diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f0fe86a..acf4576 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -225,9 +225,7 @@ true
 
 % If we check the parent for events, we can see the child has exited
 10> alcove:event(P).
-{signal,17}
-11> alcove:signal_constant(P, 17).
-'SIGCHLD'
+{signal,'SIGCHLD'}
 ```
 
 Creating a Container Using Linux Namespaces
@@ -440,14 +438,12 @@ probably confuse the process.
 
         environ(7) : return the process environment variables
 
-    event(Drv) -> {Tag, Val} | false
-    event(Drv, Pids) -> {Tag, Val} | false
-
-        Types   Tag = signal
-                Val = integer()
+    event(Drv) -> term()
+    event(Drv, Pids) -> term()
 
         event/1,2 is used to retrieve async messages returned from the
-        port, such as trapped signals.
+        port, such as trapped signals, the exit status or the termination
+        signal.
 
     execve(Drv, Arg0, [Arg0, Args], Env) -> ok | {error, posix()}
     execve(Drv, Pids, Arg0, [Arg0, Args], Env) -> ok | {error, posix()}
@@ -542,7 +538,7 @@ probably confuse the process.
 
                 Sets the maximum length of the fork path.
 
-            termisg : 1 | 0 : 0
+            termsig : 1 | 0 : 0
 
                 If a child process exits because of a signal, notify
                 the controlling Erlang process.
@@ -796,7 +792,7 @@ probably confuse the process.
     sigaction(Drv, Signum, Handler) -> ok | {error, posix()}
     sigaction(Drv, Pids, Signum, Handler) -> ok | {error, posix()}
 
-        Types   Signum = integer()
+        Types   Signum = integer() | atom()
                 Handler = dfl | ign | trap
 
         sigaction(2) : set process behaviour for signals
diff --git a/bin/alcove.escript b/bin/alcove.escript
index 54e6ca1..8861950 100755
--- a/bin/alcove.escript
+++ b/bin/alcove.escript
@@ -536,8 +536,8 @@ specs() ->
 -spec setuid(alcove_drv:ref(),non_neg_integer()) -> 'ok' | {'error', file:posix()}.
 -spec setuid(alcove_drv:ref(),fork_path(),non_neg_integer()) -> 'ok' | {'error', file:posix()}.
 
--spec sigaction(alcove_drv:ref(),integer(),atom()) -> 'ok' | {'error', file:posix()}.
--spec sigaction(alcove_drv:ref(),fork_path(),integer(),atom()) -> 'ok' | {'error', file:posix()}.
+-spec sigaction(alcove_drv:ref(),integer() | atom(),atom()) -> 'ok' | {'error', file:posix()}.
+-spec sigaction(alcove_drv:ref(),fork_path(),integer() | atom(),atom()) -> 'ok' | {'error', file:posix()}.
 
 -spec signal_constant(alcove_drv:ref(),non_neg_integer()) -> 'unknown' | atom().
 -spec signal_constant(alcove_drv:ref(),fork_path(),non_neg_integer()) -> 'unknown' | atom().
diff --git a/c_src/alcove.c b/c_src/alcove.c
index efe4586..57d3cf6 100644
--- a/c_src/alcove.c
+++ b/c_src/alcove.c
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ exited_pid(alcove_state_t *ap, alcove_child_t *c, void *arg1, void *arg2)
     if (WIFSIGNALED(*status) && (ap->opt & alcove_opt_termsig)) {
         ALCOVE_TUPLE2(t, &index,
             "termsig",
-            ei_encode_long(t, &index, WTERMSIG(*status))
+            alcove_signal_name(t, sizeof(t), &index, WTERMSIG(*status))
         );
 
         if (alcove_call_fake_reply(c->pid, ALCOVE_MSG_EVENT, t, index) < 0)
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ alcove_handle_signal(alcove_state_t *ap) {
 
         ALCOVE_TUPLE2(reply, &index,
             "signal",
-            ei_encode_long(reply, &index, signum)
+            alcove_signal_name(reply, sizeof(reply), &index, signum)
         );
 
         if (alcove_call_reply(ALCOVE_MSG_EVENT, reply, index) < 0)
diff --git a/c_src/alcove.h b/c_src/alcove.h
index d02b73f..376aa9a 100644
--- a/c_src/alcove.h
+++ b/c_src/alcove.h
@@ -162,6 +162,8 @@ int pid_foreach(alcove_state_t *ap, pid_t pid, void *arg1, void *arg2,
 int pid_equal(pid_t p1, pid_t p2);
 int pid_not_equal(pid_t p1, pid_t p2);
 
+ssize_t alcove_signal_name(char *, size_t, int *, int);
+
 int alcove_get_type(const char *, size_t, const int *, int *, int *);
 int alcove_decode_int(const char *, size_t, int *, int *);
 int alcove_decode_uint(const char *, size_t, int *, u_int32_t *);
diff --git a/c_src/alcove_signal.c b/c_src/alcove_signal.c
index 91c6099..9adaa5a 100644
--- a/c_src/alcove_signal.c
+++ b/c_src/alcove_signal.c
@@ -161,3 +161,10 @@ alcove_signal_constant(alcove_state_t *ap, const char *arg, size_t len,
 
     return rindex;
 }
+
+    ssize_t
+alcove_signal_name(char *buf, size_t len, int *index, int signum)
+{
+    return alcove_encode_constant(buf, len, index, signum,
+            alcove_signal_constants);
+}
diff --git a/src/alcove.app.src b/src/alcove.app.src
index aafeadb..2034a3b 100644
--- a/src/alcove.app.src
+++ b/src/alcove.app.src
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {application, alcove,
     [
     {description, "Erlang application container/sandbox"},
-    {vsn, "0.8.1"},
+    {vsn, "0.9.0"},
     {registered, []},
     {applications, [
         kernel,
diff --git a/test/alcove_seccomp_tests.erl b/test/alcove_seccomp_tests.erl
index 2aa795a..7f0b4a7 100644
--- a/test/alcove_seccomp_tests.erl
+++ b/test/alcove_seccomp_tests.erl
@@ -62,8 +62,6 @@ stop(#state{pid = Drv}) ->
     alcove_drv:stop(Drv).
 
 kill(#state{pid = Drv}) ->
-    SIGSYS = alcove:define(Drv, 'SIGSYS'),
-
     {ok, Pid} = alcove:fork(Drv),
     enforce(Drv, [Pid], ?BPF_STMT(?BPF_RET+?BPF_K, ?SECCOMP_RET_KILL)),
     % Allowed: cached by process
@@ -80,7 +78,7 @@ kill(#state{pid = Drv}) ->
 
     [
         ?_assertEqual(Pid, Reply0),
-        ?_assertEqual({termsig, SIGSYS}, Event),
+        ?_assertEqual({termsig, 'SIGSYS'}, Event),
         ?_assertEqual({error, esrch}, Reply3)
     ].
 
@@ -99,10 +97,8 @@ allow(#state{pid = Drv}) ->
     ].
 
 trap(#state{pid = Drv}) ->
-    SIGSYS = alcove:define(Drv, 'SIGSYS'),
-
     {ok, Pid} = alcove:fork(Drv),
-    ok = alcove:sigaction(Drv, [Pid], SIGSYS, trap),
+    ok = alcove:sigaction(Drv, [Pid], 'SIGSYS', trap),
 
     enforce(Drv, [Pid], ?BPF_STMT(?BPF_RET+?BPF_K, ?SECCOMP_RET_TRAP)),
 
@@ -125,7 +121,7 @@ trap(#state{pid = Drv}) ->
     [
         ?_assertEqual(Pid, Reply0),
         ?_assertEqual(true, Reply1),
-        ?_assertEqual({signal, SIGSYS}, Event),
+        ?_assertEqual({signal, 'SIGSYS'}, Event),
         ?_assertEqual(ok, Reply3)
     ].
 
diff --git a/test/alcove_tests.erl b/test/alcove_tests.erl
index fde7392..ccb3f1f 100644
--- a/test/alcove_tests.erl
+++ b/test/alcove_tests.erl
@@ -78,8 +78,7 @@ start() ->
 
     {ok, Drv} = alcove_drv:start([{exec, Exec}, {maxchild, 8}]),
 
-    SIGCHLD = alcove:define(Drv, 'SIGCHLD'),
-    ok = alcove:sigaction(Drv, SIGCHLD, trap),
+    ok = alcove:sigaction(Drv, 'SIGCHLD', trap),
 
     case {Use_fork, os:type()} of
         {false, {unix,linux} = OS} ->
@@ -399,14 +398,14 @@ badpid(#state{pid = Drv}) ->
 signal(#state{pid = Drv}) ->
     {ok, Child1} = alcove:fork(Drv),
 
-    TERM = alcove:signal_define(Drv, 'SIGTERM'),
+    SIGTERM = alcove:signal_define(Drv, 'SIGTERM'),
 
-    SA0 = alcove:sigaction(Drv, [Child1], TERM, ign),
-    Kill0 = alcove:kill(Drv, Child1, TERM),
+    SA0 = alcove:sigaction(Drv, [Child1], SIGTERM, ign),
+    Kill0 = alcove:kill(Drv, Child1, SIGTERM),
     Pid0 = alcove:getpid(Drv, [Child1]),
 
-    SA1 = alcove:sigaction(Drv, [Child1], TERM, dfl),
-    Kill1 = alcove:kill(Drv, Child1, TERM),
+    SA1 = alcove:sigaction(Drv, [Child1], 'SIGTERM', dfl),
+    Kill1 = alcove:kill(Drv, Child1, SIGTERM),
     waitpid(Drv, [], Child1),
     alcove:kill(Drv, Child1, 0),
     Search = alcove:kill(Drv, Child1, 0),
@@ -613,9 +612,8 @@ getenv(Name, Default) ->
     end.
 
 waitpid(Drv, Pids, Child) ->
-    SIGCHLD = alcove:signal_define(Drv, 'SIGCHLD'),
     case alcove:event(Drv, Pids, 5000) of
-        {signal, SIGCHLD} ->
+        {signal, 'SIGCHLD'} ->
             waitpid_1(Drv, Pids, Child);
         false ->
             false