diff --git a/TODO.FACTOR.txt b/TODO.FACTOR.txt
index 60d9108db6..c2276e5daa 100644
--- a/TODO.FACTOR.txt
+++ b/TODO.FACTOR.txt
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@
 - mov 0x0(%esi),%ecx  why?
 - mac intel: perhaps its not a good idea using ebx as allot-tmp-reg
 - RNG is broken
-- gdb triggered 'interrupted system call' error
-- fdasfsdfsa :help -- weird
 - %allot-bignum-signed-2 still has issues on ppc
 - fix %allot-bignum-signed-1/2 on x86
 
diff --git a/library/io/unix/io.factor b/library/io/unix/io.factor
index ea2f0b23d1..7c4a728d1a 100644
--- a/library/io/unix/io.factor
+++ b/library/io/unix/io.factor
@@ -82,9 +82,12 @@ M: port set-timeout
     [ "Error on fd " % dup port-handle # ": " % swap % ] "" make
     swap set-port-error ;
 
+: ignorable-error? ( n -- ? )
+    dup EAGAIN number= swap EINTR number= or ;
+
 : defer-error ( port -- ? )
     #! Return t if it is an unrecoverable error.
-    err_no dup EAGAIN = over EINTR = or
+    err_no dup ignorable-error?
     [ 2drop f ] [ strerror swap report-error t ] if ;
 
 ! Associates a port with a list of continuations waiting on the
@@ -145,8 +148,15 @@ GENERIC: task-container ( task -- vector )
     read-fdset/tasks init-fdset
     write-fdset/tasks init-fdset f ;
 
+: (io-multiplex) ( ms -- )
+    [ FD_SETSIZE init-fdsets ] keep make-timeval select 0 < [
+        err_no ignorable-error? [ (io-multiplex) ] [ drop ] if
+    ] [
+        drop
+    ] if ;
+
 : io-multiplex ( ms -- )
-    >r FD_SETSIZE init-fdsets r> make-timeval select io-error
+    (io-multiplex)
     read-fdset/tasks handle-fdset
     write-fdset/tasks handle-fdset ;