diff --git a/module/scripts/compile.scm b/module/scripts/compile.scm
index 20db94463..0a2ca4d23 100644
--- a/module/scripts/compile.scm
+++ b/module/scripts/compile.scm
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ;;; Compile --- Command-line Guile Scheme compiler  -*- coding: iso-8859-1 -*-
 
-;; Copyright 2005,2008,2009,2010,2011 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+;; Copyright 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 ;;
 ;; This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
 ;; modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License
@@ -176,6 +176,14 @@ Report bugs to <~A>.~%"
         (fail "`-o' option can only be specified "
               "when compiling a single file"))
 
+    ;; Install a SIGINT handler.  As a side effect, this gives unwind
+    ;; handlers an opportunity to run upon SIGINT; this includes that of
+    ;; 'call-with-output-file/atomic', called by 'compile-file', which
+    ;; removes the temporary output file.
+    (sigaction SIGINT
+      (lambda args
+        (fail "interrupted by the user")))
+
     (for-each (lambda (file)
                 (format #t "wrote `~A'\n"
                         (with-fluids ((*current-warning-prefix* ""))
diff --git a/test-suite/standalone/Makefile.am b/test-suite/standalone/Makefile.am
index 9360f6903..6f676ebc8 100644
--- a/test-suite/standalone/Makefile.am
+++ b/test-suite/standalone/Makefile.am
@@ -93,6 +93,9 @@ check_SCRIPTS += test-language
 TESTS += test-language
 EXTRA_DIST += test-language.el test-language.js
 
+check_SCRIPTS += test-guild-compile
+TESTS += test-guild-compile
+
 # test-num2integral
 test_num2integral_SOURCES = test-num2integral.c
 test_num2integral_CFLAGS = ${test_cflags}
diff --git a/test-suite/standalone/test-guild-compile b/test-suite/standalone/test-guild-compile
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..05d45ce35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-suite/standalone/test-guild-compile
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# This -*- sh -*- script tests whether 'guild compile' leaves traces
+# behind it upon SIGINT.
+
+source="t-guild-compile-$$"
+target="$source.go"
+
+trap 'rm -f "$source" "$target"' EXIT
+
+cat > "$source"<<EOF
+(eval-when (expand load eval)
+  (sleep 100))
+(define chbouib 42)
+EOF
+
+guild compile -o "$target" "$source" &
+pid="$!"
+
+# Send SIGINT.
+sleep 1 && kill -INT "$pid"
+
+# Wait for 'guild compile' to terminate.
+sleep 2
+
+# Check whether there are any leftovers.
+for file in "$target"*
+do
+    if test "$file" != "${target}*"
+    then
+	echo "error: 'guild compile' failed to remove '$file'" >&2
+	rm "$target"*
+	kill "$pid"
+	exit 1
+    fi
+done
+
+if test -f "$target"
+then
+    echo "error: '$target' produced" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi