diff --git a/src/alloc.c b/src/alloc.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa2c82b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/alloc.c
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+/* alloc.c - various memory allocation helpers
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2024 Bruno Raoult ("br")
+ * Licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later.
+ * Some rights reserved. See COPYING.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this
+ * program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0-standalone.html>.
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later <https://spdx.org/licenses/GPL-3.0-or-later.html>
+ *
+ */
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+#include <brlib.h>
+
+#include "chessdefs.h"
+#include "alloc.h"
+
+/* force BUG_ON, to get a program abort for failed malloc/free
+ */
+#pragma push_macro("BUG_ON")
+#undef BUG_ON
+#define BUG_ON 1
+#include <bug.h>
+
+void *safe_alloc(size_t size)
+{
+    void *mem = malloc(size);
+    bug_on(mem == NULL);
+    return mem;
+}
+
+void *safe_alloc_page_aligned(size_t size)
+{
+    void *mem = malloc(size);
+    bug_on(mem == NULL);
+    return mem;
+}
+
+void safe_free(void *ptr)
+{
+    bug_on(ptr == NULL);
+    free(ptr);
+}
+
+/* restore BUG_ON
+ */
+#pragma pop_macro("BUG_ON")
diff --git a/src/alloc.h b/src/alloc.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4054813
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/alloc.h
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+/* alloc.h - various memory allocation helpers
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2024 Bruno Raoult ("br")
+ * Licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later.
+ * Some rights reserved. See COPYING.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this
+ * program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0-standalone.html>.
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later <https://spdx.org/licenses/GPL-3.0-or-later.html>
+ *
+ */
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+#include "chessdefs.h"
+
+void *safe_alloc(size_t size);
+void *safe_alloc_page_aligned(size_t size);
+void safe_free(void *ptr);
diff --git a/src/bitboard.c b/src/bitboard.c
index 35ae218..327b6bf 100644
--- a/src/bitboard.c
+++ b/src/bitboard.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ bitboard_t bb_line[64][64];
 bitboard_t bb_knight[64], bb_king[64], bb_pawn_attacks[2][64];
 
 /*  vectors are clockwise from N */
-static int knight_vector[] = {
+static int knight_vector[8] = {
     NORTH_EAST + NORTH, NORTH_EAST + EAST,
     SOUTH_EAST + EAST,  SOUTH_EAST + SOUTH,
     SOUTH_WEST + SOUTH, SOUTH_WEST + WEST,
diff --git a/src/fen.c b/src/fen.c
index 789130d..ef4ae6b 100644
--- a/src/fen.c
+++ b/src/fen.c
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 #include <bug.h>
 
 #include "chessdefs.h"
-#include "misc.h"
+#include "alloc.h"
 #include "position.h"
 #include "fen.h"
 
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ char *pos2fen(const pos_t *pos, char *fen)
     int cur = 0;
 
     if (!fen)
-        fen = safe_malloc(92);
+        fen = safe_alloc(92);
 
     /*  1) position
      */
diff --git a/src/hash.c b/src/hash.c
index 4fc5ba6..3b0bdd2 100644
--- a/src/hash.c
+++ b/src/hash.c
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 #include <bitops.h>
 
 #include "chessdefs.h"
-#include "misc.h"
+#include "alloc.h"
 #include "position.h"
 #include "piece.h"
 #include "hash.h"
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ int tt_create(s32 sizemb)
 
         hash_tt.mask     = -1ull >> (64 - nbits);
 
-        hash_tt.keys     = safe_malloc(hash_tt.bytes);
+        hash_tt.keys     = safe_alloc(hash_tt.bytes);
 
         //printf("bits=%2d size=%'15lu/%'6d Mb/%'14lu buckets ",
         //       hash_tt.nbits, hash_tt.bytes, hash_tt.mb, hash_tt.nbuckets);
diff --git a/src/misc.h b/src/misc.h
index d3d6d5e..20ced35 100644
--- a/src/misc.h
+++ b/src/misc.h
@@ -14,34 +14,5 @@
 #ifndef _UTIL_H
 #define _UTIL_H
 
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
-
-#include "chessdefs.h"
-
-#undef safe_malloc
-#undef safe_free
-
-/* force BUG_ON, to get a program abort for failed malloc/free
- */
-#pragma push_macro("BUG_ON")
-#undef BUG_ON
-#define BUG_ON
-#include <bug.h>
-
-#define safe_malloc(size) ({                   \
-            void *_ret = malloc(size);         \
-            bug_on(_ret == NULL);              \
-            _ret;                              \
-        })
-
-#define safe_free(ptr) do {                    \
-        bug_on(ptr == NULL);                   \
-        free(ptr);                             \
-    } while (0)
-
-/* restore BUG_ON
- */
-#pragma pop_macro("BUG_ON")
 
 #endif  /* UTIL_H */
diff --git a/src/position.c b/src/position.c
index 2cc4c9c..4736b07 100644
--- a/src/position.c
+++ b/src/position.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #include "hq.h"
 #include "fen.h"
 #include "piece.h"
-#include "misc.h"
+#include "alloc.h"
 #include "board.h"
 #include "attack.h"
 #include "hist.h"
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
  */
 pos_t *pos_new(void)
 {
-    return safe_malloc(sizeof(pos_t));
+    return safe_alloc(sizeof(pos_t));
 }
 
 /**
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ pos_t *pos_new(void)
  */
 pos_t *pos_dup(const pos_t *pos)
 {
-    pos_t *newpos = safe_malloc(sizeof(pos_t));
+    pos_t *newpos = safe_alloc(sizeof(pos_t));
 
     *newpos = *pos;
     return newpos;