diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 0066dbfbb..be2586997 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -25,6 +25,21 @@ dnl Keep this check close to the beginning, so that the users
 dnl without any glib won't have their time wasted by other checks.
 dnl
 
+AC_DEFINE(WITH_GLIB, 1, [Use Glib functions])
+
+dnl TODO: make option --with-glib like this:
+dnl
+dnl AC_ARG_WITH(glib,
+dnl 	[AS_HELP_STRING([--with-glib], [Use glib (default is yes)])],
+dnl 	[with_glib=$enableval],
+dnl 	[with_glib=yes])
+dnl
+dnl if test x${with_glib} = xyes; then
+dnl dnl	some checking stuff
+dnl	AC_DEFINE(WITH_GLIB, 1, [Use Glib functions])
+dnl fi
+
+
 AC_ARG_WITH(glib12, 
 	[  --with-glib12            Force using glib 1.2.x [[no]]])
 
diff --git a/mhl/memory.h b/mhl/memory.h
index b00617700..20db6c023 100644
--- a/mhl/memory.h
+++ b/mhl/memory.h
@@ -1,28 +1,100 @@
 #ifndef __MHL_MEM
 #define __MHL_MEM
 
+#if defined _AIX && !defined REGEX_MALLOC
+  #pragma alloca
+#endif
+
+#include <config.h>
 #include <memory.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
-/* allocate a chunk of stack memory, uninitialized */
-#define 	mhl_mem_alloc_u(sz)	(malloc(sz))
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+#    define alloca __builtin_alloca
+#else
+#    ifdef _MSC_VER
+#        include <malloc.h>
+#        define alloca _alloca
+#    else
+#        if HAVE_ALLOCA_H
+#            include <alloca.h>
+#        else
+#            ifdef _AIX
+#pragma alloca
+#            else
+#                ifndef alloca /* predefined by HP cc +Olibcalls */
+char *alloca ();
+#                endif
+#            endif
+#        endif
+#    endif
+#endif
 
-/* allocate a chunk of stack memory, zeroed */
-#define		mhl_mem_alloc_z(sz)	(calloc(1,sz))
+#ifndef HAVE_ALLOCA
+#    include <stdlib.h>
+#    if !defined(STDC_HEADERS) && defined(HAVE_MALLOC_H)
+#        include <malloc.h>
+#    endif
+#    define alloca malloc
+#endif
+
+#ifdef WITH_GLIB
+#	include <glib.h>
+
+#	if GLIB_MAJOR_VERSION >= 2
+		/* allocate a chunk of stack memory, uninitialized */
+#		define 	mhl_mem_alloc_u(sz)	(g_try_malloc(sz))
+
+		/* allocate a chunk of stack memory, zeroed */
+#		define		mhl_mem_alloc_z(sz)	(g_try_malloc0(sz))
+
+		/* re-alloc memory chunk */
+#		define		mhl_mem_realloc(ptr,sz)	(g_try_realloc(ptr,sz))
+
+#	else
+
+		/* allocate a chunk of stack memory, uninitialized */
+#		define 	mhl_mem_alloc_u(sz)	(g_malloc(sz))
+
+		/* allocate a chunk of stack memory, zeroed */
+#		define		mhl_mem_alloc_z(sz)	(g_malloc0(sz))
+
+		/* re-alloc memory chunk */
+#		define		mhl_mem_realloc(ptr,sz)	(g_realloc(ptr,sz))
+
+#	endif
+
+	/* allocate a chunk on stack - automatically free'd on function exit */
+#	define		mhl_stack_alloc(sz)	(g_alloca(sz))
+
+#else
+
+	/* allocate a chunk of stack memory, uninitialized */
+#	define 	mhl_mem_alloc_u(sz)	(malloc(sz))
+
+	/* allocate a chunk of stack memory, zeroed */
+#	define		mhl_mem_alloc_z(sz)	(calloc(1,sz))
+
+	/* re-alloc memory chunk */
+#	define		mhl_mem_realloc(ptr,sz)	(realloc(ptr,sz))
+
+	/* allocate a chunk on stack - automatically free'd on function exit */
+#	define		mhl_stack_alloc(sz)	(alloca(sz))
+
+#endif
 
 /* free a chunk of memory from stack, passing NULL does no harm */
 static inline void mhl_mem_free(void* ptr)
 {
-    if (ptr) free(ptr);
+    if (ptr)
+#ifdef WITH_GLIB
+	g_free(ptr);
+#else
+	free(ptr);
+#endif
 }
 
 /* free an ptr and NULL it */
 #define 	MHL_PTR_FREE(ptr)	do { mhl_mem_free(ptr); (ptr) = NULL; } while (0); 
 
-/* allocate a chunk on stack - automatically free'd on function exit */
-#define		mhl_stack_alloc(sz)	(alloca(sz))
-
-/* re-alloc memory chunk */
-#define		mhl_mem_realloc(ptr,sz)	(realloc(ptr,sz))
-
 #endif