diff --git a/certbot/tests/error_handler_test.py b/certbot/tests/error_handler_test.py
index 2eb1506be..2e2ffe2d9 100644
--- a/certbot/tests/error_handler_test.py
+++ b/certbot/tests/error_handler_test.py
@@ -7,18 +7,25 @@ import unittest
 
 import mock
 
+def get_signals(signums):
+    """Get the handlers for an iterable of signums."""
+    return dict((s, signal.getsignal(s)) for s in signums)
+
+
+def set_signals(sig_handler_dict):
+    """Set the signal (keys) with the handler (values) from the input dict."""
+    tuple(signal.signal(s, h) for (s, h) in sig_handler_dict.items())
+
 
 @contextlib.contextmanager
 def signal_receiver(signums):
     """Context manager to catch signals"""
     signals = []
     prev_handlers = {}
-    for signum in signums:
-        prev_handlers[signum] = signal.getsignal(signum)
-        signal.signal(signum, lambda signum, _: signals.append(signum))
+    prev_handlers = get_signals(signums)
+    set_signals(dict((s, lambda s, _: signals.append(s)) for s in signums))
     yield signals
-    for signum in signums:
-        signal.signal(signum, prev_handlers[signum])
+    set_signals(dict((s, prev_handlers[s]) for s in signums))
 
 
 def send_signal(signum):
@@ -54,6 +61,7 @@ class ErrorHandlerTest(unittest.TestCase):
                                                **self.init_kwargs)
 
     def test_context_manager_with_signal(self):
+        init_signals = get_signals(self.signals)
         with signal_receiver(self.signals) as signals_received:
             with self.handler:
                 should_be_42 = 42
@@ -68,8 +76,7 @@ class ErrorHandlerTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.init_func.assert_called_once_with(*self.init_args,
                                                **self.init_kwargs)
         for signum in self.signals:
-            sig = signal.getsignal(signum)
-            self.assertTrue((sig == signal.SIG_DFL) or (sig == signal.SIG_IGN))
+            self.assertEqual(init_signals[signum], signal.getsignal(signum))
 
     def test_bad_recovery(self):
         bad_func = mock.MagicMock(side_effect=[ValueError])