diff --git a/include/c/defs.h b/include/c/defs.h
index 5332d42a1..c0eb6e570 100644
--- a/include/c/defs.h
+++ b/include/c/defs.h
@@ -97,3 +97,12 @@
       void* rut = c3_malloc(s);                 \
       memset(rut, 0, s);                        \
       rut;})
+
+/* c3_realloc(): asserting realloc
+ */
+#define c3_realloc(a, b) ({                     \
+      void* rut = realloc(a, b);                \
+      if ( 0 == rut ) {                         \
+        c3_assert(!"memory lost");              \
+      }                                         \
+      rut;})
diff --git a/vere/dawn.c b/vere/dawn.c
index e18676372..2611b28d4 100644
--- a/vere/dawn.c
+++ b/vere/dawn.c
@@ -14,12 +14,7 @@ static size_t
 _dawn_curl_alloc(void* dat_v, size_t uni_t, size_t mem_t, uv_buf_t* buf_u)
 {
   size_t siz_t = uni_t * mem_t;
-  buf_u->base = realloc(buf_u->base, 1 + siz_t + buf_u->len);
-
-  if ( 0 == buf_u->base ) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "out of memory\n");
-    u3_lo_bail();
-  }
+  buf_u->base = c3_realloc(buf_u->base, 1 + siz_t + buf_u->len);
 
   memcpy(buf_u->base + buf_u->len, dat_v, siz_t);
   buf_u->len += siz_t;
diff --git a/vere/http.c b/vere/http.c
index 01ffc9b50..e0ee698ca 100644
--- a/vere/http.c
+++ b/vere/http.c
@@ -2687,9 +2687,7 @@ _proxy_peek_read_cb(uv_stream_t* don_u,
     }
     else {
       c3_w len_w = siz_w + con_u->buf_u.len;
-      // XX c3_realloc
-      void* ptr_v = realloc(con_u->buf_u.base, len_w);
-      c3_assert( 0 != ptr_v );
+      void* ptr_v = c3_realloc(con_u->buf_u.base, len_w);
 
       memcpy(ptr_v + con_u->buf_u.len, buf_u->base, siz_w);
       con_u->buf_u = uv_buf_init(ptr_v, len_w);