diff --git a/repos/base-nova/include/nova/util.h b/repos/base-nova/include/nova/util.h
index 37d4b5d656..28c0c15975 100644
--- a/repos/base-nova/include/nova/util.h
+++ b/repos/base-nova/include/nova/util.h
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ inline void request_event_portal(Genode::Native_capability const &cap,
 
 
 inline void request_native_ec_cap(Genode::Native_capability const &cap,
-                                  Genode::addr_t sel, unsigned pager_cap = 1) {
-	request_event_portal(cap, sel , ~0UL, pager_cap); }
+                                  Genode::addr_t sel, unsigned no_pager_cap = 0) {
+	request_event_portal(cap, sel , ~0UL, no_pager_cap); }
 
 
 inline void request_signal_sm_cap(Genode::Native_capability const &cap,
diff --git a/repos/base-nova/src/base/thread/thread_nova.cc b/repos/base-nova/src/base/thread/thread_nova.cc
index 45777efa89..d25479fd9b 100644
--- a/repos/base-nova/src/base/thread/thread_nova.cc
+++ b/repos/base-nova/src/base/thread/thread_nova.cc
@@ -85,8 +85,7 @@ void Thread_base::_init_platform_thread(size_t, Type type)
 		_tid.exc_pt_sel = 0;
 		_tid.ec_sel     = Nova::PT_SEL_MAIN_EC;
 
-		enum { DONT_MAP_PAGER_CAP = 0 };
-		request_native_ec_cap(_pager_cap, _tid.ec_sel, DONT_MAP_PAGER_CAP);
+		request_native_ec_cap(_pager_cap, _tid.ec_sel);
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -179,7 +178,9 @@ void Thread_base::start()
 	if (_tid.ec_sel == Native_thread::INVALID_INDEX)
 		throw Cpu_session::Thread_creation_failed();
 
-	request_native_ec_cap(_pager_cap, _tid.ec_sel);
+	/* requested pager cap used by request_native_ec_cap in Signal_source_client */
+	enum { MAP_PAGER_CAP = 1 };
+	request_native_ec_cap(_pager_cap, _tid.ec_sel, MAP_PAGER_CAP);
 
 	using namespace Nova;