diff --git a/src/expiry.c b/src/expiry.c
index 4ae47703..41add942 100644
--- a/src/expiry.c
+++ b/src/expiry.c
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ static void process_flags (int argc, char **argv);
  */
 static RETSIGTYPE catch_signals (unused int sig)
 {
-	exit (10);
+	_exit (10);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/gpasswd.c b/src/gpasswd.c
index 27ad9599..c4a492b1 100644
--- a/src/gpasswd.c
+++ b/src/gpasswd.c
@@ -169,9 +169,8 @@ static RETSIGTYPE catch_signals (int killed)
 	}
 
 	if (0 != killed) {
-		(void) putchar ('\n');
-		(void) fflush (stdout);
-		exit (killed);
+		(void) write (STDOUT_FILENO, "\n", 1);
+		_exit (killed);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/login.c b/src/login.c
index d610844d..2d2e704e 100644
--- a/src/login.c
+++ b/src/login.c
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ static bool hflg = false;
 static bool preauth_flag = false;
 
 static bool amroot;
-static unsigned int timeout;
+static char tmsg[256];
 
 /*
  * External identifiers.
@@ -416,8 +416,8 @@ static void init_env (void)
 
 static RETSIGTYPE alarm_handler (unused int sig)
 {
-	fprintf (stderr, _("\nLogin timed out after %u seconds.\n"), timeout);
-	exit (0);
+	write (STDERR_FILENO, tmsg, strlen (tmsg));
+	_exit (0);
 }
 
 #ifdef USE_PAM
@@ -532,6 +532,7 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv)
 	bool is_console;
 #endif
 	int err;
+	unsigned int timeout;
 	const char *cp;
 	const char *tmp;
 	char fromhost[512];
@@ -698,8 +699,10 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv)
 
       top:
 	/* only allow ALARM sec. for login */
-	(void) signal (SIGALRM, alarm_handler);
 	timeout = getdef_unum ("LOGIN_TIMEOUT", ALARM);
+	snprintf (tmsg, sizeof tmsg,
+	          _("\nLogin timed out after %u seconds.\n"), timeout);
+	(void) signal (SIGALRM, alarm_handler);
 	if (timeout > 0) {
 		(void) alarm (timeout);
 	}
diff --git a/src/su.c b/src/su.c
index 37042172..2c27e98e 100644
--- a/src/su.c
+++ b/src/su.c
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ static char caller_name[BUFSIZ];
 static bool change_environment = true;
 
 #ifdef USE_PAM
+static char kill_msg[256];
+static char wait_msg[256];
 static pam_handle_t *pamh = NULL;
 static int caught = 0;
 /* PID of the child, in case it needs to be killed */
@@ -161,8 +163,7 @@ static RETSIGTYPE die (int killed)
 	}
 
 	if (killed != 0) {
-		closelog ();
-		exit (128+killed);
+		_exit (128+killed);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -182,12 +183,11 @@ static RETSIGTYPE kill_child (int unused(s))
 {
 	if (0 != pid_child) {
 		(void) kill (-pid_child, SIGKILL);
-		(void) fputs (_(" ...killed.\n"), stderr);
+		(void) write (STDERR_FILENO, kill_msg, strlen (kill_msg));
 	} else {
-		(void) fputs (_(" ...waiting for child to terminate.\n"),
-		              stderr);
+		(void) write (STDERR_FILENO, wait_msg, strlen (wait_msg));
 	}
-	exit (255);
+	_exit (255);
 }
 #endif				/* USE_PAM */
 
@@ -373,6 +373,9 @@ static void prepare_pam_close_session (void)
 		              stderr);
 		(void) kill (-pid_child, caught);
 
+		snprintf (kill_msg, _(" ...killed.\n"));
+		snprintf (wait_msg, _(" ...waiting for child to terminate.\n"));
+
 		(void) signal (SIGALRM, kill_child);
 		(void) alarm (2);
 
diff --git a/src/sulogin.c b/src/sulogin.c
index ccbf2c5d..4264099b 100644
--- a/src/sulogin.c
+++ b/src/sulogin.c
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ static RETSIGTYPE catch_signals (int);
 
 static RETSIGTYPE catch_signals (unused int sig)
 {
-	exit (1);
+	_exit (1);
 }
 
 /*