diff --git a/src/bloomflex.cc b/src/bloomflex.cc
index d60b5347..9feb0d12 100644
--- a/src/bloomflex.cc
+++ b/src/bloomflex.cc
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include <cstring>
 #include "bloomflex.h"
 #include "pseudo_rng.h"
+#include "util.h"
 
 
 auto bloomflex_patterns_generate(struct bloomflex_s * b) -> void
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ auto bloomflex_init(uint64_t size, unsigned int k) -> struct bloomflex_s *
   constexpr unsigned int multiplier {16};  // multiply by 65,536
   constexpr unsigned int divider {3};  // divide by 8
 
-  auto * b = new struct bloomflex_s;
+  auto * b = static_cast<struct bloomflex_s *>(xmalloc(sizeof(struct bloomflex_s)));
   b->size = size >> divider;
 
   b->pattern_shift = multiplier;
@@ -72,10 +73,10 @@ auto bloomflex_init(uint64_t size, unsigned int k) -> struct bloomflex_s *
   b->pattern_mask = b->pattern_count - 1;
   b->pattern_k = k;
 
-  b->patterns = new uint64_t[b->pattern_count];
+  b->patterns = static_cast<uint64_t *>(xmalloc(b->pattern_count * sizeof(uint64_t)));
   bloomflex_patterns_generate(b);
 
-  b->bitmap = new uint64_t[size];
+  b->bitmap = static_cast<uint64_t *>(xmalloc(size));
   memset(b->bitmap, UINT8_MAX, size);
 
   return b;
@@ -84,10 +85,7 @@ auto bloomflex_init(uint64_t size, unsigned int k) -> struct bloomflex_s *
 
 auto bloomflex_exit(struct bloomflex_s * b) -> void
 {
-  delete [] b->bitmap;
-  b->bitmap = nullptr;
-  delete [] b->patterns;
-  b->patterns = nullptr;
-  delete b;
-  b = nullptr;
+  xfree(b->bitmap);
+  xfree(b->patterns);
+  xfree(b);
 }
diff --git a/src/util.cc b/src/util.cc
index 6d1a00cf..2b55140c 100644
--- a/src/util.cc
+++ b/src/util.cc
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ static const char * progress_prompt;
 static uint64_t progress_next;
 static uint64_t progress_size;
 static uint64_t progress_chunk;
+constexpr size_t memalignment = 16;
 
 
 auto progress_init(const char * prompt, const uint64_t size) -> void
@@ -70,13 +71,32 @@ auto progress_done() -> void
 }
 
 
+auto xmalloc(size_t size) -> void *
+{
+  if (size == 0) {
+    size = 1;
+  }
+  void * t {nullptr};
+#ifdef _WIN32
+  t = _aligned_malloc(size, memalignment);
+#else
+  if (posix_memalign(& t, memalignment, size) != 0) {
+    t = nullptr;
+  }
+#endif
+  if (t == nullptr) {
+    fatal(error_prefix, "Unable to allocate enough memory.");
+  }
+  return t;
+}
+
+
 auto xrealloc(void *ptr, size_t size) -> void *
 {
   if (size == 0) {
     size = 1;
   }
 #ifdef _WIN32
-  constexpr size_t memalignment = 16;
   void * t = _aligned_realloc(ptr, size, memalignment);
 #else
   void * t = realloc(ptr, size);
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
index ffcfcfbb..d0620130 100644
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <cstdio>
 
 
+auto xmalloc(size_t size) -> void *;
 auto xrealloc(void * ptr, size_t size) -> void *;
 auto xfree(void * ptr) -> void;
 auto xgetline(char ** linep, size_t * linecapp, FILE * stream) -> ssize_t;