diff --git a/src/libcore/sync.rs b/src/libcore/sync.rs
index 6def915b6d8c..decf34834a47 100644
--- a/src/libcore/sync.rs
+++ b/src/libcore/sync.rs
@@ -23,7 +23,33 @@ type signal_end = pipes::chan<()>;
 type waitqueue = { head: pipes::port<signal_end>,
                    tail: pipes::chan<signal_end> };
 
-// The building-block used to make semaphores, lock-and-signals, and rwlocks.
+// Signals one live task from the queue.
+fn signal_waitqueue(q: &waitqueue) -> bool {
+    // The peek is mandatory to make sure recv doesn't block.
+    if q.head.peek() {
+        // Pop and send a wakeup signal. If the waiter was killed, its port
+        // will have closed. Keep trying until we get a live task.
+        if q.head.recv().try_send(()) {
+            true
+        } else {
+            signal_waitqueue(q)
+        }
+    } else {
+        false
+    }
+}
+
+fn broadcast_waitqueue(q: &waitqueue) -> uint {
+    let mut count = 0;
+    while q.head.peek() {
+        if q.head.recv().try_send(()) {
+            count += 1;
+        }
+    }
+    count
+}
+
+// The building-block used to make semaphores, mutexes, and rwlocks.
 enum sem<Q: send> = exclusive<{
     mut count: int,
     waiters:   waitqueue,
@@ -39,6 +65,7 @@ impl<Q: send> &sem<Q> {
             do (**self).with |state| {
                 state.count -= 1;
                 if state.count < 0 {
+                    // Create waiter nobe.
                     let (signal_end, wait_end) = pipes::stream();
                     // Tell outer scope we need to block.
                     waiter_nobe = some(wait_end);
@@ -58,14 +85,8 @@ impl<Q: send> &sem<Q> {
         unsafe {
             do (**self).with |state| {
                 state.count += 1;
-                // The peek is mandatory to make sure recv doesn't block.
-                if state.count <= 0 && state.waiters.head.peek() {
-                    // Pop off the waitqueue and send a wakeup signal. If the
-                    // waiter was killed, its port will have closed, and send
-                    // will fail. Keep trying until we get a live task.
-                    state.waiters.head.recv().send(());
-                    // FIXME(#3145) use kill-friendly version when ready
-                    // while !state.waiters.head.recv().try_send(()) { }
+                if state.count <= 0 {
+                    signal_waitqueue(&state.waiters);
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -74,15 +95,25 @@ impl<Q: send> &sem<Q> {
 // FIXME(#3154) move both copies of this into sem<Q>, and unify the 2 structs
 impl &sem<()> {
     fn access<U>(blk: fn() -> U) -> U {
-        self.acquire();
-        let _x = sem_release(self);
+        let mut release = none;
+        unsafe {
+            do task::unkillable {
+                self.acquire();
+                release = some(sem_release(self));
+            }
+        }
         blk()
     }
 }
 impl &sem<waitqueue> {
     fn access<U>(blk: fn() -> U) -> U {
-        self.acquire();
-        let _x = sem_and_signal_release(self);
+        let mut release = none;
+        unsafe {
+            do task::unkillable {
+                self.acquire();
+                release = some(sem_and_signal_release(self));
+            }
+        }
         blk()
     }
 }
@@ -105,39 +136,58 @@ enum condvar = &sem<waitqueue>;
 impl condvar {
     /// Atomically drop the associated lock, and block until a signal is sent.
     fn wait() {
+        // This is needed for a failing condition variable to reacquire the
+        // mutex during unwinding. As long as the wrapper (mutex, etc) is
+        // bounded in when it gets released, this shouldn't hang forever.
+        struct sem_and_signal_reacquire {
+            sem: &sem<waitqueue>;
+            new(sem: &sem<waitqueue>) { self.sem = sem; }
+            drop unsafe {
+                do task::unkillable {
+                    self.sem.acquire();
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Create waiter nobe.
         let (signal_end, wait_end) = pipes::stream();
         let mut signal_end = some(signal_end);
+        let mut reacquire = none;
         unsafe {
-            do (***self).with |state| {
-                // Drop the lock.
-                // FIXME(#3145) investigate why factoring doesn't compile.
-                state.count += 1;
-                if state.count <= 0 && state.waiters.head.peek() {
-                    state.waiters.head.recv().send(());
-                    // FIXME(#3145) use kill-friendly version when ready
+            do task::unkillable {
+                // If yield checks start getting inserted anywhere, we can be
+                // killed before or after enqueueing. Deciding whether to
+                // unkillably reacquire the lock needs to happen atomically
+                // wrt enqueuing.
+                reacquire = some(sem_and_signal_reacquire(*self));
+
+                // Release lock, 'atomically' enqueuing ourselves in so doing.
+                do (***self).with |state| {
+                    // Drop the lock.
+                    // FIXME(#3145) investigate why factoring doesn't compile.
+                    state.count += 1;
+                    if state.count <= 0 {
+                        signal_waitqueue(&state.waiters);
+                    }
+                    // Enqueue ourself to be woken up by a signaller.
+                    let signal_end = option::swap_unwrap(&mut signal_end);
+                    state.blocked.tail.send(signal_end);
                 }
-                // Enqueue ourself to be woken up by a signaller.
-                state.blocked.tail.send(option::swap_unwrap(&mut signal_end));
             }
         }
         // Unconditionally "block". (Might not actually block if a signaller
         // did send -- I mean 'unconditionally' in contrast with acquire().)
         let _ = wait_end.recv();
-        // Pick up the lock again. FIXME(#3145): unkillable? destructor?
-        (*self).acquire();
+        // 'reacquire' will pick up the lock again in its destructor - it must
+        // happen whether or not we are killed, and it needs to succeed at
+        // reacquiring instead of itself dying.
     }
 
     /// Wake up a blocked task. Returns false if there was no blocked task.
     fn signal() -> bool {
         unsafe {
             do (***self).with |state| {
-                if state.blocked.head.peek() {
-                    state.blocked.head.recv().send(());
-                    // FIXME(#3145) use kill-friendly version when ready
-                    true
-                } else {
-                    false
-                }
+                signal_waitqueue(&state.blocked)
             }
         }
     }
@@ -146,13 +196,8 @@ impl condvar {
     fn broadcast() -> uint {
         unsafe {
             do (***self).with |state| {
-                let mut count = 0;
-                while state.blocked.head.peek() {
-                    // This is already kill-friendly.
-                    state.blocked.head.recv().send(());
-                    count += 1;
-                }
-                count
+                // FIXME(#3145) fix :broadcast_heavy
+                broadcast_waitqueue(&state.blocked)
             }
         }
     }
@@ -191,11 +236,12 @@ impl &semaphore {
 
     /**
      * Release a held resource represented by the semaphore. Wakes a blocked
-     * contending task, if any exist.
+     * contending task, if any exist. Won't block the caller.
      */
     fn release() { (&**self).release() }
 
     /// Run a function with ownership of one of the semaphore's resources.
+    // FIXME(#3145): figure out whether or not this should get exported.
     fn access<U>(blk: fn() -> U) -> U { (&**self).access(blk) }
 }
 
@@ -206,6 +252,7 @@ impl &semaphore {
 /**
  * A blocking, bounded-waiting, mutual exclusion lock with an associated
  * FIFO condition variable.
+ * FIXME(#3145): document killability
  */
 enum mutex = sem<waitqueue>;
 
@@ -243,17 +290,29 @@ impl &mutex {
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
+    #[test]
+    fn test_sem_acquire_release() {
+        let s = ~new_semaphore(1);
+        s.acquire();
+        s.release();
+        s.acquire();
+    }
+    #[test]
+    fn test_sem_basic() {
+        let s = ~new_semaphore(1);
+        do s.access { }
+    }
     #[test]
     fn test_sem_as_mutex() {
         let s = ~new_semaphore(1);
         let s2 = ~s.clone();
         do task::spawn {
             do s2.access {
-                for 10.times { task::yield(); }
+                for 5.times { task::yield(); }
             }
         }
         do s.access {
-            for 10.times { task::yield(); }
+            for 5.times { task::yield(); }
         }
     }
     #[test]
@@ -266,7 +325,7 @@ mod tests {
             s2.acquire();
             c.send(());
         }
-        for 10.times { task::yield(); }
+        for 5.times { task::yield(); }
         s.release();
         let _ = p.recv();
 
@@ -275,7 +334,7 @@ mod tests {
         let s = ~new_semaphore(0);
         let s2 = ~s.clone();
         do task::spawn {
-            for 10.times { task::yield(); }
+            for 5.times { task::yield(); }
             s2.release();
             let _ = p.recv();
         }
@@ -324,7 +383,7 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
     #[test]
-    fn test_mutex() {
+    fn test_mutex_lock() {
         // Unsafely achieve shared state, and do the textbook
         // "load tmp <- ptr; inc tmp; store ptr <- tmp" dance.
         let (c,p) = pipes::stream();
@@ -342,9 +401,9 @@ mod tests {
 
         assert *sharedstate == 20;
 
-        fn access_shared(sharedstate: &mut int, sem: &mutex, n: uint) {
+        fn access_shared(sharedstate: &mut int, m: &mutex, n: uint) {
             for n.times {
-                do sem.lock {
+                do m.lock {
                     let oldval = *sharedstate;
                     task::yield();
                     *sharedstate = oldval + 1;
@@ -355,13 +414,15 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn test_mutex_cond_wait() {
         let m = ~new_mutex();
-        let mut m2 = some(~m.clone());
 
         // Child wakes up parent
         do m.lock_cond |cond| {
-            let m2 = option::swap_unwrap(&mut m2);
+            let m2 = ~m.clone();
             do task::spawn {
-                do m2.lock_cond |cond| { cond.signal(); }
+                do m2.lock_cond |cond| {
+                    let woken = cond.signal();
+                    assert woken;
+                }
             }
             cond.wait();
         }
@@ -377,7 +438,8 @@ mod tests {
         }
         let _ = port.recv(); // Wait until child gets in the mutex
         do m.lock_cond |cond| {
-            cond.signal();
+            let woken = cond.signal();
+            assert woken;
         }
         let _ = port.recv(); // Wait until child wakes up
     }
@@ -409,4 +471,48 @@ mod tests {
         // wait until all children wake up
         for ports.each |port| { let _ = port.recv(); }
     }
+    #[test] #[ignore(cfg(windows))]
+    fn test_mutex_killed_simple() {
+        // Mutex must get automatically unlocked if failed/killed within.
+        let m = ~new_mutex();
+        let m2 = ~m.clone();
+
+        let result: result::result<(),()> = do task::try {
+            do m2.lock {
+                fail;
+            }
+        };
+        assert result.is_err();
+        // child task must have finished by the time try returns
+        do m.lock { }
+    }
+    #[test] #[ignore(cfg(windows))]
+    fn test_mutex_killed_cond() {
+        // Getting killed during cond wait must not corrupt the mutex while
+        // unwinding (e.g. double unlock).
+        let m = ~new_mutex();
+        let m2 = ~m.clone();
+
+        let result: result::result<(),()> = do task::try {
+            let (c,p) = pipes::stream();
+            do task::spawn { // linked
+                let _ = p.recv(); // wait for sibling to get in the mutex
+                task::yield();
+                fail;
+            }
+            do m2.lock_cond |cond| {
+                c.send(()); // tell sibling go ahead
+                cond.wait(); // block forever
+            }
+        };
+        assert result.is_err();
+        // child task must have finished by the time try returns
+        do m.lock_cond |cond| {
+            let woken = cond.signal();
+            // FIXME(#3145) - The semantics of pipes are not quite what I want
+            // here - the pipe doesn't get 'terminated' if the child was
+            // punted awake during failure.
+            // assert !woken;
+        }
+    }
 }