diff --git a/include/global.h b/include/global.h
index f98c53936..24d94b74f 100644
--- a/include/global.h
+++ b/include/global.h
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ typedef char nhptext;
 #if defined(UNIX) || defined(VMS) || defined(__EMX__) || defined(WIN32)
 # define HANGUPHANDLING
 #endif
-#if defined(SAFERHANGUP) && !defined(HANGUPHANDLING)
+#if defined(SAFERHANGUP) && (defined(NOSAVEONHANGUP) || !defined(HANGUPHANDLING))
 # undef SAFERHANGUP
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/cmd.c b/src/cmd.c
index 9d6f43f99..e123aeb86 100644
--- a/src/cmd.c
+++ b/src/cmd.c
@@ -2798,6 +2798,9 @@ parse()
 }
 
 #ifdef HANGUPHANDLING
+/* some very old systems, or descendents of such systems, expect signal
+   handlers to have return type `int', but they don't actually inspect
+   the return value so we should be safe using `void' unconditionally */
 /*ARGUSED*/
 void
 hangup(sig_unused) /* called as signal() handler, so sent at least one arg */
@@ -2812,16 +2815,17 @@ int sig_unused;
 	   but also potentially riskier because the disconnected program
 	   must continue running longer before attempting a hangup save. */
 	program_state.done_hup++;
-# else
+	/* defer hangup iff game appears to be in progress */
+	if (program_state.something_worth_saving) return;
+# endif /* SAFERHANGUP */
 	end_of_input();
-# endif /* ?SAFERHANGUP */
 }
 
 void
 end_of_input()
 {
 # ifdef NOSAVEONHANGUP
-	program_state_something_worth_saving = 0;
+	program_state.something_worth_saving = 0;
 # endif
 # ifndef SAFERHANGUP
 	if (!program_state.done_hup++)