diff --git a/include/util.h b/include/util.h
index c05b91cf..a5be61b3 100644
--- a/include/util.h
+++ b/include/util.h
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@
 
 int min(int a, int b);
 int max(int a, int b);
+void exit_if_null(void *pointer, char *fmt, ...);
+void die(char *fmt, ...);
+void *smalloc(size_t size);
+char *sstrdup(const char *str);
 void start_application(const char *command);
 void check_error(xcb_connection_t *connection, xcb_void_cookie_t cookie, char *err_message);
 void set_focus(xcb_connection_t *conn, Client *client);
diff --git a/src/font.c b/src/font.c
index ec65eda7..7c7fe934 100644
--- a/src/font.c
+++ b/src/font.c
@@ -3,13 +3,11 @@
  *
  * i3 - an improved dynamic tiling window manager
  *
- * (c) 2009 Michael Stapelberg and contributors
+ * © 2009 Michael Stapelberg and contributors
  *
  * See file LICENSE for license information.
  *
- */
-/*
- * Handles font loading
+ * font.c: Handles font loading (with caching, with height information)
  *
  */
 #include <string.h>
@@ -27,32 +25,30 @@ TAILQ_HEAD(cached_fonts_head, Font) cached_fonts = TAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(cached
  * maintains a cache.
  *
  */
-i3Font *load_font(xcb_connection_t *c, const char *pattern) {
+i3Font *load_font(xcb_connection_t *connection, const char *pattern) {
         /* Check if we got the font cached */
         i3Font *font;
         TAILQ_FOREACH(font, &cached_fonts, fonts)
                 if (strcmp(font->pattern, pattern) == 0)
                         return font;
 
-        i3Font *new = malloc(sizeof(i3Font));
+        i3Font *new = smalloc(sizeof(i3Font));
 
         /* Send all our requests first */
-        new->id = xcb_generate_id(c);
-        xcb_void_cookie_t font_cookie = xcb_open_font_checked(c, new->id, strlen(pattern), pattern);
-        xcb_list_fonts_with_info_cookie_t cookie = xcb_list_fonts_with_info(c, 1, strlen(pattern), pattern);
+        new->id = xcb_generate_id(connection);
+        xcb_void_cookie_t font_cookie = xcb_open_font_checked(connection, new->id, strlen(pattern), pattern);
+        xcb_list_fonts_with_info_cookie_t cookie = xcb_list_fonts_with_info(connection, 1, strlen(pattern), pattern);
 
-        check_error(c, font_cookie, "Could not open font");
+        check_error(connection, font_cookie, "Could not open font");
 
         /* Get information (height/name) for this font */
-        xcb_list_fonts_with_info_reply_t *reply = xcb_list_fonts_with_info_reply(c, cookie, NULL);
-        if (reply == NULL) {
-                printf("Could not load font\n");
-                exit(1);
-        }
+        xcb_list_fonts_with_info_reply_t *reply = xcb_list_fonts_with_info_reply(connection, cookie, NULL);
+        exit_if_null(reply, "Could not load font \"%s\"\n", pattern);
 
-        asprintf(&(new->name), "%.*s", xcb_list_fonts_with_info_name_length(reply),
-                        xcb_list_fonts_with_info_name(reply));
-        new->pattern = strdup(pattern);
+        if (asprintf(&(new->name), "%.*s", xcb_list_fonts_with_info_name_length(reply),
+                        xcb_list_fonts_with_info_name(reply)) == -1)
+                die("asprintf() failed\n");
+        new->pattern = sstrdup(pattern);
         new->height = reply->font_ascent + reply->font_descent;
 
         /* Insert into cache */
diff --git a/src/util.c b/src/util.c
index 7ce4d55f..76abe2aa 100644
--- a/src/util.c
+++ b/src/util.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
 
 #include "i3.h"
 #include "data.h"
@@ -27,6 +28,55 @@ int max(int a, int b) {
         return (a > b ? a : b);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Checks if pointer is NULL and exits the whole program, printing a message to stdout
+ * before with the given format (see printf())
+ *
+ */
+void exit_if_null(void *pointer, char *fmt, ...) {
+        va_list args;
+
+        if (pointer != NULL)
+                return;
+
+        va_start(args, fmt);
+        vfprintf(stderr, fmt, args);
+        va_end(args);
+
+        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Prints the message (see printf()) to stderr, then exits the program.
+ *
+ */
+void die(char *fmt, ...) {
+        va_list args;
+
+        va_start(args, fmt);
+        vfprintf(stderr, fmt, args);
+        va_end(args);
+
+        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+}
+
+/*
+ * The s* functions (safe) are wrappers around malloc, strdup, …, which exits if one of
+ * the called functions returns NULL, meaning that there is no more memory available
+ *
+ */
+void *smalloc(size_t size) {
+        void *result = malloc(size);
+        exit_if_null(result, "Too less memory for malloc(%d)\n", size);
+        return result;
+}
+
+char *sstrdup(const char *str) {
+        char *result = strdup(str);
+        exit_if_null(result, "Too less memory for strdup()\n");
+        return result;
+}
+
 /*
  * Starts the given application by passing it through a shell. We use double fork
  * to avoid zombie processes. As the started application’s parent exits (immediately),