diff --git a/src/boot/selfboot.c b/src/boot/selfboot.c
index 6f2d282cf1..9f5fb5c440 100644
--- a/src/boot/selfboot.c
+++ b/src/boot/selfboot.c
@@ -394,6 +394,7 @@ static int build_self_segment_list(
 
 		segment++;
 
+		// FIXME: Explain what this is 
 		for(ptr = head->next; ptr != head; ptr = ptr->next) {
 			if (new->s_srcaddr < ntohl((u32) segment->load_addr))
 				break;
diff --git a/src/include/stdlib.h b/src/include/stdlib.h
index c3052bd209..63a316f186 100644
--- a/src/include/stdlib.h
+++ b/src/include/stdlib.h
@@ -12,13 +12,8 @@
 #define MAX(a,b) ((a) > (b) ? (a) : (b))
 
 #ifndef __ROMCC__
-extern void *malloc(size_t size);
+void *malloc(size_t size);
 void free(void *ptr);
-
-/* Extensions to malloc... */
-typedef size_t malloc_mark_t;
-void malloc_mark(malloc_mark_t *place);
-void malloc_release(malloc_mark_t *place);
 #endif
 
 #endif /* STDLIB_H */
diff --git a/src/include/string.h b/src/include/string.h
index c7902e1f95..1b092a6c2a 100644
--- a/src/include/string.h
+++ b/src/include/string.h
@@ -8,14 +8,11 @@ void *memcpy(void *dest, const void *src, size_t n);
 void *memmove(void *dest, const void *src, size_t n);
 void *memset(void *s, int c, size_t n);
 int memcmp(const void *s1, const void *s2, size_t n);
+#ifndef __ROMCC__
 int sprintf(char * buf, const char *fmt, ...);
+#endif
 
-// yes, linux has fancy ones. We don't care. This stuff gets used 
-// hardly at all. And the pain of including those files is just too high.
-
-//extern inline void strcpy(char *dst, char *src) {while (*src) *dst++ = *src++;}
-
-//extern inline int strlen(char *src) { int i = 0; while (*src++) i++; return i;}
+// simple string functions 
 
 static inline size_t strnlen(const char *src, size_t max) 
 { 
diff --git a/src/lib/malloc.c b/src/lib/malloc.c
index 347ef0d67b..8c77fd396e 100644
--- a/src/lib/malloc.c
+++ b/src/lib/malloc.c
@@ -10,36 +10,27 @@ extern unsigned char _heap, _eheap;
 static void *free_mem_ptr = &_heap;		/* Start of heap */
 static void *free_mem_end_ptr = &_eheap;	/* End of heap */
 
-
-void malloc_mark(malloc_mark_t *place)
-{
-	*place = (malloc_mark_t)free_mem_ptr;
-	printk_spew("malloc_mark %p\n", free_mem_ptr);
-}
-
-void malloc_release(malloc_mark_t *ptr)
-{
-	free_mem_ptr = (void *)*ptr;
-	printk_spew("malloc_release %p\n", free_mem_ptr);
-}
-
 void *malloc(size_t size)
 {
 	void *p;
 
 	MALLOCDBG("%s Enter, size %ld, free_mem_ptr %p\n", __func__, size, free_mem_ptr);
+
+	/* Checking arguments */
 	if (size < 0)
-		die("Error! malloc: Size < 0");
+		die("Error! malloc: size < 0");
+
+	/* Overzealous linker check */
 	if (free_mem_ptr <= 0)
 		die("Error! malloc: Free_mem_ptr <= 0");
 
-	free_mem_ptr = (void *)(((unsigned long)free_mem_ptr + 3) & ~3);	/* Align */
+	free_mem_ptr = (void *)ALIGN((unsigned long)free_mem_ptr, 4);
 
 	p = (void *) free_mem_ptr;
 	free_mem_ptr += size;
 
 	if (free_mem_ptr >= free_mem_end_ptr)
-		die("Error! malloc: free_mem_ptr >= free_mem_end_ptr");
+		die("Error! malloc: Out of memory (free_mem_ptr >= free_mem_end_ptr)");
 
 	MALLOCDBG("malloc %p\n", p);
 
@@ -49,4 +40,5 @@ void *malloc(size_t size)
 void free(void *where)
 {
 	/* Don't care */
+	MALLOCDBG("free %p\n", where);
 }