diff --git a/redo/modalqueue.c b/redo/modalqueue.c
index 7474c95..a41787f 100644
--- a/redo/modalqueue.c
+++ b/redo/modalqueue.c
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 // 19 august 2014
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include "modalqueue.h"
 
 static struct {
@@ -17,7 +19,7 @@ void beginModal(void)
 		mq.cap = 128;
 		mq.queue = (void **) malloc(mq.cap * sizeof (void *));
 		if (mq.queue == NULL)
-			abort();//TODO
+			modalPanic("error allocating modal queue", strerror(errno));
 		mq.len = 0;
 	}
 }
@@ -42,7 +44,7 @@ int queueIfModal(void *what)
 		mq.cap *= 2;
 		mq.queue = (void **) realloc(mq.queue, mq.cap * sizeof (void *));
 		if (mq.queue == NULL)
-			abort();//TODO
+			modalPanic("error growing modal queue", strerror(errno));
 	}
 	return 1;
 }
diff --git a/redo/modalqueue.h b/redo/modalqueue.h
index 912ba32..e05db36 100644
--- a/redo/modalqueue.h
+++ b/redo/modalqueue.h
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ extern int queueIfModal(void *);
 
 /* needed by the above */
 extern void doissue(void *);
+extern void modalPanic(char *, char *);
diff --git a/redo/uitask_darwin.go b/redo/uitask_darwin.go
index 13de8e0..2e0380a 100644
--- a/redo/uitask_darwin.go
+++ b/redo/uitask_darwin.go
@@ -39,3 +39,8 @@ func issue(f *func()) {
 func doissue(fp unsafe.Pointer) {
 	perform(fp)
 }
+
+//export modalPanic
+func modalPanic(reason *C.char, strerror *C.char) {
+	panic(fmt.Errorf("%s: %s", C.GoString(reason), C.GoString(strerror)))
+}
diff --git a/redo/uitask_unix.go b/redo/uitask_unix.go
index 86628dd..7786d95 100644
--- a/redo/uitask_unix.go
+++ b/redo/uitask_unix.go
@@ -53,3 +53,8 @@ func doissue(data unsafe.Pointer) {
 	// for the modal queue functions
 	perform(data)
 }
+
+//export modalPanic
+func modalPanic(reason *C.char, strerror *C.char) {
+	panic(fmt.Errorf("%s: %s", C.GoString(reason), C.GoString(strerror)))
+}
diff --git a/redo/uitask_windows.go b/redo/uitask_windows.go
index c3c1884..5d9d29a 100644
--- a/redo/uitask_windows.go
+++ b/redo/uitask_windows.go
@@ -68,3 +68,8 @@ func makemsgwin() error {
 func doissue(fp unsafe.Pointer) {
 	perform(fp)
 }
+
+//export modalPanic
+func modalPanic(reason *C.char, strerror *C.char) {
+	panic(fmt.Errorf("%s: %s", C.GoString(reason), C.GoString(strerror)))
+}