diff --git a/Lib/test/test_faulthandler.py b/Lib/test/test_faulthandler.py
index ccdf3b63362..e3960541f52 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_faulthandler.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_faulthandler.py
@@ -194,10 +194,10 @@ class FaultHandlerTests(unittest.TestCase):
         self.check_fatal_error("""
             import faulthandler
             faulthandler.enable()
-            faulthandler._read_null(True)
+            faulthandler._sigsegv(True)
             """,
             3,
-            '(?:Segmentation fault|Bus error|Illegal instruction)')
+            'Segmentation fault')
 
     def test_enable_file(self):
         with temporary_filename() as filename:
diff --git a/Modules/faulthandler.c b/Modules/faulthandler.c
index ee007192625..568724b6f17 100644
--- a/Modules/faulthandler.c
+++ b/Modules/faulthandler.c
@@ -843,24 +843,16 @@ faulthandler_read_null(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
 {
     volatile int *x;
     volatile int y;
-    int release_gil = 0;
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "|i:_read_null", &release_gil))
-        return NULL;
 
     faulthandler_suppress_crash_report();
     x = NULL;
-    if (release_gil) {
-        Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
-        y = *x;
-        Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
-    } else
-        y = *x;
+    y = *x;
     return PyLong_FromLong(y);
 
 }
 
-static PyObject *
-faulthandler_sigsegv(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
+static void
+faulthandler_raise_sigsegv(void)
 {
     faulthandler_suppress_crash_report();
 #if defined(MS_WINDOWS)
@@ -880,6 +872,22 @@ faulthandler_sigsegv(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
 #else
     raise(SIGSEGV);
 #endif
+}
+
+static PyObject *
+faulthandler_sigsegv(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
+{
+    int release_gil = 0;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "|i:_read_null", &release_gil))
+        return NULL;
+
+    if (release_gil) {
+        Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
+        faulthandler_raise_sigsegv();
+        Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
+    } else {
+        faulthandler_raise_sigsegv();
+    }
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
@@ -1020,12 +1028,12 @@ static PyMethodDef module_methods[] = {
                 "'signum' registered by register()")},
 #endif
 
-    {"_read_null", faulthandler_read_null, METH_VARARGS,
-     PyDoc_STR("_read_null(release_gil=False): read from NULL, raise "
+    {"_read_null", faulthandler_read_null, METH_NOARGS,
+     PyDoc_STR("_read_null(): read from NULL, raise "
                "a SIGSEGV or SIGBUS signal depending on the platform")},
     {"_sigsegv", faulthandler_sigsegv, METH_VARARGS,
-     PyDoc_STR("_sigsegv(): raise a SIGSEGV signal")},
-    {"_sigabrt", faulthandler_sigabrt, METH_VARARGS,
+     PyDoc_STR("_sigsegv(release_gil=False): raise a SIGSEGV signal")},
+    {"_sigabrt", faulthandler_sigabrt, METH_NOARGS,
      PyDoc_STR("_sigabrt(): raise a SIGABRT signal")},
     {"_sigfpe", (PyCFunction)faulthandler_sigfpe, METH_NOARGS,
      PyDoc_STR("_sigfpe(): raise a SIGFPE signal")},