diff --git a/src/os_unix.c b/src/os_unix.c
index 4b2c99e..f08adc5 100644
--- a/src/os_unix.c
+++ b/src/os_unix.c
@@ -1090,6 +1090,12 @@
     /* Remember how often we have been called. */
     ++entered;
 
+#ifdef FEAT_AUTOCMD
+    /* Executing autocommands is likely to use more stack space than we have
+     * available in the signal stack. */
+    block_autocmds();
+#endif
+
 #ifdef FEAT_EVAL
     /* Set the v:dying variable. */
     set_vim_var_nr(VV_DYING, (long)entered);
@@ -1171,6 +1177,8 @@
      * calling free(). */
     preserve_exit();
 
+    /* NOTREACHED */
+
 #ifdef NBDEBUG
     reset_signals();
     may_core_dump();