diff --git a/ext/dl/cfunc.c b/ext/dl/cfunc.c
index 66aebf2e79273e..ddef51e727ed1e 100644
--- a/ext/dl/cfunc.c
+++ b/ext/dl/cfunc.c
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <ruby.h>
+#include <ruby/util.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include "dl.h"
 
diff --git a/ext/syslog/syslog.c b/ext/syslog/syslog.c
index 02f36aaf25dec9..f4c45dfbe45362 100644
--- a/ext/syslog/syslog.c
+++ b/ext/syslog/syslog.c
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ static VALUE mSyslog_close(VALUE self)
 
     closelog();
 
-    free((void *)syslog_ident);
+    xfree((void *)syslog_ident);
     syslog_ident = NULL;
     syslog_options = syslog_facility = syslog_mask = -1;
     syslog_opened = 0;
diff --git a/gc.c b/gc.c
index aa9976f715cfc8..c360c61f3e1bc6 100644
--- a/gc.c
+++ b/gc.c
@@ -932,6 +932,23 @@ ruby_xfree(void *x)
 	vm_xfree(&rb_objspace, x);
 }
 
+/* Mimic ruby_xmalloc, but need not rb_objspace.
+ * should return pointer suitable for ruby_xfree
+ */
+void *
+ruby_mimmalloc(size_t size)
+{
+    void *mem;
+#if CALC_EXACT_MALLOC_SIZE
+    size += sizeof(size_t);
+#endif
+    mem = malloc(size);
+#if CALC_EXACT_MALLOC_SIZE
+    ((size_t *)mem)[0] = size;
+    mem = (size_t *)mem + 1;
+#endif
+    return mem;
+}
 
 /*
  *  call-seq:
diff --git a/internal.h b/internal.h
index cf3fec20b5946a..4c476ec9d0508d 100644
--- a/internal.h
+++ b/internal.h
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ void Init_File(void);
 
 /* gc.c */
 void Init_heap(void);
+void *ruby_mimmalloc(size_t size);
 
 /* inits.c */
 void rb_call_inits(void);
diff --git a/vm.c b/vm.c
index f029d4584c57c3..90f7e3e5198b1e 100644
--- a/vm.c
+++ b/vm.c
@@ -1620,7 +1620,7 @@ ruby_vm_destruct(rb_vm_t *vm)
 #endif
 	ruby_vm_run_at_exit_hooks(vm);
 	rb_vm_gvl_destroy(vm);
-	free(vm);
+	ruby_xfree(vm);
 	ruby_current_vm = 0;
     }
     RUBY_FREE_LEAVE("vm");
@@ -1795,7 +1795,7 @@ thread_free(void *ptr)
 		free(th->altstack);
 	    }
 #endif
-	    free(ptr);
+	    ruby_xfree(ptr);
 	}
         if (ruby_current_thread == th)
             ruby_current_thread = NULL;
@@ -2198,8 +2198,8 @@ void
 Init_BareVM(void)
 {
     /* VM bootstrap: phase 1 */
-    rb_vm_t * vm = malloc(sizeof(*vm));
-    rb_thread_t * th = malloc(sizeof(*th));
+    rb_vm_t * vm = ruby_mimmalloc(sizeof(*vm));
+    rb_thread_t * th = ruby_mimmalloc(sizeof(*th));
     if (!vm || !th) {
 	fprintf(stderr, "[FATAL] failed to allocate memory\n");
 	exit(EXIT_FAILURE);