diff --git a/alloc_unix.c b/alloc_unix.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f956bb2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/alloc_unix.c
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+// 7 april 2015
+#include "uipriv_unix.h"
+
+void *uiAlloc(size_t size)
+{
+	return g_malloc0(size);
+}
+
+void *uiRealloc(void *p, size_t size)
+{
+	// TODO fill with 0s
+	return g_realloc(p, size);
+}
+
+void uiFree(void *p)
+{
+	g_free(p);
+}
diff --git a/button_unix.c b/button_unix.c
index 2d341cc3..9c6fa2b9 100644
--- a/button_unix.c
+++ b/button_unix.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ uiControl *uiNewButton(const char *text)
 	GParameter props[1];
 	GtkWidget *widget;
 
-	b = g_new0(struct button, 1);
+	b = uiNew(struct button);
 
 	props[0].name = "label";
 	g_value_init(&(props[0].value), G_TYPE_STRING);
diff --git a/init_unix.c b/init_unix.c
index 48d4366a..67954c0c 100644
--- a/init_unix.c
+++ b/init_unix.c
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@ uiInitError *uiInit(uiInitOptions *o)
 {
 	uiInitError *err;
 
-	err = g_new0(uiInitError, 1);
+	err = uiNew(uiInitError);
 	if (gtk_init_with_args(NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, &(err->err)) == FALSE)
 		return err;
-	g_free(err);
+	uiFree(err);
 	return NULL;
 }
 
@@ -24,5 +24,5 @@ const char *uiInitErrorMessage(uiInitError *err)
 void uiInitErrorFree(uiInitError *err)
 {
 	g_error_free(err->err);
-	g_free(err);
+	uiFree(err);
 }
diff --git a/newcontrol_unix.c b/newcontrol_unix.c
index 0523bd3b..3123685c 100644
--- a/newcontrol_unix.c
+++ b/newcontrol_unix.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ uiControl *uiUnixNewControl(GType type, guint nConstructParams, GParameter *cons
 {
 	uiSingleWidgetControl *c;
 
-	c = g_new0(uiSingleWidgetControl, 1);
+	c = uiNew(uiSingleWidgetControl);
 	c->widget = GTK_WIDGET(g_object_newv(type, nConstructParams, constructParams));
 	c->immediate = c->widget;
 
diff --git a/uipriv.h b/uipriv.h
index 02aa72b3..4b150ddf 100644
--- a/uipriv.h
+++ b/uipriv.h
@@ -18,3 +18,9 @@ struct uiControl {
 	void (*containerShow)(uiControl *);
 	void (*containerHide)(uiControl *);
 };
+
+extern void *uiAlloc(size_t);
+// TODO use this in existing files
+#define uiNew(T) ((T *) uiAlloc(sizeof (T)))
+extern void *uiRealloc(void *, size_t);
+extern void uiFree(void *);
diff --git a/uipriv_darwin.h b/uipriv_darwin.h
index 3c9c7316..dd3467ad 100644
--- a/uipriv_darwin.h
+++ b/uipriv_darwin.h
@@ -11,13 +11,6 @@
 struct uiSizing {
 };
 
-// alloc_darwin.m
-extern void *uiAlloc(size_t);
-// TODO use this in existing files
-#define uiNew(T) ((T *) uiAlloc(sizeof (T)))
-extern void *uiRealloc(void *, size_t);
-extern void uiFree(void *);
-
 // util_darwin.m
 extern void setStandardControlFont(NSControl *);
 
diff --git a/uipriv_windows.h b/uipriv_windows.h
index f41528a8..f12a6b67 100644
--- a/uipriv_windows.h
+++ b/uipriv_windows.h
@@ -42,13 +42,6 @@ struct uiSizing {
 	LONG internalLeading;
 };
 
-// alloc_windows.c
-extern void *uiAlloc(size_t);
-// TODO use this in existing files
-#define uiNew(T) ((T *) uiAlloc(sizeof (T)))
-extern void *uiRealloc(void *, size_t);
-extern void uiFree(void *);
-
 // debug_windows.c
 extern HRESULT logLastError(const char *);
 extern HRESULT logHRESULT(const char *, HRESULT);
diff --git a/window_unix.c b/window_unix.c
index ecc520c6..acdede75 100644
--- a/window_unix.c
+++ b/window_unix.c
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ uiWindow *uiNewWindow(char *title, int width, int height)
 {
 	uiWindow *w;
 
-	w = g_new0(uiWindow, 1);
+	w = uiNew(uiWindow);
 	w->widget = gtk_window_new(GTK_WINDOW_TOPLEVEL);
 	gtk_window_set_title(GTK_WINDOW(w->widget), title);
 	gtk_window_resize(GTK_WINDOW(w->widget), width, height);
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ uiWindow *uiNewWindow(char *title, int width, int height)
 void uiWindowDestroy(uiWindow *w)
 {
 	gtk_widget_destroy(w->widget);
-	g_free(w);
+	uiFree(w);
 }
 
 uintptr_t uiWindowHandle(uiWindow *w)