diff --git a/libpcp/buffer.c b/libpcp/buffer.c
index 5cae71e..1603380 100644
--- a/libpcp/buffer.c
+++ b/libpcp/buffer.c
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
     You can contact me by mail: <tom AT vondein DOT org>.
 */
 
+#define _GNU_SOURCE /* vasprintf() linux */
+
 #include "buffer.h"
 
 void buffer_init(Buffer *b, size_t blocksize, char *name) {
@@ -88,11 +90,12 @@ void buffer_add_str(Buffer *b, const char * fmt, ...) {
   va_list ap;
   char *dst;
   va_start(ap, fmt);
-  vasprintf(&dst, fmt, ap);
+  if(vasprintf(&dst, fmt, ap) >= 0) {
+    if(b->end > 0)
+      b->end--;
+    buffer_add(b, dst, strlen(dst)+1);
+  }
   va_end(ap);
-  if(b->end > 0)
-    b->end--;
-  buffer_add(b, dst, strlen(dst)+1);
   free(dst);
 }
 
diff --git a/libpcp/fatal.c b/libpcp/fatal.c
index 8c84275..9614d2c 100644
--- a/libpcp/fatal.c
+++ b/libpcp/fatal.c
@@ -19,10 +19,12 @@
     You can contact me by mail: <tlinden AT cpan DOT org>.
 */
 
+#define _GNU_SOURCE /* vasprintf() linux */
 
 #include "defines.h"
 #include "platform.h"
 
+
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
@@ -38,11 +40,14 @@ void fatal(const char * fmt, ...) {
   va_list ap;
   va_start(ap, fmt);
   
-  vasprintf(&PCP_ERR, fmt, ap);
-
-  va_end(ap);
-
-  PCP_ERRSET = 1;
+  if(vasprintf(&PCP_ERR, fmt, ap) >= 0) {
+    va_end(ap);
+    PCP_ERRSET = 1;
+  }
+  else {
+    fprintf(stderr, "Could not store fatal error message %s!\n", fmt);
+    PCP_ERRSET = 1;
+  }
 }
 
 void fatals_reset() {
@@ -51,7 +56,7 @@ void fatals_reset() {
 
 void fatals_ifany() {
   if(PCP_ERRSET == 1) {
-    fprintf(stderr, PCP_ERR);
+    fprintf(stderr, "%s", PCP_ERR);
     if(errno) {
       fprintf(stderr, "Error: %s\n", strerror(errno));
     }
diff --git a/libpcp/pcpstream.c b/libpcp/pcpstream.c
index 938e04f..361b14c 100644
--- a/libpcp/pcpstream.c
+++ b/libpcp/pcpstream.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
     You can contact me by mail: <tom AT vondein DOT org>.
 */
 
+#define _GNU_SOURCE /* vasprintf() linux */
 #include "pcpstream.h"
 
 Pcpstream *ps_init(void) {
@@ -618,17 +619,22 @@ size_t ps_print(Pcpstream *stream, const char * fmt, ...) {
   va_list ap;
   char *dst;
   va_start(ap, fmt);
-  vasprintf(&dst, fmt, ap);
-  va_end(ap);
-  size_t len = strlen(dst);
+  if(vasprintf(&dst, fmt, ap) >= 0) {
+    va_end(ap);
+    size_t len = strlen(dst);
 
-  if(stream->is_buffer) {
-    buffer_add(stream->b, dst, len);
+    if(stream->is_buffer) {
+      buffer_add(stream->b, dst, len);
+    }
+    else {
+      len = ps_write(stream, dst, len);
+    }
+
+    free(dst);
     return len;
   }
-  else {
-    return ps_write(stream, dst, len);
-  }
+  va_end(ap);
+  return 0;
 }
 
 void ps_close(Pcpstream *stream) {