", file.name.data);
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    n = ngx_read_file(&file, buf, NGX_INT64_LEN + 2, 0);
+
+    if (ngx_close_file(file.fd) == NGX_FILE_ERROR) {
+        ngx_log_error(NGX_LOG_ALERT, cycle->log, ngx_errno,
+                      ngx_close_file_n " \"%s\" failed", file.name.data);
+    }
+
+    if (n == NGX_ERROR) {
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    while (n-- && (buf[n] == CR || buf[n] == LF)) { /* void */ }
+
+    pid = ngx_atoi(buf, ++n);
+
+    if (pid == NGX_ERROR) {
+        ngx_log_error(NGX_LOG_ERR, cycle->log, 0,
+                      "invalid PID number \"%*s\" in \"%s\"",
+                      n, buf, file.name.data);
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    return ngx_os_signal_process(cycle, sig, pid);
+
+}
+
+
 static ngx_int_t
 ngx_test_lockfile(u_char *file, ngx_log_t *log)
 {