diff --git a/docs/topics/api.rst b/docs/topics/api.rst
index e59fe9a58..f3a03bb74 100644
--- a/docs/topics/api.rst
+++ b/docs/topics/api.rst
@@ -358,54 +358,10 @@ SpiderLoader API
 Signals API
 ===========
 
-.. module:: scrapy.signalmanager
-   :synopsis: The signal manager
-
-.. class:: SignalManager
-
-    .. method:: connect(receiver, signal)
-
-        Connect a receiver function to a signal.
-
-        The signal can be any object, although Scrapy comes with some
-        predefined signals that are documented in the :ref:`topics-signals`
-        section.
-
-        :param receiver: the function to be connected
-        :type receiver: callable
-
-        :param signal: the signal to connect to
-        :type signal: object
-
-    .. method:: send_catch_log(signal, \*\*kwargs)
-
-        Send a signal, catch exceptions and log them.
-
-        The keyword arguments are passed to the signal handlers (connected
-        through the :meth:`connect` method).
-
-    .. method:: send_catch_log_deferred(signal, \*\*kwargs)
-
-        Like :meth:`send_catch_log` but supports returning `deferreds`_ from
-        signal handlers.
-
-        Returns a `deferred`_ that gets fired once all signal handlers
-        deferreds were fired. Send a signal, catch exceptions and log them.
-
-        The keyword arguments are passed to the signal handlers (connected
-        through the :meth:`connect` method).
-
-    .. method:: disconnect(receiver, signal)
-
-        Disconnect a receiver function from a signal. This has the opposite
-        effect of the :meth:`connect` method, and the arguments are the same.
-
-    .. method:: disconnect_all(signal)
-
-        Disconnect all receivers from the given signal.
-
-        :param signal: the signal to disconnect from
-        :type signal: object
+.. automodule:: scrapy.signalmanager
+    :synopsis: The signal manager
+    :members:
+    :undoc-members:
 
 .. _topics-api-stats:
 
diff --git a/scrapy/signalmanager.py b/scrapy/signalmanager.py
index 4a3e3d92d..90a14bd63 100644
--- a/scrapy/signalmanager.py
+++ b/scrapy/signalmanager.py
@@ -1,27 +1,71 @@
+from __future__ import absolute_import
 from scrapy.xlib.pydispatch import dispatcher
-from scrapy.utils import signal
+from scrapy.utils import signal as _signal
+
 
 class SignalManager(object):
 
     def __init__(self, sender=dispatcher.Anonymous):
         self.sender = sender
 
-    def connect(self, *a, **kw):
-        kw.setdefault('sender', self.sender)
-        return dispatcher.connect(*a, **kw)
+    def connect(self, receiver, signal, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Connect a receiver function to a signal.
 
-    def disconnect(self, *a, **kw):
-        kw.setdefault('sender', self.sender)
-        return dispatcher.disconnect(*a, **kw)
+        The signal can be any object, although Scrapy comes with some
+        predefined signals that are documented in the :ref:`topics-signals`
+        section.
 
-    def send_catch_log(self, *a, **kw):
-        kw.setdefault('sender', self.sender)
-        return signal.send_catch_log(*a, **kw)
+        :param receiver: the function to be connected
+        :type receiver: callable
 
-    def send_catch_log_deferred(self, *a, **kw):
-        kw.setdefault('sender', self.sender)
-        return signal.send_catch_log_deferred(*a, **kw)
+        :param signal: the signal to connect to
+        :type signal: object
+        """
+        kwargs.setdefault('sender', self.sender)
+        return dispatcher.connect(receiver, signal, **kwargs)
 
-    def disconnect_all(self, *a, **kw):
-        kw.setdefault('sender', self.sender)
-        return signal.disconnect_all(*a, **kw)
+    def disconnect(self, receiver, signal, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Disconnect a receiver function from a signal. This has the
+        opposite effect of the :meth:`connect` method, and the arguments
+        are the same.
+        """
+        kwargs.setdefault('sender', self.sender)
+        return dispatcher.disconnect(receiver, signal, **kwargs)
+
+    def send_catch_log(self, signal, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Send a signal, catch exceptions and log them.
+
+        The keyword arguments are passed to the signal handlers (connected
+        through the :meth:`connect` method).
+        """
+        kwargs.setdefault('sender', self.sender)
+        return _signal.send_catch_log(signal, **kwargs)
+
+    def send_catch_log_deferred(self, signal, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Like :meth:`send_catch_log` but supports returning `deferred`_ from
+        signal handlers.
+
+        Returns a `deferred`_ that gets fired once all signal handlers
+        deferreds were fired. Send a signal, catch exceptions and log them.
+
+        The keyword arguments are passed to the signal handlers (connected
+        through the :meth:`connect` method).
+
+        .. _deferreds: http://twistedmatrix.com/documents/current/core/howto/defer.html
+        """
+        kwargs.setdefault('sender', self.sender)
+        return _signal.send_catch_log_deferred(signal, **kwargs)
+
+    def disconnect_all(self, signal, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Disconnect all receivers from the given signal.
+
+        :param signal: the signal to disconnect from
+        :type signal: object
+        """
+        kwargs.setdefault('sender', self.sender)
+        return _signal.disconnect_all(signal, **kwargs)