diff --git a/src/builtin_block.cpp b/src/builtin_block.cpp
index 72652e683..dfe8ef046 100644
--- a/src/builtin_block.cpp
+++ b/src/builtin_block.cpp
@@ -102,7 +102,6 @@ int builtin_block(parser_t &parser, io_streams_t &streams, wchar_t **argv) {
     block_t *block = parser.block_at_index(block_idx);
 
     event_blockage_t eb = {};
-    eb.typemask = (1 << EVENT_ANY);
 
     switch (opts.scope) {
         case LOCAL: {
diff --git a/src/parser.h b/src/parser.h
index 6edea461e..17b1f970f 100644
--- a/src/parser.h
+++ b/src/parser.h
@@ -20,24 +20,14 @@
 
 class io_chain_t;
 
-/// event_blockage_t represents a block on events of the specified type.
+/// event_blockage_t represents a block on events.
 struct event_blockage_t {
-    /// The types of events to block. This is interpreted as a bitset whete the value is 1 for every
-    /// bit corresponding to a blocked event type. For example, if EVENT_VARIABLE type events should
-    /// be blocked, (type & 1<<EVENT_BLOCKED) should be set.
-    ///
-    /// Note that EVENT_ANY can be used to specify any event.
-    unsigned int typemask;
 };
 
 typedef std::list<event_blockage_t> event_blockage_list_t;
 
 inline bool event_block_list_blocks_type(const event_blockage_list_t &ebls, int type) {
-    for (event_blockage_list_t::const_iterator iter = ebls.begin(); iter != ebls.end(); ++iter) {
-        if (iter->typemask & (1 << EVENT_ANY)) return true;
-        if (iter->typemask & (1 << type)) return true;
-    }
-    return false;
+    return !ebls.empty();
 }
 
 /// Types of blocks.
diff --git a/tests/signal.in b/tests/signal.in
index 76db56d2d..118c1d2e5 100644
--- a/tests/signal.in
+++ b/tests/signal.in
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ function alarm --on-signal ALRM
   echo ALRM received
 end
 
-
 kill -s ALRM $fish_pid
 
 function anychild --on-process-exit 0
@@ -10,6 +9,17 @@ function anychild --on-process-exit 0
   echo $argv[1] $argv[3]
 end
 
+echo "command false:"
 command false
+echo "command true:"
 command true
+echo "command false | true:"
 command false | command true
+
+function test_blocks
+  block -l
+  command echo "This is the process whose exit event shuld be blocked"
+  echo "This should come before the event handler"
+end
+test_blocks
+echo "Now event handler should have run"
diff --git a/tests/signal.out b/tests/signal.out
index 234258bf5..10aa9b5f3 100644
--- a/tests/signal.out
+++ b/tests/signal.out
@@ -1,9 +1,17 @@
 ALRM received
+command false:
 PROCESS_EXIT 1
 JOB_EXIT 0
+command true:
 PROCESS_EXIT 0
 JOB_EXIT 0
+command false | true:
 PROCESS_EXIT 1
 PROCESS_EXIT 0
 JOB_EXIT 0
+This is the process whose exit event shuld be blocked
+This should come before the event handler
+PROCESS_EXIT 0
+JOB_EXIT 0
+Now event handler should have run
 PROCESS_EXIT 0