diff --git a/conf_om.c b/conf_om.c
index d17b9fb4..7dcdd421 100644
--- a/conf_om.c
+++ b/conf_om.c
@@ -26,37 +26,12 @@ Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <assert.h>
 
+#include "mem.h"
 #include "str.h"
 #include "strbuf.h"
-#include "strbuf_helpers.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "config.h"
 
-void *emalloc(size_t len)
-{
-  char *new = malloc(len + 1);
-  if (!new) {
-    WHYF_perror("malloc(%lu)", (long)len);
-    return NULL;
-  }
-  return new;
-}
-
-char *strn_emalloc(const char *str, size_t len)
-{
-  char *new = emalloc(len + 1);
-  if (new) {
-    strncpy(new, str, len);
-    new[len] = '\0';
-  }
-  return new;
-}
-
-char *str_emalloc(const char *str)
-{
-  return strn_emalloc(str, strlen(str));
-}
-
 static const char *cf_find_keyend(const char *const key, const char *const fullkeyend)
 {
   const char *s = key;
@@ -111,7 +86,7 @@ static int cf_om_make_child(struct cf_om_node **const parentp, const char *const
   for (j = (*parentp)->nodc - 1; j > i; --j)
     (*parentp)->nodv[j] = (*parentp)->nodv[j-1];
   (*parentp)->nodv[i] = child;
-  if (!(child->fullkey = strn_emalloc(fullkey, keyend - fullkey))) {
+  if (!(child->fullkey = strn_edup(fullkey, keyend - fullkey))) {
     free(child);
     return -1;
   }
@@ -203,7 +178,7 @@ struct cf_om_node *cf_parse_to_om(const char *source, const char *buf, size_t le
       continue;
     }
     ++p;
-    if (!(node->text = strn_emalloc(p, lend - p)))
+    if (!(node->text = strn_edup(p, lend - p)))
       break; // out of memory
     node->source = source;
     node->line_number = lineno;
diff --git a/log.h b/log.h
index aa976f09..3b7ac830 100644
--- a/log.h
+++ b/log.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 
 typedef unsigned int debugflags_t;
 
diff --git a/mem.c b/mem.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..02ad8a9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mem.c
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/* 
+Serval DNA memory management
+Copyright (C) 2012 Serval Project Inc.
+
+This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
+of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+
+This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
+*/
+
+#include <string.h>
+#include "mem.h"
+
+void *_emalloc(struct __sourceloc __whence, size_t len)
+{
+  char *new = malloc(len + 1);
+  if (!new) {
+    WHYF_perror("malloc(%lu)", (long)len);
+    return NULL;
+  }
+  return new;
+}
+
+char *_strn_edup(struct __sourceloc __whence, const char *str, size_t len)
+{
+  char *new = _emalloc(__whence, len + 1);
+  if (new) {
+    strncpy(new, str, len);
+    new[len] = '\0';
+  }
+  return new;
+}
+
+char *_str_edup(struct __sourceloc __whence, const char *str)
+{
+  return _strn_edup(__whence, str, strlen(str));
+}
diff --git a/mem.h b/mem.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..355b3b97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mem.h
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/* 
+Serval DNA memory management
+Copyright (C) 2012 Serval Project Inc.
+
+This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
+of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+
+This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
+*/
+
+#ifndef __SERVALDNA__MEM_H
+#define __SERVALDNA__MEM_H
+
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include "log.h"
+
+/* Equivalent to malloc(3), but logs an error before returning NULL.
+ *
+ * @author Andrew Bettison <andrew@servalproject.com>
+ */
+void *_emalloc(struct __sourceloc, size_t bytes);
+
+/* Equivalent to strdup(3)/strndup(3), but logs an error before returning NULL.
+ *
+ * Why aren't these in str.h?  Because str.c must not depend on log.h/log.c!  str.c is used in link
+ * contexts where log.c is not present.
+ *
+ * @author Andrew Bettison <andrew@servalproject.com>
+ */
+char *_str_edup(struct __sourceloc, const char *str);
+char *_strn_edup(struct __sourceloc, const char *str, size_t len);
+
+#define emalloc(bytes)      _emalloc(__HERE__, (bytes))
+#define str_edup(str)       _str_edup(__HERE__, (str))
+#define strn_edup(str, len) _strn_edup(__HERE__, (str), (len))
+
+#endif // __SERVALDNA__MEM_H