diff --git a/src/heap.cpp b/src/heap.cpp
index 2dc23e904e..0cc13ba7dc 100644
--- a/src/heap.cpp
+++ b/src/heap.cpp
@@ -1895,21 +1895,43 @@ class MyHeap: public Heap {
     local::collect(&c);
   }
 
-  virtual void* allocateFixed(Allocator* allocator, unsigned sizeInWords,
-                              bool objectMask, unsigned* totalInBytes)
+  void* tryAllocateFixed(Allocator* allocator, unsigned sizeInWords,
+                         bool objectMask, unsigned* totalInBytes,
+                         Fixie** handle, bool immortal)
   {
-    *totalInBytes = Fixie::totalSize(sizeInWords, objectMask);
-    return (new (allocator->allocate(*totalInBytes))
-            Fixie(&c, sizeInWords, objectMask, &(c.fixies), false))->body();
+    *totalInBytes = 0;
+
+    if (limitExceeded()) {
+      return 0;
+    }
+
+    unsigned total = Fixie::totalSize(sizeInWords, objectMask);
+    void* p = allocator->tryAllocate(total);
+    if (p == 0) {
+      return 0;
+    } else if (limitExceeded()) {
+      allocator->free(p, total);
+      return 0;
+    } else {
+      *totalInBytes = total;
+      return (new (p) Fixie(&c, sizeInWords, objectMask, handle, immortal))
+        ->body();
+    }
   }
 
-  virtual void* allocateImmortalFixed(Allocator* allocator,
-                                      unsigned sizeInWords, bool objectMask,
-                                      unsigned* totalInBytes)
+  virtual void* tryAllocateFixed(Allocator* allocator, unsigned sizeInWords,
+                                 bool objectMask, unsigned* totalInBytes)
   {
-    *totalInBytes = Fixie::totalSize(sizeInWords, objectMask);
-    return (new (allocator->allocate(*totalInBytes))
-            Fixie(&c, sizeInWords, objectMask, 0, true))->body();
+    return tryAllocateFixed
+      (allocator, sizeInWords, objectMask, totalInBytes, &(c.fixies), false);
+  }
+
+  virtual void* tryAllocateImmortalFixed(Allocator* allocator,
+                                         unsigned sizeInWords, bool objectMask,
+                                         unsigned* totalInBytes)
+  {
+    return tryAllocateFixed
+      (allocator, sizeInWords, objectMask, totalInBytes, 0, true);
   }
 
   bool needsMark(void* p) {
diff --git a/src/heap.h b/src/heap.h
index 0ee4699914..2a6734438d 100644
--- a/src/heap.h
+++ b/src/heap.h
@@ -62,11 +62,11 @@ class Heap: public Allocator {
   virtual unsigned limit() = 0;
   virtual bool limitExceeded() = 0;
   virtual void collect(CollectionType type, unsigned footprint) = 0;
-  virtual void* allocateFixed(Allocator* allocator, unsigned sizeInWords,
-                              bool objectMask, unsigned* totalInBytes) = 0;
-  virtual void* allocateImmortalFixed(Allocator* allocator,
-                                      unsigned sizeInWords, bool objectMask,
-                                      unsigned* totalInBytes) = 0;
+  virtual void* tryAllocateFixed(Allocator* allocator, unsigned sizeInWords,
+                                 bool objectMask, unsigned* totalInBytes) = 0;
+  virtual void* tryAllocateImmortalFixed(Allocator* allocator,
+                                         unsigned sizeInWords, bool objectMask,
+                                         unsigned* totalInBytes) = 0;
   virtual void mark(void* p, unsigned offset, unsigned count) = 0;
   virtual void pad(void* p) = 0;
   virtual void* follow(void* p) = 0;
diff --git a/src/machine.cpp b/src/machine.cpp
index 7986a5be78..c06d8c8159 100644
--- a/src/machine.cpp
+++ b/src/machine.cpp
@@ -3531,7 +3531,7 @@ allocate3(Thread* t, Allocator* allocator, Machine::AllocationType type,
   } while (type == Machine::MovableAllocation
            and t->heapIndex + ceiling(sizeInBytes, BytesPerWord)
            > ThreadHeapSizeInWords);
-  
+
   switch (type) {
   case Machine::MovableAllocation: {
     return allocateSmall(t, sizeInBytes);
@@ -3540,29 +3540,37 @@ allocate3(Thread* t, Allocator* allocator, Machine::AllocationType type,
   case Machine::FixedAllocation: {
     unsigned total;
     object o = static_cast<object>
-      (t->m->heap->allocateFixed
+      (t->m->heap->tryAllocateFixed
        (allocator, ceiling(sizeInBytes, BytesPerWord), objectMask, &total));
 
-    memset(o, 0, sizeInBytes);
+    if (o) {
+      memset(o, 0, sizeInBytes);
 
-    alias(o, 0) = FixedMark;
-
-    t->m->fixedFootprint += total;
-
-    return o;
+      alias(o, 0) = FixedMark;
+      
+      t->m->fixedFootprint += total;
+      
+      return o;
+    } else {
+      throw_(t, root(t, Machine::OutOfMemoryError));
+    }
   }
 
   case Machine::ImmortalAllocation: {
     unsigned total;
     object o = static_cast<object>
-      (t->m->heap->allocateImmortalFixed
+      (t->m->heap->tryAllocateImmortalFixed
        (allocator, ceiling(sizeInBytes, BytesPerWord), objectMask, &total));
 
-    memset(o, 0, sizeInBytes);
+    if (o) {
+      memset(o, 0, sizeInBytes);
 
-    alias(o, 0) = FixedMark;
+      alias(o, 0) = FixedMark;
 
-    return o;
+      return o;
+    } else {
+      throw_(t, root(t, Machine::OutOfMemoryError));
+    }
   }
 
   default: abort(t);
diff --git a/src/machine.h b/src/machine.h
index 08eab4c894..2924a13fb7 100644
--- a/src/machine.h
+++ b/src/machine.h
@@ -1784,8 +1784,8 @@ class FixedAllocator: public Allocator {
     s(s), base(base), offset(0), capacity(capacity)
   { }
 
-  virtual void* tryAllocate(unsigned) {
-    abort(s);
+  virtual void* tryAllocate(unsigned size) {
+    return allocate(size);
   }
 
   void* allocate(unsigned size, unsigned padAlignment) {