diff --git a/apps/ivr/Ivr.cpp b/apps/ivr/Ivr.cpp
index befdf123..997de6fd 100644
--- a/apps/ivr/Ivr.cpp
+++ b/apps/ivr/Ivr.cpp
@@ -113,6 +113,19 @@ extern "C" {
     return PyString_FromString(res.c_str());
   }
 
+
+  static PyObject* ivr_ignoreSigchld(PyObject*, PyObject* args)
+  {
+    int* ignore;
+    if(!PyArg_ParseTuple(args,"i",&ignore))
+      return NULL;
+
+    AmConfig::IgnoreSIGCHLD = ignore;
+    DBG("%sgnoring SIGCHLD.\n", ignore?"I":"Not i");
+
+    return Py_None;
+  }
+
   static PyObject* ivr_getSessionParam(PyObject*, PyObject* args)
   {
     char* headers;
@@ -165,6 +178,7 @@ extern "C" {
     {"getHeader", (PyCFunction)ivr_getHeader, METH_VARARGS,"Python getHeader wrapper"},
     {"getSessionParam", (PyCFunction)ivr_getSessionParam, METH_VARARGS,"Python getSessionParam wrapper"},
     {"createThread", (PyCFunction)ivr_createThread, METH_VARARGS, "Create another interpreter thread"},
+    {"setIgnoreSigchld", (PyCFunction)ivr_ignoreSigchld, METH_VARARGS, "ignore SIGCHLD signal"},
     {NULL}  /* Sentinel */
   };
 }
diff --git a/core/AmConfig.cpp b/core/AmConfig.cpp
index e48832d0..a1572ef1 100644
--- a/core/AmConfig.cpp
+++ b/core/AmConfig.cpp
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ vector <string> AmConfig::CodecOrder;
 
 Dtmf::InbandDetectorType 
 AmConfig::DefaultDTMFDetector     = Dtmf::SEMSInternal;
+bool AmConfig::IgnoreSIGCHLD  = false;
 
 AmSessionTimerConfig AmConfig::defaultSessionTimerConfig;
 
diff --git a/core/AmConfig.h b/core/AmConfig.h
index c220c8f7..c8b34286 100644
--- a/core/AmConfig.h
+++ b/core/AmConfig.h
@@ -111,6 +111,8 @@ struct AmConfig
 
   static Dtmf::InbandDetectorType DefaultDTMFDetector;
 
+  static bool IgnoreSIGCHLD;
+
   /** Init function. Resolves SMTP server address. */
   static int init();
 
diff --git a/core/sems.cpp b/core/sems.cpp
index a32e2b0d..9327337d 100644
--- a/core/sems.cpp
+++ b/core/sems.cpp
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ int deamon_mode=1;
 
 static void sig_usr_un(int signo)
 {
+  if (signo == SIGCHLD && AmConfig::IgnoreSIGCHLD)
+    return;
+
   WARN("signal %d received\n", signo);
     
   if(!main_pid || (main_pid == getpid())){