diff --git a/src/lib/malloc.c b/src/lib/malloc.c
index 052a53e568..30298064d9 100644
--- a/src/lib/malloc.c
+++ b/src/lib/malloc.c
@@ -44,7 +44,10 @@ void *memalign(size_t boundary, size_t size)
 				p, free_mem_ptr);
 		printk(BIOS_ERR, "but free_mem_end_ptr is %p\n",
 				free_mem_end_ptr);
-		die("Error! %s: Out of memory (free_mem_ptr >= free_mem_end_ptr)", __func__);
+		printk(BIOS_ERR, "Error! %s: Out of memory "
+				"(free_mem_ptr >= free_mem_end_ptr)",
+				__func__);
+		return NULL;
 	}
 
 	MALLOCDBG("%s %p\n", __func__, p);
diff --git a/tests/lib/malloc-test.c b/tests/lib/malloc-test.c
index 452d74f888..f5d528e1c4 100644
--- a/tests/lib/malloc-test.c
+++ b/tests/lib/malloc-test.c
@@ -34,11 +34,6 @@ TEST_REGION(test_heap, TEST_HEAP_SZ);
 TEST_SYMBOL(_heap, _test_heap);
 TEST_SYMBOL(_eheap, _etest_heap);
 
-void die(const char *msg, ...)
-{
-	function_called();
-}
-
 static int setup_test(void **state)
 {
 	free_mem_ptr = &_heap;
@@ -56,9 +51,8 @@ static int setup_calloc_test(void **state)
 
 static void test_malloc_out_of_memory(void **state)
 {
-	/* Expect die() call if out of memory */
-	expect_function_call(die);
-	cb_malloc(TEST_HEAP_SZ);
+	void *ptr = cb_malloc(TEST_HEAP_SZ);
+	assert_ptr_equal(ptr, NULL);
 }
 
 static void test_malloc_zero(void **state)
@@ -102,8 +96,8 @@ static void test_memalign_different_alignments(void **state)
 
 static void test_memalign_out_of_memory(void **state)
 {
-	expect_function_call(die);
-	cb_memalign(16, TEST_HEAP_SZ);
+	void *ptr = cb_memalign(16, TEST_HEAP_SZ);
+	assert_ptr_equal(ptr, NULL);
 }
 
 static void test_memalign_zero(void **state)