diff --git a/lalloc.c b/lalloc.c
index 7dd771a..1e4961b 100644
--- a/lalloc.c
+++ b/lalloc.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include "sh.h"
 
-__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/lalloc.c,v 1.4 2009/03/24 08:37:37 tg Exp $");
+__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/lalloc.c,v 1.5 2009/03/24 08:53:45 tg Exp $");
 
 #ifndef SIZE_MAX
 #ifdef SIZE_T_MAX
@@ -10,66 +10,57 @@ __RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/lalloc.c,v 1.4 2009/03/24 08:37:37 tg Exp $");
 #endif
 #endif
 
-struct lalloc {
-	struct lalloc *next;	/* entry pointer, must be first */
-};
-
-static void findptr(struct lalloc **, struct lalloc **, char *, Area *);
+static struct lalloc *findptr(struct lalloc **, char *, Area *);
 
 void
 ainit(Area *ap)
 {
-	ap->ent = NULL;
+	ap->next = NULL;
 }
 
-static void
-findptr(struct lalloc **lpp, struct lalloc **ppp, char *ptr, Area *ap)
+static struct lalloc *
+findptr(struct lalloc **lpp, char *ptr, Area *ap)
 {
 	*lpp = (struct lalloc *)(ptr - sizeof (struct lalloc));
-	*ppp = (struct lalloc *)ap;
-	while ((*ppp)->next != *lpp)
-		if (((*ppp) = (*ppp)->next) == NULL)
-			internal_errorf("pointer %p not in group %p", ptr, ap);
+	while (ap->next != *lpp)
+		if ((ap = ap->next) == NULL)
+			internal_errorf("rogue pointer %p", ptr);
+	return (ap);
 }
 
 void *
 aresize(void *ptr, size_t numb, Area *ap)
 {
-	struct lalloc *lp, *pp;
+	struct lalloc *lp;
 
-	if (numb >= SIZE_MAX - sizeof (struct lalloc))
-		goto failure;
+	if (ptr != NULL) {
+		struct lalloc *pp;
 
-	if (ptr == NULL) {
-		pp = (struct lalloc *)ap;
-		lp = malloc(numb + sizeof (struct lalloc));
-	} else {
-		findptr(&lp, &pp, ptr, ap);
-		lp = realloc(lp, numb + sizeof (struct lalloc));
+		pp = findptr(&lp, ptr, ap);
+		pp->next = lp->next;
 	}
-	if (lp == NULL) {
- failure:
+
+	if ((numb >= SIZE_MAX - sizeof (struct lalloc)) ||
+	    /* here I wish all realloc(3)s would take NULL */
+	    (lp = ptr ? realloc(lp, numb + sizeof (struct lalloc)) :
+	    malloc(numb + sizeof (struct lalloc))) == NULL)
 		internal_errorf("cannot allocate %lu data bytes",
 		    (unsigned long)numb);
-	}
-	if (ptr == NULL) {
-		lp->next = ap->ent;
-	}
-	pp->next = lp;
+	lp->next = ap->next;
+	ap->next = lp;
 	return ((char *)lp + sizeof (struct lalloc));
 }
 
 void
 afree(void *ptr, Area *ap)
 {
-	struct lalloc *lp, *pp;
+	if (ptr != NULL) {
+		struct lalloc *lp, *pp;
 
-	if (ptr == NULL)
-		return;
-
-	findptr(&lp, &pp, ptr, ap);
-	pp->next = lp->next;
-	free(lp);
+		pp = findptr(&lp, ptr, ap);
+		pp->next = lp->next;
+		free(lp);
+	}
 }
 
 void
@@ -77,8 +68,8 @@ afreeall(Area *ap)
 {
 	struct lalloc *lp;
 
-	while ((lp = ap->ent) != NULL) {
-		ap->ent = lp->next;
+	while ((lp = ap->next) != NULL) {
+		ap->next = lp->next;
 		free(lp);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/sh.h b/sh.h
index 04d5733..e49988e 100644
--- a/sh.h
+++ b/sh.h
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@
 #define __SCCSID(x)	__IDSTRING(sccsid,x)
 
 #ifdef EXTERN
-__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/sh.h,v 1.284 2009/03/22 18:50:43 tg Exp $");
+__RCSID("$MirOS: src/bin/mksh/sh.h,v 1.285 2009/03/24 08:53:45 tg Exp $");
 #endif
 #define MKSH_VERSION "R37 2009/03/22"
 
@@ -398,8 +398,8 @@ char *ucstrstr(char *, const char *);
 /*
  * simple grouping allocator
  */
-typedef struct {
-	void *ent;		/* entry pointer, must be first */
+typedef struct lalloc {
+	struct lalloc *next;
 } Area;
 
 EXTERN Area aperm;		/* permanent object space */