diff -r 59656cd16411 -r b9a6af0ae41a src/ucx/utils.c
--- a/src/ucx/utils.c	Mon Apr 06 16:36:25 2015 +0200
+++ b/src/ucx/utils.c	Fri Oct 16 19:23:49 2015 +0200
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS HEADER.
  *
- * Copyright 2013 Olaf Wintermann. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright 2015 Olaf Wintermann. All rights reserved.
  *
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
  * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
@@ -54,18 +54,22 @@
         return 0;
     }
     
+    char *lbuf;    
     size_t ncp = 0;
-    if (!buf) {
-        buf = (char*)malloc(bufsize);
-        if(buf == NULL) {
+    
+    if(buf) {
+        lbuf = buf;
+    } else {
+        lbuf = (char*)malloc(bufsize);
+        if(lbuf == NULL) {
             return 0;
         }
     }
     
     size_t r;
     size_t rn = bufsize > n ? n : bufsize;
-    while((r = readfnc(buf, 1, rn, src)) != 0) {
-        r = writefnc(buf, 1, r, dest);
+    while((r = readfnc(lbuf, 1, rn, src)) != 0) {
+        r = writefnc(lbuf, 1, r, dest);
         ncp += r;
         n -= r;
         rn = bufsize > n ? n : bufsize;
@@ -74,7 +78,10 @@
         }
     }
     
-    free(buf);
+    if (lbuf != buf) {
+        free(lbuf);
+    }
+    
     return ncp;
 }
 
@@ -121,10 +128,12 @@
 }
 
 int ucx_ptrcmp(void *ptr1, void *ptr2, void *data) {
-    if (ptr1 == ptr2) {
+    intptr_t p1 = (intptr_t) ptr1;
+    intptr_t p2 = (intptr_t) ptr2;
+    if (p1 == p2) {
         return 0;
     } else {
-        return ptr1 < ptr2 ? -1 : 1;
+        return p1  < p2 ? -1 : 1;
     }
 }
 
@@ -212,30 +221,36 @@
     va_copy(ap2, ap);
     int ret = vsnprintf(buf, UCX_PRINTF_BUFSIZE, fmt, ap);
     if (ret > 0 && ret < UCX_PRINTF_BUFSIZE) {
-        s.ptr = (char*)a->malloc(a->pool, ret + 1);
-        s.length = (size_t)ret;
-        memcpy(s.ptr, buf, ret);
-        s.ptr[s.length] = '\0';
+        s.ptr = (char*)almalloc(a, ret + 1);
+        if (s.ptr) {
+            s.length = (size_t)ret;
+            memcpy(s.ptr, buf, ret);
+            s.ptr[s.length] = '\0';
+        }
     } else if (ret == INT_MAX) {
         errno = ENOMEM;
     } else  {
         int len = ret + 1;
-        s.ptr = (char*)a->malloc(a->pool, len);
-        ret = vsnprintf(s.ptr, len, fmt, ap2);
-        if (ret < 0) {
-            free(s.ptr);
-            s.ptr = NULL;
-        } else {
-            s.length = (size_t)ret;
+        s.ptr = (char*)almalloc(a, len);
+        if (s.ptr) {
+            ret = vsnprintf(s.ptr, len, fmt, ap2);
+            if (ret < 0) {
+                free(s.ptr);
+                s.ptr = NULL;
+            } else {
+                s.length = (size_t)ret;
+            }
         }
     }
 #else
     int ret = vsnprintf(buf, UCX_PRINTF_BUFSIZE, fmt, ap);
     if (ret > 0 && ret < UCX_PRINTF_BUFSIZE) {
-        s.ptr = (char*)a->malloc(a->pool, ret + 1);
-        s.length = (size_t)ret;
-        memcpy(s.ptr, buf, ret);
-        s.ptr[s.length] = '\0';
+        s.ptr = (char*)almalloc(a, ret + 1);
+        if (s.ptr) {
+            s.length = (size_t)ret;
+            memcpy(s.ptr, buf, ret);
+            s.ptr[s.length] = '\0';
+        }
     } else {
         errno = ENOMEM;
     }