diff --git a/util/qemu-progress.c b/util/qemu-progress.c
index ad33fee..4ee5cd0 100644
--- a/util/qemu-progress.c
+++ b/util/qemu-progress.c
@@ -82,12 +82,22 @@
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_POSIX
     struct sigaction action;
+    sigset_t set;
 
     memset(&action, 0, sizeof(action));
     sigfillset(&action.sa_mask);
     action.sa_handler = sigusr_print;
     action.sa_flags = 0;
     sigaction(SIGUSR1, &action, NULL);
+
+    /*
+     * SIGUSR1 is SIG_IPI and gets blocked in qemu_init_main_loop(). In the
+     * tools that use the progress report SIGUSR1 isn't used in this meaning
+     * and instead should print the progress, so reenable it.
+     */
+    sigemptyset(&set);
+    sigaddset(&set, SIGUSR1);
+    pthread_sigmask(SIG_UNBLOCK, &set, NULL);
 #endif
 
     state.print = progress_dummy_print;