diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index c497d2d2..a3a9ed59 100755
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ SRCS=	$(NACL_SOURCES) $(SERVAL_SOURCES)
 MONITORCLIENTSRCS=conf.c \
 	log.c \
 	mkdir.c \
+	mem.c \
 	monitor-client.c \
 	net.c \
 	str.c \
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ MONITORCLIENTSRCS=conf.c \
 MDPCLIENTSRCS=conf.c \
 	dataformats.c \
 	mkdir.c \
+	mem.c \
 	log.c \
 	mdp_client.c \
 	net.c \
diff --git a/headerfiles.mk b/headerfiles.mk
index 3e37bc92..db18eac6 100644
--- a/headerfiles.mk
+++ b/headerfiles.mk
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ HDRS=	fifo.h \
 	rhizome.h \
 	serval.h \
 	str.h \
+	mem.h \
 	strbuf.h \
 	strbuf_helpers.h \
 	sha2.h \
diff --git a/mem.c b/mem.c
index 86d74dab..180e2fe8 100644
--- a/mem.c
+++ b/mem.c
@@ -52,3 +52,30 @@ char *_str_edup(struct __sourceloc __whence, const char *str)
 {
   return _strn_edup(__whence, str, strlen(str));
 }
+
+#undef malloc
+#undef calloc
+#undef free
+#undef realloc
+
+#define SDM_GUARD_AFTER 16384
+
+void *_serval_debug_malloc(unsigned int bytes, struct __sourceloc __whence)
+{
+  void *r=malloc(bytes+SDM_GUARD_AFTER);
+  DEBUGF("malloc(%d) -> %p", bytes, r); 
+  return r;
+}
+
+void *_serval_debug_calloc(unsigned int bytes, unsigned int count, struct __sourceloc __whence)
+{
+  void *r=calloc((bytes*count)+SDM_GUARD_AFTER,1);
+  DEBUGF("calloc(%d,%d) -> %p", bytes, count, r); 
+  return r;
+}
+
+void _serval_debug_free(void *p, struct __sourceloc __whence)
+{
+  free(p);
+  DEBUGF("free(%p)", p); 
+}
diff --git a/mem.h b/mem.h
index 0d4132df..7fb40f74 100644
--- a/mem.h
+++ b/mem.h
@@ -23,6 +23,17 @@ Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include "log.h"
 
+// #define MALLOC_PARANOIA
+
+#ifdef MALLOC_PARANOIA
+#define malloc(X) _serval_debug_malloc(X,__WHENCE__)
+#define calloc(X,Y) _serval_debug_calloc(X,Y,__WHENCE__)
+#define free(X) _serval_debug_free(X,__WHENCE__)
+void *_serval_debug_malloc(unsigned int bytes, struct __sourceloc whence);
+void *_serval_debug_calloc(unsigned int bytes, unsigned int count, struct __sourceloc whence);
+void _serval_debug_free(void *p, struct __sourceloc whence);
+#endif
+
 /* Equivalent to malloc(3), but logs an error before returning NULL.
  *
  * @author Andrew Bettison <andrew@servalproject.com>
diff --git a/overlay_buffer.c b/overlay_buffer.c
index d1242e17..84f7ac88 100644
--- a/overlay_buffer.c
+++ b/overlay_buffer.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
 Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
 */
 
+#include "mem.h"
 #include "serval.h"
 #include "overlay_buffer.h"
 
@@ -453,29 +454,3 @@ int ob_dump(struct overlay_buffer *b,char *desc)
   dump(NULL, b->bytes, b->position);
   return 0;
 }
-
-#undef malloc
-#undef calloc
-#undef free
-#undef realloc
-
-#define SDM_GUARD_AFTER 16384
-void *_serval_debug_malloc(unsigned int bytes, struct __sourceloc __whence)
-{
-  void *r=malloc(bytes+SDM_GUARD_AFTER);
-  DEBUGF("malloc(%d) -> %p", bytes, r); 
-  return r;
-}
-
-void *_serval_debug_calloc(unsigned int bytes, unsigned int count, struct __sourceloc __whence)
-{
-  void *r=calloc((bytes*count)+SDM_GUARD_AFTER,1);
-  DEBUGF("calloc(%d,%d) -> %p", bytes, count, r); 
-  return r;
-}
-
-void _serval_debug_free(void *p, struct __sourceloc __whence)
-{
-  free(p);
-  DEBUGF("free(%p)", p); 
-}
diff --git a/serval.h b/serval.h
index c2031a25..8d9b7db2 100644
--- a/serval.h
+++ b/serval.h
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@ Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
 #ifndef __SERVALD_SERVALD_H
 #define __SERVALD_SERVALD_H
 
-// #define MALLOC_PARANOIA
-
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -112,6 +110,7 @@ struct in_addr {
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 
 #include "constants.h"
+#include "mem.h"
 #include "xprintf.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "net.h"
@@ -623,17 +622,6 @@ int dump_payload(struct overlay_frame *p, char *message);
 
 int urandombytes(unsigned char *x,unsigned long long xlen);
 
-#ifdef MALLOC_PARANOIA
-#define malloc(X) _serval_debug_malloc(X,__WHENCE__)
-#define calloc(X,Y) _serval_debug_calloc(X,Y,__WHENCE__)
-#define free(X) _serval_debug_free(X,__WHENCE__)
-
-void *_serval_debug_malloc(unsigned int bytes, struct __sourceloc whence);
-void *_serval_debug_calloc(unsigned int bytes, unsigned int count, struct __sourceloc whence);
-void _serval_debug_free(void *p, struct __sourceloc whence);
-#endif
-
-
 struct vomp_call_state;
 
 void set_codec_flag(int codec, unsigned char *flags);
diff --git a/sourcefiles.mk b/sourcefiles.mk
index 4cc6281c..4f02b3b3 100644
--- a/sourcefiles.mk
+++ b/sourcefiles.mk
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ SERVAL_SOURCES = $(SERVAL_BASE)audiodevices.c \
 	$(SERVAL_BASE)main.c \
 	$(SERVAL_BASE)mdp_client.c \
 	$(SERVAL_BASE)mkdir.c \
+	$(SERVAL_BASE)mem.c \
 	$(SERVAL_BASE)monitor.c \
 	$(SERVAL_BASE)monitor-client.c \
 	$(SERVAL_BASE)monitor-cli.c \