diff --git a/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/descriptor.c b/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/descriptor.c
index b2990cab28..956c035be7 100644
--- a/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/descriptor.c
+++ b/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/descriptor.c
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ ECPGget_desc(int lineno, const char *desc_name, int index,...)
 				/* allocate storage if needed */
 				if (arrsize == 0 && *(void **) var == NULL)
 				{
-					void	   *mem = (void *) ecpg_alloc(offset * ntuples, lineno);
+					void	   *mem = (void *) ecpg_auto_alloc(offset * ntuples, lineno);
 
 					if (!mem)
 					{
@@ -440,7 +440,6 @@ ECPGget_desc(int lineno, const char *desc_name, int index,...)
 						return false;
 					}
 					*(void **) var = mem;
-					ecpg_add_mem(mem, lineno);
 					var = mem;
 				}
 
@@ -510,7 +509,7 @@ ECPGget_desc(int lineno, const char *desc_name, int index,...)
 		/* allocate storage if needed */
 		if (data_var.ind_arrsize == 0 && data_var.ind_value == NULL)
 		{
-			void	   *mem = (void *) ecpg_alloc(data_var.ind_offset * ntuples, lineno);
+			void	   *mem = (void *) ecpg_auto_alloc(data_var.ind_offset * ntuples, lineno);
 
 			if (!mem)
 			{
@@ -518,7 +517,6 @@ ECPGget_desc(int lineno, const char *desc_name, int index,...)
 				return false;
 			}
 			*(void **) data_var.ind_pointer = mem;
-			ecpg_add_mem(mem, lineno);
 			data_var.ind_value = mem;
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/execute.c b/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/execute.c
index 5305735f9d..c2b96f7f16 100644
--- a/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/execute.c
+++ b/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/execute.c
@@ -398,11 +398,10 @@ ecpg_store_result(const PGresult *results, int act_field,
 		}
 
 		ecpg_log("ecpg_store_result on line %d: allocating memory for %d tuples\n", stmt->lineno, ntuples);
-		var->value = (char *) ecpg_alloc(len, stmt->lineno);
+		var->value = (char *) ecpg_auto_alloc(len, stmt->lineno);
 		if (!var->value)
 			return false;
 		*((char **) var->pointer) = var->value;
-		ecpg_add_mem(var->value, stmt->lineno);
 	}
 
 	/* allocate indicator variable if needed */
@@ -410,11 +409,10 @@ ecpg_store_result(const PGresult *results, int act_field,
 	{
 		int			len = var->ind_offset * ntuples;
 
-		var->ind_value = (char *) ecpg_alloc(len, stmt->lineno);
+		var->ind_value = (char *) ecpg_auto_alloc(len, stmt->lineno);
 		if (!var->ind_value)
 			return false;
 		*((char **) var->ind_pointer) = var->ind_value;
-		ecpg_add_mem(var->ind_value, stmt->lineno);
 	}
 
 	/* fill the variable with the tuple(s) */
diff --git a/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/extern.h b/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/extern.h
index 38360072ed..2b670e0d00 100644
--- a/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/extern.h
+++ b/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/extern.h
@@ -136,8 +136,7 @@ extern struct var_list *ivlist;
 
 /* Here are some methods used by the lib. */
 
-/* Returns a pointer to a string containing a simple type name. */
-void		ecpg_add_mem(void *ptr, int lineno);
+bool		ecpg_add_mem(void *ptr, int lineno);
 
 bool ecpg_get_data(const PGresult *, int, int, int, enum ECPGttype type,
 			  enum ECPGttype, char *, char *, long, long, long,
@@ -148,6 +147,7 @@ void		ecpg_pthreads_init(void);
 #endif
 struct connection *ecpg_get_connection(const char *);
 char	   *ecpg_alloc(long, int);
+char	   *ecpg_auto_alloc(long, int);
 char	   *ecpg_realloc(void *, long, int);
 void		ecpg_free(void *);
 bool		ecpg_init(const struct connection *, const char *, const int);
diff --git a/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/memory.c b/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/memory.c
index a09cd26a54..dffc3a7618 100644
--- a/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/memory.c
+++ b/src/interfaces/ecpg/ecpglib/memory.c
@@ -104,14 +104,34 @@ static struct auto_mem *auto_allocs = NULL;
 #define set_auto_allocs(am)		do { auto_allocs = (am); } while(0)
 #endif
 
-void
+char *
+ecpg_auto_alloc(long size, int lineno)
+{
+	void	*ptr = (void *) ecpg_alloc(size, lineno);
+
+	if (!ptr)
+		return NULL;
+
+	if (!ecpg_add_mem(ptr, lineno))
+	{
+		ecpg_free(ptr);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	return ptr;
+}
+
+bool
 ecpg_add_mem(void *ptr, int lineno)
 {
 	struct auto_mem *am = (struct auto_mem *) ecpg_alloc(sizeof(struct auto_mem), lineno);
 
+	if (!am)
+		return false;
+
 	am->pointer = ptr;
 	am->next = get_auto_allocs();
 	set_auto_allocs(am);
+	return true;
 }
 
 void