diff --git a/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_main.c b/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_main.c
index 9bd4ddd12b25..5b248763a672 100644
--- a/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_main.c
+++ b/drivers/block/drbd/drbd_main.c
@@ -322,6 +322,8 @@ static int drbd_thread_setup(void *arg)
 		 thi->name[0],
 		 resource->name);
 
+	allow_kernel_signal(DRBD_SIGKILL);
+	allow_kernel_signal(SIGXCPU);
 restart:
 	retval = thi->function(thi);
 
diff --git a/fs/cifs/connect.c b/fs/cifs/connect.c
index a15a6e738eb5..1795e80cbdf7 100644
--- a/fs/cifs/connect.c
+++ b/fs/cifs/connect.c
@@ -1113,7 +1113,7 @@ cifs_demultiplex_thread(void *p)
 		mempool_resize(cifs_req_poolp, length + cifs_min_rcv);
 
 	set_freezable();
-	allow_signal(SIGKILL);
+	allow_kernel_signal(SIGKILL);
 	while (server->tcpStatus != CifsExiting) {
 		if (try_to_freeze())
 			continue;
diff --git a/include/linux/signal.h b/include/linux/signal.h
index b5d99482d3fe..1a5f88316b08 100644
--- a/include/linux/signal.h
+++ b/include/linux/signal.h
@@ -282,6 +282,9 @@ extern void signal_setup_done(int failed, struct ksignal *ksig, int stepping);
 extern void exit_signals(struct task_struct *tsk);
 extern void kernel_sigaction(int, __sighandler_t);
 
+#define SIG_KTHREAD ((__force __sighandler_t)2)
+#define SIG_KTHREAD_KERNEL ((__force __sighandler_t)3)
+
 static inline void allow_signal(int sig)
 {
 	/*
@@ -289,7 +292,17 @@ static inline void allow_signal(int sig)
 	 * know it'll be handled, so that they don't get converted to
 	 * SIGKILL or just silently dropped.
 	 */
-	kernel_sigaction(sig, (__force __sighandler_t)2);
+	kernel_sigaction(sig, SIG_KTHREAD);
+}
+
+static inline void allow_kernel_signal(int sig)
+{
+	/*
+	 * Kernel threads handle their own signals. Let the signal code
+	 * know signals sent by the kernel will be handled, so that they
+	 * don't get silently dropped.
+	 */
+	kernel_sigaction(sig, SIG_KTHREAD_KERNEL);
 }
 
 static inline void disallow_signal(int sig)
diff --git a/kernel/signal.c b/kernel/signal.c
index e667be6907d7..534fec266a33 100644
--- a/kernel/signal.c
+++ b/kernel/signal.c
@@ -90,6 +90,11 @@ static bool sig_task_ignored(struct task_struct *t, int sig, bool force)
 	    handler == SIG_DFL && !(force && sig_kernel_only(sig)))
 		return true;
 
+	/* Only allow kernel generated signals to this kthread */
+	if (unlikely((t->flags & PF_KTHREAD) &&
+		     (handler == SIG_KTHREAD_KERNEL) && !force))
+		return true;
+
 	return sig_handler_ignored(handler, sig);
 }