diff --git a/xpra/client/base/top.py b/xpra/client/base/top.py
index 16b9d81f2e..64a82a8671 100644
--- a/xpra/client/base/top.py
+++ b/xpra/client/base/top.py
@@ -41,8 +41,9 @@
 PAUSE_KEYS = (ord("p"), ord("P"))
 SIGNAL_KEYS = {
     3: signal.SIGINT,
-    26: signal.SIGSTOP,
 }
+if hasattr(signal, "SIGSTOP"):
+    SIGNAL_KEYS[26] = signal.SIGSTOP
 
 
 def get_title() -> str:
@@ -57,13 +58,17 @@ def curses_init():
     curses.noecho()
     curses.raw()
     curses.start_color()
-    curses.use_default_colors()
+    try:
+        curses.use_default_colors()
+        curses.init_pair(WHITE, curses.COLOR_WHITE, curses.COLOR_BLACK)
+        curses.init_pair(GREEN, curses.COLOR_GREEN, curses.COLOR_BLACK)
+        curses.init_pair(YELLOW, curses.COLOR_YELLOW, curses.COLOR_BLACK)
+        curses.init_pair(RED, curses.COLOR_RED, curses.COLOR_BLACK)
+    except Exception:
+        # this can fail on some terminals, ie: mingw
+        pass
     # for i in range(0, curses.COLORS):
     #    curses.init_pair(i+1, i, -1)
-    curses.init_pair(WHITE, curses.COLOR_WHITE, curses.COLOR_BLACK)
-    curses.init_pair(GREEN, curses.COLOR_GREEN, curses.COLOR_BLACK)
-    curses.init_pair(YELLOW, curses.COLOR_YELLOW, curses.COLOR_BLACK)
-    curses.init_pair(RED, curses.COLOR_RED, curses.COLOR_BLACK)
     return stdscr