diff --git a/src/except.cpp b/src/except.cpp
index fad78307..4e029c43 100644
--- a/src/except.cpp
+++ b/src/except.cpp
@@ -161,6 +161,14 @@ void throwBadLoader()
 }
 
 
+void throwOutOfMemoryException(const char *msg)
+{
+    if (msg == NULL)
+        msg = "out of memory";
+    throw OutOfMemoryException(msg);
+}
+
+
 void throwIOException(const char *msg, int e)
 {
     throw IOException(msg, e);
diff --git a/src/except.h b/src/except.h
index f69c7308..65f9bbbb 100644
--- a/src/except.h
+++ b/src/except.h
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ void throwBadLoader() NORET;
 void throwChecksumError() NORET;
 void throwCompressedDataViolation() NORET;
 void throwInternalError(const char *msg) NORET;
+void throwOutOfMemoryException(const char *msg = NULL) NORET;
 void throwIOException(const char *msg = NULL, int e = 0) NORET;
 void throwEOFException(const char *msg = NULL, int e = 0) NORET;
 
diff --git a/src/linker.cpp b/src/linker.cpp
index 245e7576..529118ba 100644
--- a/src/linker.cpp
+++ b/src/linker.cpp
@@ -159,7 +159,9 @@ void ElfLinker::init(const void *pdata_v, int plen)
         input = new upx_byte[inputlen + 1];
         unsigned new_len = u_len;
         int r = upx_decompress(pdata, c_len, input, &new_len, method, NULL);
-        if (r != 0 || new_len != u_len)
+        if (r == UPX_E_OUT_OF_MEMORY)
+            throwOutOfMemoryException();
+        if (r != UPX_E_OK || new_len != u_len)
             throwBadLoader();
     }
     else
diff --git a/src/mem.cpp b/src/mem.cpp
index 120c3b30..af4914e8 100644
--- a/src/mem.cpp
+++ b/src/mem.cpp
@@ -192,11 +192,7 @@ void MemBuffer::alloc(unsigned size)
     assert((int)total > 0);
     unsigned char *p = (unsigned char *) malloc(total);
     if (!p)
-    {
-        //throw bad_alloc();
-        throw OutOfMemoryException("out of memory");
-        //exit(1);
-    }
+        throwOutOfMemoryException();
     b_size = size;
     if (use_mcheck)
     {
diff --git a/src/p_lx_elf.cpp b/src/p_lx_elf.cpp
index 6b38dc75..12c75d21 100644
--- a/src/p_lx_elf.cpp
+++ b/src/p_lx_elf.cpp
@@ -481,6 +481,8 @@ PackLinuxElf32::buildLinuxLoader(
         unsigned char *tmp = new unsigned char[tmp_len];
         memset(tmp, 0, tmp_len);
         r = upx_decompress(sizeof(h) + cprLoader, h.sz_cpr, tmp, &tmp_len, h.b_method, NULL);
+        if (r == UPX_E_OUT_OF_MEMORY)
+            throwOutOfMemoryException();
         printf("\n%d %d: %d %d %d\n", h.b_method, r, h.sz_cpr, h.sz_unc, tmp_len);
         for (unsigned j=0; j < h.sz_unc; ++j) if (tmp[j]!=uncLoader[j]) {
             printf("%d: %x %x\n", j, tmp[j], uncLoader[j]);
diff --git a/src/p_ps1.cpp b/src/p_ps1.cpp
index 54ae6aad..09969ee2 100644
--- a/src/p_ps1.cpp
+++ b/src/p_ps1.cpp
@@ -194,6 +194,8 @@ bool PackPs1::getBkupHeader(unsigned char *p, unsigned char *dst)
         unsigned sz_bh = SZ_IH_BKUP;
         int r = upx_decompress((const unsigned char *)&src->ih_bkup, src->len,
                                unc_bh, &sz_bh, M_NRV2E_8, NULL );
+        if (r == UPX_E_OUT_OF_MEMORY)
+            throwOutOfMemoryException();
         if (r != UPX_E_OK || sz_bh != SZ_IH_BKUP)
             throwInternalError("header decompression failed");
         unsigned ad = upx_adler32(unc_bh, SZ_IH_BKUP);
diff --git a/src/packer.cpp b/src/packer.cpp
index 8b2cff85..369980ce 100644
--- a/src/packer.cpp
+++ b/src/packer.cpp
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ bool Packer::compress(upx_bytep i_ptr, unsigned i_len, upx_bytep o_ptr,
     uip->endCallback();
 
     if (r == UPX_E_OUT_OF_MEMORY)
-        throwCantPack("out of memory");
+        throwOutOfMemoryException();
     if (r != UPX_E_OK)
         throwInternalError("compression failed");
 
@@ -282,6 +282,8 @@ bool Packer::compress(upx_bytep i_ptr, unsigned i_len, upx_bytep o_ptr,
         // decompress
         unsigned new_len = ph.u_len;
         r = upx_decompress(o_ptr, ph.c_len, i_ptr, &new_len, ph.method, &ph.compress_result);
+        if (r == UPX_E_OUT_OF_MEMORY)
+            throwOutOfMemoryException();
         //printf("%d %d: %d %d %d\n", ph.method, r, ph.c_len, ph.u_len, new_len);
         if (r != UPX_E_OK)
             throwInternalError("decompression failed");
@@ -360,6 +362,8 @@ void ph_decompress(PackHeader &ph, const upx_bytep in, upx_bytep out,
     // decompress
     unsigned new_len = ph.u_len;
     int r = upx_decompress(in, ph.c_len, out, &new_len, ph.method, &ph.compress_result);
+    if (r == UPX_E_OUT_OF_MEMORY)
+        throwOutOfMemoryException();
     if (r != UPX_E_OK || new_len != ph.u_len)
         throwCompressedDataViolation();
 
@@ -412,6 +416,8 @@ bool ph_testOverlappingDecompression(const PackHeader &ph,
     int r = upx_test_overlap(buf - src_off, tbuf,
                              src_off, ph.c_len, &new_len,
                              ph.method, &ph.compress_result);
+    if (r == UPX_E_OUT_OF_MEMORY)
+        throwOutOfMemoryException();
     return (r == UPX_E_OK && new_len == ph.u_len);
 }