diff --git a/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c b/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
index e71090f..b1d38f5 100644
--- a/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
+++ b/src/backend/access/transam/xlog.c
@@ -10150,7 +10150,7 @@ retry:
 					/*
 					 * Wait for more WAL to arrive, or timeout to be reached
 					 */
-					WaitLatch(&XLogCtl->recoveryWakeupLatch, 5000000L);
+					WaitLatch(&XLogCtl->recoveryWakeupLatch, WL_LATCH_SET | WL_TIMEOUT, 5000000L);
 					ResetLatch(&XLogCtl->recoveryWakeupLatch);
 				}
 				else
diff --git a/src/backend/port/unix_latch.c b/src/backend/port/unix_latch.c
index 6dae7c9..5bd389e 100644
--- a/src/backend/port/unix_latch.c
+++ b/src/backend/port/unix_latch.c
@@ -108,6 +108,19 @@ static void initSelfPipe(void);
 static void drainSelfPipe(void);
 static void sendSelfPipeByte(void);
 
+/* 
+ * Constants that represent which of a pair of fds given
+ * to pipe() is watched and owned in the context of 
+ * dealing with life sign file descriptors
+ */
+#define LIFESIGN_FD_WATCH 0
+#define LIFESIGN_FD_OWN 1
+
+/* 
+ * 2 file descriptors that represent postmaster lifesign.
+ * First is LIFESIGN_FD_WATCH, second is LIFESIGN_FD_OWN.
+ */
+static int life_sign_fds[2];
 
 /*
  * Initialize a backend-local latch.
@@ -188,22 +201,22 @@ DisownLatch(volatile Latch *latch)
  * backend-local latch initialized with InitLatch, or a shared latch
  * associated with the current process by calling OwnLatch.
  *
- * Returns 'true' if the latch was set, or 'false' if timeout was reached.
+ * Returns bit field indicating which condition(s) caused the wake-up.
  */
-bool
-WaitLatch(volatile Latch *latch, long timeout)
+int
+WaitLatch(volatile Latch *latch, int wakeEvents, long timeout)
 {
-	return WaitLatchOrSocket(latch, PGINVALID_SOCKET, false, false, timeout) > 0;
+	return WaitLatchOrSocket(latch, wakeEvents, PGINVALID_SOCKET, timeout);
 }
 
 /*
  * Like WaitLatch, but will also return when there's data available in
- * 'sock' for reading or writing. Returns 0 if timeout was reached,
- * 1 if the latch was set, 2 if the socket became readable or writable.
+ * 'sock' for reading or writing.
+ *
+ * Returns bit field indicating which condition(s) caused the wake-up.
  */
 int
-WaitLatchOrSocket(volatile Latch *latch, pgsocket sock, bool forRead,
-				  bool forWrite, long timeout)
+WaitLatchOrSocket(volatile Latch *latch, int wakeEvents, pgsocket sock, long timeout)
 {
 	struct timeval tv,
 			   *tvp = NULL;
@@ -211,12 +224,13 @@ WaitLatchOrSocket(volatile Latch *latch, pgsocket sock, bool forRead,
 	fd_set		output_mask;
 	int			rc;
 	int			result = 0;
+	bool		found = false;
 
 	if (latch->owner_pid != MyProcPid)
 		elog(ERROR, "cannot wait on a latch owned by another process");
 
 	/* Initialize timeout */
-	if (timeout >= 0)
+	if (timeout >= 0 && (wakeEvents & WL_TIMEOUT))
 	{
 		tv.tv_sec = timeout / 1000000L;
 		tv.tv_usec = timeout % 1000000L;
@@ -224,7 +238,7 @@ WaitLatchOrSocket(volatile Latch *latch, pgsocket sock, bool forRead,
 	}
 
 	waiting = true;
-	for (;;)
+	do
 	{
 		int			hifd;
 
@@ -235,16 +249,29 @@ WaitLatchOrSocket(volatile Latch *latch, pgsocket sock, bool forRead,
 		 * do that), and the select() will return immediately.
 		 */
 		drainSelfPipe();
-		if (latch->is_set)
-		{
-			result = 1;
-			break;
+		if (latch->is_set && (wakeEvents & WL_LATCH_SET))
+ 		{
+			result |= WL_LATCH_SET;
+			found = true;
+			/* Leave loop immediately, avoid blocking again.
+			 * Since latch is set, no other factor could have 
+			 * coincided that could make us wake up 
+			 * independently of the latch being set, so no
+			 * need to worry about having missed something.
+			 */
+			break; 
 		}
-
 		FD_ZERO(&input_mask);
 		FD_SET(selfpipe_readfd, &input_mask);
+
+		if (wakeEvents & WL_POSTMASTER_DEATH)
+		{
+			FD_SET(life_sign_fds[LIFESIGN_FD_WATCH], &input_mask);
+			if (life_sign_fds[LIFESIGN_FD_WATCH] > hifd)
+				hifd = life_sign_fds[LIFESIGN_FD_WATCH];
+		}
 		hifd = selfpipe_readfd;
-		if (sock != PGINVALID_SOCKET && forRead)
+		if (sock != PGINVALID_SOCKET && (wakeEvents & WL_SOCKET_READABLE))
 		{
 			FD_SET(sock, &input_mask);
 			if (sock > hifd)
@@ -252,7 +279,7 @@ WaitLatchOrSocket(volatile Latch *latch, pgsocket sock, bool forRead,
 		}
 
 		FD_ZERO(&output_mask);
-		if (sock != PGINVALID_SOCKET && forWrite)
+		if (sock != PGINVALID_SOCKET && (wakeEvents & WL_SOCKET_WRITEABLE))
 		{
 			FD_SET(sock, &output_mask);
 			if (sock > hifd)
@@ -268,20 +295,35 @@ WaitLatchOrSocket(volatile Latch *latch, pgsocket sock, bool forRead,
 					(errcode_for_socket_access(),
 					 errmsg("select() failed: %m")));
 		}
-		if (rc == 0)
+		if (rc == 0 && (wakeEvents & WL_TIMEOUT))
 		{
 			/* timeout exceeded */
-			result = 0;
-			break;
+			result |= WL_TIMEOUT;
+			found = true;
 		}
-		if (sock != PGINVALID_SOCKET &&
-			((forRead && FD_ISSET(sock, &input_mask)) ||
-			 (forWrite && FD_ISSET(sock, &output_mask))))
+		if (sock != PGINVALID_SOCKET)
 		{
-			result = 2;
-			break;				/* data available in socket */
+			if ((wakeEvents & WL_SOCKET_READABLE ) && FD_ISSET(sock, &input_mask))
+			{
+				result |= WL_SOCKET_READABLE;
+				found = true; /* data available in socket */
+			}
+			if ((wakeEvents & WL_SOCKET_WRITEABLE) && FD_ISSET(sock, &output_mask))
+			{
+				result |= WL_SOCKET_WRITEABLE;
+				found = true;
+			}
 		}
+		if ((wakeEvents & WL_POSTMASTER_DEATH) && 
+			 FD_ISSET(life_sign_fds[LIFESIGN_FD_WATCH], &input_mask) && 
+			 !PostmasterIsAlive(true))
+ 		{
+			result |= WL_POSTMASTER_DEATH;
+ 			found = true;
+ 		}
 	}
+	while(!found);
+
 	waiting = false;
 
 	return result;
@@ -430,3 +472,93 @@ drainSelfPipe(void)
 			elog(ERROR, "unexpected EOF on self-pipe");
 	}
 }
+
+/*
+ * Initialise a "life sign" from the postmaster; This is subsequently used 
+ * by child processes to monitor the postmaster. We open up an anoymous 
+ * pipe, and have child processes block on a select() call that examines 
+ * if the read file descriptor is ready for reading. They do so through a 
+ * latch.
+ *
+ * Child auxiliary processes are responsible for "releasing their parent's 
+ * lifesign", so that only the postmaster holds it and a select() on the fd
+ * returns upon the one and only holder (the postmaster) dying
+ *
+ * This is a trick that obviates the need for auxiliary backends to have tight 
+ * polling loops where they check if the postmaster is alive. We do this because 
+ * that pattern results in an excessive number of wakeups per second when idle.
+ */
+void 
+InitLifeSign(void)
+{
+	int flags;
+
+	/* 
+	 * Create pipe. The life sign is deemed to have vanished if
+	 * no process has the writing end (LIFESIGN_FD_OWN) open.
+	 *
+	 * In practice, this is caused by premature postmaster death.
+	 */
+	Assert(MyProcPid == PostmasterPid);
+	if (pipe(life_sign_fds)) 
+	{
+		ereport(FATAL,
+			(errcode_for_socket_access(),
+			 errmsg( "Failed to create life sign: %s", strerror(errno))));
+	}
+
+	flags = fcntl(life_sign_fds[LIFESIGN_FD_WATCH], F_GETFL);
+	if (flags < 0)
+	{
+		ereport(FATAL,
+			(errcode_for_socket_access(),
+			 errmsg("Failed to set the life sign's watching end's flags: %s", strerror(errno))));
+	}
+
+	/* 
+	 * Set FNONBLOCK to allow checking for the life sign's presence with a read() call
+	 * and FASYNC to deliver a signal to our process group if the life sign vanishes
+	 */
+	flags |= FNONBLOCK | FASYNC;
+	if (fcntl(life_sign_fds[LIFESIGN_FD_WATCH], F_SETFL, flags))
+	{	
+		ereport(FATAL,
+			(errcode_for_socket_access(),
+			 errmsg("Failed to set the life sign's watching end's flags: %s", strerror(errno))));
+	}
+ 
+	/* Send SIGIO signal to the whole process group */
+	if (fcntl(life_sign_fds[LIFESIGN_FD_WATCH], F_SETOWN, -getpgrp())) 
+	{
+		ereport(FATAL,
+			(errcode_for_socket_access(),
+			 errmsg("Failed to set the life sign's watching end's notification pid: %s", strerror(errno))));
+	}
+}
+
+/*
+ * Release ownership of parent lifesign
+ *
+ * Important: This must be called immediately after an auxiliary
+ * process forks from the postmaster. Otherwise, latch clients
+ * will not wake up on postmaster death, even if they have
+ * requested to.
+ *
+ * It is safe to not call ReleaseParentLifeSign() at that time, 
+ * provided that the process will never wait on a latch with
+ * the WL_POSTMASTER_DEATH flag set.
+ */
+void
+ReleaseParentLifesign(void)
+{
+	Assert(MyProcPid != PostmasterPid);
+	/* Release parent's life sign - only postmaster should hold it */
+	if (close(life_sign_fds[LIFESIGN_FD_OWN])) 
+	{
+		ereport(FATAL,
+			(errcode_for_socket_access(),
+			 errmsg("Failed to close file descriptor associated with Postmaster life sign in child process %d", MyProcPid)));
+	}
+	life_sign_fds[LIFESIGN_FD_OWN] = -1;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/backend/postmaster/pgarch.c b/src/backend/postmaster/pgarch.c
index b40375a..65f9ed9 100644
--- a/src/backend/postmaster/pgarch.c
+++ b/src/backend/postmaster/pgarch.c
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 #include "postmaster/postmaster.h"
 #include "storage/fd.h"
 #include "storage/ipc.h"
+#include "storage/latch.h"
 #include "storage/pg_shmem.h"
 #include "storage/pmsignal.h"
 #include "utils/guc.h"
@@ -87,6 +88,12 @@ static volatile sig_atomic_t got_SIGTERM = false;
 static volatile sig_atomic_t wakened = false;
 static volatile sig_atomic_t ready_to_stop = false;
 
+/*
+ * Latch that archiver loop waits on until it is awakened by 
+ * signals, each of which there is a handler for
+ */
+static volatile Latch mainloop_latch;
+
 /* ----------
  * Local function forward declarations
  * ----------
@@ -228,6 +235,8 @@ PgArchiverMain(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	MyProcPid = getpid();		/* reset MyProcPid */
 
+	InitLatch(&mainloop_latch); /* initialise latch used in main loop, now that we are a subprocess */
+
 	MyStartTime = time(NULL);	/* record Start Time for logging */
 
 	/*
@@ -263,6 +272,12 @@ PgArchiverMain(int argc, char *argv[])
 	 */
 	init_ps_display("archiver process", "", "", "");
 
+	/* 
+	 * We still own the parent lifesign. Release - 
+	 * only the postmaster should have this.
+	 */
+	ReleaseParentLifesign();
+
 	pgarch_MainLoop();
 
 	exit(0);
@@ -282,6 +297,8 @@ ArchSigHupHandler(SIGNAL_ARGS)
 {
 	/* set flag to re-read config file at next convenient time */
 	got_SIGHUP = true;
+	/* Let the waiting loop iterate */
+	SetLatch(&mainloop_latch);
 }
 
 /* SIGTERM signal handler for archiver process */
@@ -295,6 +312,8 @@ ArchSigTermHandler(SIGNAL_ARGS)
 	 * archive commands.
 	 */
 	got_SIGTERM = true;
+	/* Let the waiting loop iterate */
+	SetLatch(&mainloop_latch);
 }
 
 /* SIGUSR1 signal handler for archiver process */
@@ -303,6 +322,8 @@ pgarch_waken(SIGNAL_ARGS)
 {
 	/* set flag that there is work to be done */
 	wakened = true;
+	/* Let the waiting loop iterate */
+	SetLatch(&mainloop_latch);
 }
 
 /* SIGUSR2 signal handler for archiver process */
@@ -311,6 +332,8 @@ pgarch_waken_stop(SIGNAL_ARGS)
 {
 	/* set flag to do a final cycle and shut down afterwards */
 	ready_to_stop = true;
+	/* Let the waiting loop iterate */
+	SetLatch(&mainloop_latch);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -334,6 +357,13 @@ pgarch_MainLoop(void)
 
 	do
 	{
+		/*
+		 * There shouldn't be anything for the archiver to do except to wait
+		 * on a latch ... however, the archiver exists to protect our data,
+		 * so she wakes up occasionally to allow herself to be proactive.
+		 */
+		ResetLatch(&mainloop_latch);
+
 		/* When we get SIGUSR2, we do one more archive cycle, then exit */
 		time_to_stop = ready_to_stop;
 
@@ -370,28 +400,28 @@ pgarch_MainLoop(void)
 			last_copy_time = time(NULL);
 		}
 
-		/*
-		 * There shouldn't be anything for the archiver to do except to wait
-		 * for a signal ... however, the archiver exists to protect our data,
-		 * so she wakes up occasionally to allow herself to be proactive.
+		/* 
+		 * Wait on latch, until various signals are received, or 
+		 * until a poll will be forced by PGARCH_AUTOWAKE_INTERVAL
+		 * having passed since last_copy_time
 		 *
-		 * On some platforms, signals won't interrupt the sleep.  To ensure we
-		 * respond reasonably promptly when someone signals us, break down the
-		 * sleep into 1-second increments, and check for interrupts after each
-		 * nap.
+		 * The caveat about signals invalidating the timeout of 
+		 * WaitLatch() on some platforms can be safely disregarded, 
+		 * because we handle all expected signals, and all handlers 
+		 * call SetLatch() where that matters anyway
 		 */
-		while (!(wakened || ready_to_stop || got_SIGHUP ||
-				 !PostmasterIsAlive(true)))
-		{
-			time_t		curtime;
 
-			pg_usleep(1000000L);
+		if (!time_to_stop) /* Don't wait during last iteration */
+		{
+			time_t		 curtime = time(NULL);	
+			unsigned int timeout_secs  = (unsigned int) PGARCH_AUTOWAKE_INTERVAL - 
+					(unsigned int) (curtime - last_copy_time);
+			WaitLatch(&mainloop_latch, WL_LATCH_SET | WL_TIMEOUT | WL_POSTMASTER_DEATH, timeout_secs * 1000000L);
 			curtime = time(NULL);
 			if ((unsigned int) (curtime - last_copy_time) >=
 				(unsigned int) PGARCH_AUTOWAKE_INTERVAL)
-				wakened = true;
+				wakened = true; /* wakened by timeout - this wasn't a SIGHUP, etc */
 		}
-
 		/*
 		 * The archiver quits either when the postmaster dies (not expected)
 		 * or after completing one more archiving cycle after receiving
diff --git a/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c b/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
index 1e2aa9f..a87e05f 100644
--- a/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
+++ b/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@
 #include "replication/walsender.h"
 #include "storage/fd.h"
 #include "storage/ipc.h"
+#include "storage/latch.h"
 #include "storage/pg_shmem.h"
 #include "storage/pmsignal.h"
 #include "storage/proc.h"
@@ -356,6 +357,7 @@ static void RandomSalt(char *md5Salt);
 static void signal_child(pid_t pid, int signal);
 static bool SignalSomeChildren(int signal, int targets);
 
+
 #define SignalChildren(sig)			   SignalSomeChildren(sig, BACKEND_TYPE_ALL)
 
 /*
@@ -492,6 +494,12 @@ PostmasterMain(int argc, char *argv[])
 	IsPostmasterEnvironment = true;
 
 	/*
+	 * Initialise lifesign so that waiting latch clients can know
+	 * if the postmaster has died 
+	 */
+	InitLifeSign();
+
+	/*
 	 * for security, no dir or file created can be group or other accessible
 	 */
 	umask(S_IRWXG | S_IRWXO);
diff --git a/src/backend/replication/syncrep.c b/src/backend/replication/syncrep.c
index 1d4df8a..efda804 100644
--- a/src/backend/replication/syncrep.c
+++ b/src/backend/replication/syncrep.c
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ SyncRepWaitForLSN(XLogRecPtr XactCommitLSN)
 		 * postmaster death regularly while waiting. Note that timeout here
 		 * does not necessarily release from loop.
 		 */
-		WaitLatch(&MyProc->waitLatch, 60000000L);
+		WaitLatch(&MyProc->waitLatch, WL_LATCH_SET | WL_TIMEOUT, 60000000L);
 
 		/* Must reset the latch before testing state. */
 		ResetLatch(&MyProc->waitLatch);
diff --git a/src/backend/replication/walsender.c b/src/backend/replication/walsender.c
index 470e6d1..27cc350 100644
--- a/src/backend/replication/walsender.c
+++ b/src/backend/replication/walsender.c
@@ -805,8 +805,9 @@ WalSndLoop(void)
 			}
 
 			/* Sleep */
-			WaitLatchOrSocket(&MyWalSnd->latch, MyProcPort->sock,
-							  true, pq_is_send_pending(),
+			WaitLatchOrSocket(&MyWalSnd->latch,
+							  WL_LATCH_SET | WL_SOCKET_READABLE | (pq_is_send_pending()? WL_SOCKET_WRITEABLE:0) |  WL_TIMEOUT,
+							  MyProcPort->sock,
 							  sleeptime * 1000L);
 
 			/* Check for replication timeout */
diff --git a/src/include/storage/latch.h b/src/include/storage/latch.h
index 03ec071..5a8e4b4 100644
--- a/src/include/storage/latch.h
+++ b/src/include/storage/latch.h
@@ -38,11 +38,12 @@ extern void InitLatch(volatile Latch *latch);
 extern void InitSharedLatch(volatile Latch *latch);
 extern void OwnLatch(volatile Latch *latch);
 extern void DisownLatch(volatile Latch *latch);
-extern bool WaitLatch(volatile Latch *latch, long timeout);
-extern int WaitLatchOrSocket(volatile Latch *latch, pgsocket sock,
-				  bool forRead, bool forWrite, long timeout);
+extern int WaitLatch(volatile Latch *latch, int wakeEvents, long timeout);
+extern int WaitLatchOrSocket(volatile Latch *latch, int wakeEvents, pgsocket sock, long timeout);
 extern void SetLatch(volatile Latch *latch);
 extern void ResetLatch(volatile Latch *latch);
+extern void InitLifeSign(void);
+extern void ReleaseParentLifesign(void);
 
 #define TestLatch(latch) (((volatile Latch *) latch)->is_set)
 
@@ -56,4 +57,11 @@ extern void latch_sigusr1_handler(void);
 #define latch_sigusr1_handler()
 #endif
 
+/* Bitmasks for events that may wake-up WaitLatch() clients */
+#define WL_LATCH_SET         (1 << 0)
+#define WL_SOCKET_READABLE   (1 << 1)
+#define WL_SOCKET_WRITEABLE  (1 << 2)
+#define WL_TIMEOUT           (1 << 3)
+#define WL_POSTMASTER_DEATH  (1 << 4)
+
 #endif   /* LATCH_H */