diff --git a/src/runtime/crash_cgo_test.go b/src/runtime/crash_cgo_test.go
index a5cbbad69b..2869ac7687 100644
--- a/src/runtime/crash_cgo_test.go
+++ b/src/runtime/crash_cgo_test.go
@@ -411,3 +411,31 @@ func TestCgoNumGoroutine(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("expected %q got %v", want, got)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestCatchPanic(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	switch runtime.GOOS {
+	case "plan9", "windows":
+		t.Skipf("no signals on %s", runtime.GOOS)
+	case "darwin":
+		if runtime.GOARCH == "amd64" {
+			t.Skipf("crash() on darwin/amd64 doesn't raise SIGABRT")
+		}
+	}
+
+	testenv.MustHaveGoRun(t)
+
+	exe, err := buildTestProg(t, "testprogcgo")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	cmd := testEnv(exec.Command(exe, "CgoCatchPanic"))
+	// Make sure a panic results in a crash.
+	cmd.Env = append(cmd.Env, "GOTRACEBACK=crash")
+	// Tell testprogcgo to install an early signal handler for SIGABRT
+	cmd.Env = append(cmd.Env, "CGOCATCHPANIC_INSTALL_HANDLER=1")
+	if out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput(); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("testprogcgo CgoCatchPanic failed: %v\n%s", err, out)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/runtime/signal_unix.go b/src/runtime/signal_unix.go
index d9a18caa6f..e087e145aa 100644
--- a/src/runtime/signal_unix.go
+++ b/src/runtime/signal_unix.go
@@ -394,8 +394,11 @@ func sigpanic() {
 //go:nosplit
 //go:nowritebarrierrec
 func dieFromSignal(sig uint32) {
-	setsig(sig, _SIG_DFL)
 	unblocksig(sig)
+	// First, try any signal handler installed before the runtime
+	// initialized.
+	fn := atomic.Loaduintptr(&fwdSig[sig])
+	setsig(sig, fn)
 	raise(sig)
 
 	// That should have killed us. On some systems, though, raise
@@ -407,6 +410,14 @@ func dieFromSignal(sig uint32) {
 	osyield()
 	osyield()
 
+	// If that didn't work, try _SIG_DFL.
+	setsig(sig, _SIG_DFL)
+	raise(sig)
+
+	osyield()
+	osyield()
+	osyield()
+
 	// If we are still somehow running, just exit with the wrong status.
 	exit(2)
 }
diff --git a/src/runtime/testdata/testprogcgo/catchpanic.go b/src/runtime/testdata/testprogcgo/catchpanic.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f03b6d3ea3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/runtime/testdata/testprogcgo/catchpanic.go
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+// Copyright 2017 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+// +build !plan9,!windows
+
+package main
+
+/*
+#include <signal.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+static void abrthandler(int signum) {
+	if (signum == SIGABRT) {
+		exit(0);  // success
+	}
+}
+
+static void __attribute__ ((constructor)) sigsetup(void) {
+	struct sigaction act;
+
+	if (getenv("CGOCATCHPANIC_INSTALL_HANDLER") == NULL)
+		return;
+	memset(&act, 0, sizeof act);
+	act.sa_handler = abrthandler;
+	sigaction(SIGABRT, &act, NULL);
+}
+*/
+import "C"
+
+func init() {
+	register("CgoCatchPanic", CgoCatchPanic)
+}
+
+// Test that the SIGABRT raised by panic can be caught by an early signal handler.
+func CgoCatchPanic() {
+	panic("catch me")
+}