diff --git a/popt/popt.c b/popt/popt.c
index 0e05d62..1eb3c0a 100644
--- a/popt/popt.c
+++ b/popt/popt.c
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ static void invokeCallbacksOPTION(poptContext con,
 poptContext poptGetContext(const char * name, int argc, const char ** argv,
 			   const struct poptOption * options, unsigned int flags)
 {
-    poptContext con = malloc(sizeof(*con));
+    poptContext con = xmalloc(sizeof(*con));
 
     if (con == NULL) return NULL;	/* XXX can't happen */
     memset(con, 0, sizeof(*con));
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ poptContext poptGetContext(const char * name, int argc, const char ** argv,
     if (!(flags & POPT_CONTEXT_KEEP_FIRST))
 	con->os->next = 1;			/* skip argv[0] */
 
-    con->leftovers = calloc( (argc + 1), sizeof(*con->leftovers) );
+    con->leftovers = xcalloc( (argc + 1), sizeof(*con->leftovers) );
 /*@-dependenttrans -assignexpose@*/	/* FIX: W2DO? */
     con->options = options;
 /*@=dependenttrans =assignexpose@*/
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ poptContext poptGetContext(const char * name, int argc, const char ** argv,
     con->execs = NULL;
     con->numExecs = 0;
     con->finalArgvAlloced = argc * 2;
-    con->finalArgv = calloc( con->finalArgvAlloced, sizeof(*con->finalArgv) );
+    con->finalArgv = xcalloc( con->finalArgvAlloced, sizeof(*con->finalArgv) );
     con->execAbsolute = 1;
     con->arg_strip = NULL;
 
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ poptContext poptGetContext(const char * name, int argc, const char ** argv,
 	con->flags |= POPT_CONTEXT_POSIXMEHARDER;
 
     if (name) {
-	char * t = malloc(strlen(name) + 1);
+	char * t = xmalloc(strlen(name) + 1);
 	if (t) con->appName = strcpy(t, name);
     }
 
@@ -288,13 +288,13 @@ static int handleExec(/*@special@*/ poptContext con,
        time 'round */
     if ((con->finalArgvCount + 1) >= (con->finalArgvAlloced)) {
 	con->finalArgvAlloced += 10;
-	con->finalArgv = realloc(con->finalArgv,
+	con->finalArgv = xrealloc(con->finalArgv,
 			sizeof(*con->finalArgv) * con->finalArgvAlloced);
     }
 
     i = con->finalArgvCount++;
     if (con->finalArgv != NULL)	/* XXX can't happen */
-    {	char *s  = malloc((longName ? strlen(longName) : 0) + 3);
+    {	char *s  = xmalloc((longName ? strlen(longName) : 0) + 3);
 	if (s != NULL) {	/* XXX can't happen */
 	    if (longName)
 		sprintf(s, "--%s", longName);
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ static int execCommand(poptContext con)
 	(!con->execAbsolute && strchr(item->argv[0], '/')))
 	    return POPT_ERROR_NOARG;
 
-    argv = malloc(sizeof(*argv) *
+    argv = xmalloc(sizeof(*argv) *
 			(6 + item->argc + con->numLeftovers + con->finalArgvCount));
     if (argv == NULL) return POPT_ERROR_MALLOC;
 
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ expandNextArg(/*@special@*/ poptContext con, const char * s)
     char c;
 
     if (!con) return NULL;
-    te = t = malloc(tn);;
+    te = t = xmalloc(tn);
     if (t == NULL) return NULL;		/* XXX can't happen */
     while ((c = *s++) != '\0') {
 	switch (c) {
@@ -604,7 +604,7 @@ expandNextArg(/*@special@*/ poptContext con, const char * s)
 	    alen = strlen(a);
 	    tn += alen;
 	    *te = '\0';
-	    t = realloc(t, tn);
+	    t = xrealloc(t, tn);
 	    te = t + strlen(t);
 	    strncpy(te, a, alen); te += alen;
 	    continue;
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@ expandNextArg(/*@special@*/ poptContext con, const char * s)
 	*te++ = c;
     }
     *te = '\0';
-    t = realloc(t, strlen(t) + 1);	/* XXX memory leak, hard to plug */
+    t = xrealloc(t, strlen(t) + 1);	/* XXX memory leak, hard to plug */
     return t;
 }
 
@@ -999,12 +999,12 @@ int poptGetNextOpt(poptContext con)
 
 	if ((con->finalArgvCount + 2) >= (con->finalArgvAlloced)) {
 	    con->finalArgvAlloced += 10;
-	    con->finalArgv = realloc(con->finalArgv,
+	    con->finalArgv = xrealloc(con->finalArgv,
 			    sizeof(*con->finalArgv) * con->finalArgvAlloced);
 	}
 
 	if (con->finalArgv != NULL)
-	{   char *s = malloc((opt->longName ? strlen(opt->longName) : 0) + 3);
+	{   char *s = xmalloc((opt->longName ? strlen(opt->longName) : 0) + 3);
 	    if (s != NULL) {	/* XXX can't happen */
 		if (opt->longName)
 		    sprintf(s, "%s%s",
@@ -1156,7 +1156,7 @@ int poptAddItem(poptContext con, poptItem newItem, int flags)
 	/*@notreached@*/ break;
     }
 
-    *items = realloc((*items), ((*nitems) + 1) * sizeof(**items));
+    *items = xrealloc((*items), ((*nitems) + 1) * sizeof(**items));
     if ((*items) == NULL)
 	return 1;
 
diff --git a/popt/popthelp.c b/popt/popthelp.c
index 4555948..ab3b8cd 100644
--- a/popt/popthelp.c
+++ b/popt/popthelp.c
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ singleOptionDefaultValue(size_t lineLength,
 	/*@*/
 {
     const char * defstr = D_(translation_domain, "default");
-    char * le = malloc(4*lineLength + 1);
+    char * le = xmalloc(4*lineLength + 1);
     char * l = le;
 
     if (le == NULL) return NULL;	/* XXX can't happen */
@@ -287,8 +287,7 @@ static void singleOptionHelp(FILE * fp, columns_t columns,
     if (opt->longName)	nb += strlen(opt->longName);
     if (argDescrip)	nb += strlen(argDescrip);
 
-    left = malloc(nb);
-    if (left == NULL) return;	/* XXX can't happen */
+    left = xmalloc(nb);
     left[0] = '\0';
     left[maxLeftCol] = '\0';
 
@@ -315,7 +314,7 @@ static void singleOptionHelp(FILE * fp, columns_t columns,
 	if (opt->argInfo & POPT_ARGFLAG_SHOW_DEFAULT) {
 	    defs = singleOptionDefaultValue(lineLength, opt, translation_domain);
 	    if (defs) {
-		char * t = malloc((help ? strlen(help) : 0) +
+		char * t = xmalloc((help ? strlen(help) : 0) +
 				strlen(defs) + sizeof(" "));
 		if (t) {
 		    char * te = t;
diff --git a/popt/poptparse.c b/popt/poptparse.c
index f577a02..e4ce616 100644
--- a/popt/poptparse.c
+++ b/popt/poptparse.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ int poptDupArgv(int argc, const char **argv,
 	nb += strlen(argv[i]) + 1;
     }
 	
-    dst = malloc(nb);
+    dst = xmalloc(nb);
     if (dst == NULL)			/* XXX can't happen */
 	return POPT_ERROR_MALLOC;
     argv2 = (void *) dst;
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ int poptDupArgv(int argc, const char **argv,
     if (argvPtr) {
 	*argvPtr = argv2;
     } else {
-	free(argv2);
+	xfree(argv2);
 	argv2 = NULL;
     }
     if (argcPtr)
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ int poptParseArgvString(const char * s, int * argcPtr, const char *** argvPtr)
     const char * src;
     char quote = '\0';
     int argvAlloced = POPT_ARGV_ARRAY_GROW_DELTA;
-    const char ** argv = malloc(sizeof(*argv) * argvAlloced);
+    const char ** argv = xmalloc(sizeof(*argv) * argvAlloced);
     int argc = 0;
     size_t buflen = strlen(s) + 1;
     char * buf, * bufOrig = NULL;
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ int poptParseArgvString(const char * s, int * argcPtr, const char *** argvPtr)
 		buf++, argc++;
 		if (argc == argvAlloced) {
 		    argvAlloced += POPT_ARGV_ARRAY_GROW_DELTA;
-		    argv = realloc(argv, sizeof(*argv) * argvAlloced);
+		    argv = xrealloc(argv, sizeof(*argv) * argvAlloced);
 		    if (argv == NULL) goto exit;
 		}
 		argv[argc] = buf;
diff --git a/popt/system.h b/popt/system.h
index 68a5c2a..b32a0fc 100644
--- a/popt/system.h
+++ b/popt/system.h
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#ifndef __POPT_SYSTEM_H__
+#define __POPT_SYSTEM_H__
 /**
  * \file popt/system.h
  */
@@ -71,11 +73,13 @@ char * xstrdup (const char *str)
 #define	xcalloc(_nmemb, _size)	(calloc((_nmemb), (_size)) ? : vmefail())
 #define	xrealloc(_ptr, _size)	(realloc((_ptr), (_size)) ? : vmefail())
 #define xstrdup(_str)   (strcpy((malloc(strlen(_str)+1) ? : vmefail()), (_str)))
+#define xfree(_ptr)	do { if(_ptr) free(_ptr); else vmefail(); } while(0)
 #else
 #define	xmalloc(_size) 		malloc(_size)
 #define	xcalloc(_nmemb, _size)	calloc((_nmemb), (_size))
 #define	xrealloc(_ptr, _size)	realloc((_ptr), (_size))
 #define	xstrdup(_str)	strdup(_str)
+#define	xfree(ptr)	free(ptr)
 #endif  /* defined(HAVE_MCHECK_H) && defined(__GNUC__) */
 
 #if defined(HAVE___SECURE_GETENV) && !defined(__LCLINT__)
@@ -83,3 +87,4 @@ char * xstrdup (const char *str)
 #endif
 
 #include "popt.h"
+#endif /* __POPT_SYSTEM_H__ */