diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.cc b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
index 919ebd4ba9..c36a679d35 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
@@ -259,9 +259,8 @@ void mkString(Value & v, const string & s, const PathSet & context)
     mkString(v, s.c_str());
     if (!context.empty()) {
         unsigned int n = 0;
-        v.string.context = (const char * *)
-            GC_MALLOC((context.size() + 1) * sizeof(char *));
-        foreach (PathSet::const_iterator, i, context) 
+        v.string.context = NEW const char *[context.size() + 1];
+        foreach (PathSet::const_iterator, i, context)  
             v.string.context[n++] = GC_STRDUP(i->c_str());
         v.string.context[n] = 0;
     }
@@ -305,7 +304,7 @@ Value * EvalState::lookupVar(Env * env, const VarRef & var)
 Value * EvalState::allocValue()
 {
     nrValues++;
-    return (Value *) GC_MALLOC(sizeof(Value));
+    return NEW Value;
 }
 
 
@@ -314,6 +313,7 @@ Env & EvalState::allocEnv(unsigned int size)
     nrEnvs++;
     nrValuesInEnvs += size;
     Env * env = (Env *) GC_MALLOC(sizeof(Env) + size * sizeof(Value *));
+    if (!env) throw std::bad_alloc();
 
     /* Clear the values because maybeThunk() expects this. */
     for (unsigned i = 0; i < size; ++i)
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ void EvalState::mkList(Value & v, unsigned int length)
 {
     v.type = tList;
     v.list.length = length;
-    v.list.elems = (Value * *) GC_MALLOC(length * sizeof(Value *));
+    v.list.elems = NEW Value *[length];
     nrListElems += length;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libmain/Makefile.am b/src/libmain/Makefile.am
index a9ee660425..1a2146e044 100644
--- a/src/libmain/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/libmain/Makefile.am
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ pkglib_LTLIBRARIES = libmain.la
 
 libmain_la_SOURCES = shared.cc
 
-libmain_la_LIBADD = ../libstore/libstore.la
+libmain_la_LIBADD = ../libstore/libstore.la @boehmgc_lib@
 
 pkginclude_HEADERS = shared.hh
 
diff --git a/src/libmain/shared.cc b/src/libmain/shared.cc
index eddc4e64b3..440949bd2a 100644
--- a/src/libmain/shared.cc
+++ b/src/libmain/shared.cc
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
+#if HAVE_BOEHMGC
+#include <gc/gc.h>
+#endif
+
 
 namespace nix {
 
@@ -314,6 +318,14 @@ static void setuidInit()
 }
 
 
+/* Called when the Boehm GC runs out of memory. */
+static void * oomHandler(size_t requested)
+{
+    /* Convert this to a proper C++ exception. */
+    throw std::bad_alloc();
+}
+
+
 }
 
 
@@ -335,6 +347,14 @@ int main(int argc, char * * argv)
 
     std::ios::sync_with_stdio(false);
 
+#if HAVE_BOEHMGC
+    /* Initialise the Boehm garbage collector.  This isn't necessary
+       on most platforms, but for portability we do it anyway. */
+    GC_INIT();
+
+    GC_oom_fn = oomHandler;
+#endif
+
     try {
         try {
             initAndRun(argc, argv);
diff --git a/src/nix-env/Makefile.am b/src/nix-env/Makefile.am
index a876b3eb38..7dfa7425a0 100644
--- a/src/nix-env/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/nix-env/Makefile.am
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@ nix_env_SOURCES = nix-env.cc profiles.cc profiles.hh user-env.cc user-env.hh hel
 
 nix_env_LDADD = ../libmain/libmain.la ../libexpr/libexpr.la \
  ../libstore/libstore.la ../libutil/libutil.la \
- ../boost/format/libformat.la @ADDITIONAL_NETWORK_LIBS@ \
- @boehmgc_lib@
+ ../boost/format/libformat.la @ADDITIONAL_NETWORK_LIBS@
 
 nix-env.o: help.txt.hh
 
diff --git a/src/nix-instantiate/Makefile.am b/src/nix-instantiate/Makefile.am
index bc9792818c..a65907a8d4 100644
--- a/src/nix-instantiate/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/nix-instantiate/Makefile.am
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@ bin_PROGRAMS = nix-instantiate
 nix_instantiate_SOURCES = nix-instantiate.cc help.txt
 nix_instantiate_LDADD = ../libmain/libmain.la ../libexpr/libexpr.la \
  ../libstore/libstore.la ../libutil/libutil.la \
- ../boost/format/libformat.la @ADDITIONAL_NETWORK_LIBS@ \
- @boehmgc_lib@
+ ../boost/format/libformat.la @ADDITIONAL_NETWORK_LIBS@
 
 nix-instantiate.o: help.txt.hh