diff --git a/C/iopreds.c b/C/iopreds.c
index bf8430036..ffbd7a132 100644
--- a/C/iopreds.c
+++ b/C/iopreds.c
@@ -760,8 +760,6 @@ static char *ttyptr = NULL;
 
 static char *_line = (char *) NULL;
 
-int in_readline = FALSE;
-
 static int cur_out_sno = 2;
 
 #define READLINE_OUT_BUF_MAX 256
@@ -776,8 +774,7 @@ static int
 ReadlinePutc (int sno, int ch)
 {
   if (ReadlinePos != ReadlineBuf &&
-      (sno != cur_out_sno ||
-       ReadlinePos - ReadlineBuf == READLINE_OUT_BUF_MAX-1 ||
+      (ReadlinePos - ReadlineBuf == READLINE_OUT_BUF_MAX-1 /* overflow */ ||
 #if MAC || _MSC_VER
        ch == 10 ||
 #endif
@@ -824,7 +821,6 @@ ReadlineGetc(int sno)
     rl_instream = Stream[sno].u.file.file;
     rl_outstream = Stream[cur_out_sno].u.file.file;
     /* window of vulnerability opened */
-    in_readline = TRUE;
     if (newline) {
       char *cptr = Prompt, ch;
 
@@ -848,7 +844,6 @@ ReadlineGetc(int sno)
       }
     }
     newline=FALSE;
-    in_readline = FALSE;
     strncpy (Prompt, RepAtom (*AtPrompt)->StrOfAE, MAX_PROMPT);
     /* window of vulnerability closed */
     if (PrologMode & AbortMode) {
diff --git a/C/sysbits.c b/C/sysbits.c
index 8bb4bb49d..10b985070 100644
--- a/C/sysbits.c
+++ b/C/sysbits.c
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ static char SccsId[] = "%W% %G%";
 #include <sys/param.h>
 #endif
 #endif
+#if HAVE_LIBREADLINE
+#include <readline/readline.h>
+#endif
 
 STATIC_PROTO (void InitPageSize, (void));
 STATIC_PROTO (void InitTime, (void));
@@ -1060,6 +1063,11 @@ void (*handler)(int);
 
 #endif
 
+
+#if  HAVE_LIBREADLINE
+static  char *_line = NULL;
+#endif
+
 void
 ProcessSIGINT(void)
 {
@@ -1070,12 +1078,18 @@ ProcessSIGINT(void)
     int ch0;
 #endif
 
+#if  HAVE_LIBREADLINE
+    if (_line != (char *) NULL && _line != (char *) EOF)
+      free (_line);
+    _line = readline ("Action (h for help): ");
+    if (_line == (char *)NULL || _line == (char *)EOF)
+      continue;
+    ch = _line[0];
+#else
     YP_fprintf(YP_stderr, "\nAction (h for help): ");
     ch = YP_getchar ( );
-#if  HAVE_LIBREADLINE
-    if (!in_readline)
-#endif
       while ((YP_getchar()) != '\n');
+#endif
     switch (ch)
       {
       case 'a':
@@ -1094,13 +1108,8 @@ ProcessSIGINT(void)
 #ifdef VAX
 	    VaxFixFrame (CritMode);
 #endif
-#if  HAVE_LIBREADLINE
 	    /* we cannot abort until we finish readline :-( */
-	    if (in_readline) {
-	      /* readline must eat a newline, otherwise we will
-		 have to wait before we do the Abort() */
-	    } else if (!(PrologMode & CritMode)) {
-#endif
+	    if (!(PrologMode & CritMode)) {
 #if defined(__MINGW32__) || _MSC_VER
 	      /* we can't do a direct abort, so ask the system to do it for us */
 	      p_creep();
@@ -1201,10 +1210,6 @@ ProcessSIGINT(void)
 	YP_fprintf(YP_stderr, "  e for exit\n  t for trace\n  s for statistics\n");
 	break;
       }
-#if  HAVE_LIBREADLINE
-    /* we must do the reading now, because libreadline won't have a chance here */
-    while ((YP_getchar()) != '\n');
-#endif
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/H/yapio.h b/H/yapio.h
index d3778e779..0692b7d41 100644
--- a/H/yapio.h
+++ b/H/yapio.h
@@ -283,10 +283,6 @@ void	STD_PROTO(plwrite,(Term,int (*)(int, int),int));
 /* grow.c */
 int  STD_PROTO(growstack_in_parser,  (tr_fr_ptr *, TokEntry **, VarEntry **));
 
-#ifdef HAVE_LIBREADLINE
-extern int in_readline;
-#endif
-
 #if HAVE_ERRNO_H
 #include <errno.h>
 #else