diff --git a/common/alloc.c b/common/alloc.c
index e1fe25843..828271e03 100644
--- a/common/alloc.c
+++ b/common/alloc.c
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
 #include "missing.h"
 #include "alloc.h"
 #include "error.h"
+#include "errno.h"
 
 #define DEFAULT_TEXT_DOMAIN	"sudo"
 #include "gettext.h"
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ emalloc(size_t size)
 	errorx2(1, _("internal error, tried to emalloc(0)"));
 
     if ((ptr = malloc(size)) == NULL)
-	errorx2(1, _("unable to allocate memory"));
+	errorx2(1, NULL);
     return ptr;
 }
 
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ emalloc2(size_t nmemb, size_t size)
 
     size *= nmemb;
     if ((ptr = malloc(size)) == NULL)
-	errorx2(1, _("unable to allocate memory"));
+	errorx2(1, NULL);
     return ptr;
 }
 
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ ecalloc(size_t nmemb, size_t size)
 	size *= nmemb;
     }
     if ((ptr = malloc(size)) == NULL)
-	errorx2(1, _("unable to allocate memory"));
+	errorx2(1, NULL);
     memset(ptr, 0, size);
     return ptr;
 }
@@ -143,7 +144,7 @@ erealloc(void *ptr, size_t size)
 
     ptr = ptr ? realloc(ptr, size) : malloc(size);
     if (ptr == NULL)
-	errorx2(1, _("unable to allocate memory"));
+	errorx2(1, NULL);
     return ptr;
 }
 
@@ -165,7 +166,7 @@ erealloc3(void *ptr, size_t nmemb, size_t size)
     size *= nmemb;
     ptr = ptr ? realloc(ptr, size) : malloc(size);
     if (ptr == NULL)
-	errorx2(1, _("unable to allocate memory"));
+	errorx2(1, NULL);
     return ptr;
 }
 
@@ -189,7 +190,7 @@ erecalloc(void *ptr, size_t onmemb, size_t nmemb, size_t msize)
     size = nmemb * msize;
     ptr = ptr ? realloc(ptr, size) : malloc(size);
     if (ptr == NULL)
-	errorx2(1, _("unable to allocate memory"));
+	errorx2(1, NULL);
     if (nmemb > onmemb) {
 	size = (nmemb - onmemb) * msize;
 	memset((char *)ptr + (onmemb * msize), 0, size);
@@ -253,7 +254,7 @@ easprintf(char **ret, const char *fmt, ...)
     va_end(ap);
 
     if (len == -1)
-	errorx2(1, _("unable to allocate memory"));
+	errorx2(1, strerror(ENOMEM));
     return len;
 }
 
@@ -267,7 +268,7 @@ evasprintf(char **ret, const char *format, va_list args)
     int len;
 
     if ((len = vasprintf(ret, format, args)) == -1)
-	errorx2(1, _("unable to allocate memory"));
+	errorx2(1, NULL);
     return len;
 }
 
diff --git a/plugins/sample_group/plugin_test.c b/plugins/sample_group/plugin_test.c
index 87077a5bc..ffb90a0e4 100644
--- a/plugins/sample_group/plugin_test.c
+++ b/plugins/sample_group/plugin_test.c
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ group_plugin_load(char *plugin_info)
 	if (ac != 0) 	{
 	    argv = malloc(ac * sizeof(char *));
 	    if (argv == NULL) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "unable to allocate memory\n");
+		perror(NULL);
 		return -1;
 	    }
 	    ac = 0;
diff --git a/plugins/sudoers/env.c b/plugins/sudoers/env.c
index b28f45eaf..bf974ce07 100644
--- a/plugins/sudoers/env.c
+++ b/plugins/sudoers/env.c
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ sudo_putenv(char *str, bool dupcheck, bool overwrite)
 	if (env.envp[env.env_len] != NULL)
 	    errorx(1, _("sudo_putenv: corrupted envp, length mismatch"));
 #endif
-	errorx(1, _("unable to allocate memory"));
+	errorx(1, NULL);
     }
     debug_return_int(rval);
 }
diff --git a/plugins/sudoers/toke.c b/plugins/sudoers/toke.c
index cc3999f2f..fc345111b 100644
--- a/plugins/sudoers/toke.c
+++ b/plugins/sudoers/toke.c
@@ -3416,7 +3416,7 @@ switch_dir(struct include_stack *stack, char *dirpath)
 		sudoerserror(errbuf);
 		free(errbuf);
 	    } else {
-		sudoerserror(_("unable to allocate memory"));
+		sudoerserror(strerror(errno));
 	    }
 	}
 	goto done;
@@ -3546,7 +3546,7 @@ _push_include(char *path, bool isdir)
 	istack = (struct include_stack *) realloc(istack,
 	    sizeof(*istack) * istacksize);
 	if (istack == NULL) {
-	    sudoerserror(_("unable to allocate memory"));
+	    sudoerserror(strerror(errno));
 	    debug_return_bool(false);
 	}
     }
@@ -3697,7 +3697,7 @@ parse_include(char *base)
     len += (int)(ep - cp);
     path = pp = malloc(len + dirlen + 1);
     if (path == NULL) {
-	sudoerserror(_("unable to allocate memory"));
+	sudoerserror(strerror(errno));
 	debug_return_str(NULL);
     }
     if (dirlen) {
diff --git a/plugins/sudoers/toke.l b/plugins/sudoers/toke.l
index cf4fa8e7d..1d85e13c9 100644
--- a/plugins/sudoers/toke.l
+++ b/plugins/sudoers/toke.l
@@ -694,7 +694,7 @@ switch_dir(struct include_stack *stack, char *dirpath)
 		sudoerserror(errbuf);
 		free(errbuf);
 	    } else {
-		sudoerserror(_("unable to allocate memory"));
+		sudoerserror(strerror(errno));
 	    }
 	}
 	goto done;
@@ -824,7 +824,7 @@ _push_include(char *path, bool isdir)
 	istack = (struct include_stack *) realloc(istack,
 	    sizeof(*istack) * istacksize);
 	if (istack == NULL) {
-	    sudoerserror(_("unable to allocate memory"));
+	    sudoerserror(strerror(errno));
 	    debug_return_bool(false);
 	}
     }
@@ -975,7 +975,7 @@ parse_include(char *base)
     len += (int)(ep - cp);
     path = pp = malloc(len + dirlen + 1);
     if (path == NULL) {
-	sudoerserror(_("unable to allocate memory"));
+	sudoerserror(strerror(errno));
 	debug_return_str(NULL);
     }
     if (dirlen) {
diff --git a/plugins/sudoers/toke_util.c b/plugins/sudoers/toke_util.c
index 8c18cfed0..0417eb047 100644
--- a/plugins/sudoers/toke_util.c
+++ b/plugins/sudoers/toke_util.c
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 # include <malloc.h>
 #endif /* HAVE_MALLOC_H && !STDC_HEADERS */
 #include <ctype.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 
 #include "sudoers.h"
 #include "parse.h"
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ fill_txt(const char *src, int len, int olen)
 
     dst = olen ? realloc(sudoerslval.string, olen + len + 1) : malloc(len + 1);
     if (dst == NULL) {
-	sudoerserror(_("unable to allocate memory"));
+	sudoerserror(strerror(errno));
 	debug_return_bool(false);
     }
     sudoerslval.string = dst;
@@ -164,7 +165,7 @@ fill_cmnd(const char *src, int len)
 
     dst = sudoerslval.command.cmnd = (char *) malloc(len + 1);
     if (sudoerslval.command.cmnd == NULL) {
-	sudoerserror(_("unable to allocate memory"));
+	sudoerserror(strerror(errno));
 	debug_return_bool(false);
     }
 
@@ -204,7 +205,7 @@ fill_args(const char *s, int len, int addspace)
 	    (char *) malloc(arg_size);
 	if (p == NULL) {
 	    efree(sudoerslval.command.args);
-	    sudoerserror(_("unable to allocate memory"));
+	    sudoerserror(strerror(errno));
 	    debug_return_bool(false);
 	} else
 	    sudoerslval.command.args = p;
diff --git a/src/exec_common.c b/src/exec_common.c
index ff06dabd4..426fba0c0 100644
--- a/src/exec_common.c
+++ b/src/exec_common.c
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ disable_execute(char *const envp[])
 	preload = fmt_string(RTLD_PRELOAD_VAR, sudo_conf_noexec_path());
 # endif
 	if (preload == NULL)
-	    errorx(1, _("unable to allocate memory"));
+	    errorx(1, NULL);
 	nenvp[env_len++] = preload;
 	nenvp[env_len] = NULL;
     } else {
diff --git a/src/parse_args.c b/src/parse_args.c
index 1ee85a25b..28da42913 100644
--- a/src/parse_args.c
+++ b/src/parse_args.c
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ parse_args(int argc, char **argv, int *nargc, char ***nargv, char ***settingsp,
 	    settings[j] = fmt_string(sudo_settings[i].name,
 		sudo_settings[i].value);
 	    if (settings[j] == NULL)
-		errorx(1, _("unable to allocate memory"));
+		errorx(1, NULL);
 	    j++;
 	}
     }
diff --git a/src/sudo.c b/src/sudo.c
index e1ecf6a47..583eb3465 100644
--- a/src/sudo.c
+++ b/src/sudo.c
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ get_user_info(struct user_details *ud)
 
     user_info[i] = fmt_string("user", pw->pw_name);
     if (user_info[i] == NULL)
-	errorx(1, _("unable to allocate memory"));
+	errorx(1, NULL);
     ud->username = user_info[i] + sizeof("user=") - 1;
 
     /* Stash user's shell for use with the -s flag; don't pass to plugin. */
@@ -479,14 +479,14 @@ get_user_info(struct user_details *ud)
     if (getcwd(cwd, sizeof(cwd)) != NULL) {
 	user_info[++i] = fmt_string("cwd", cwd);
 	if (user_info[i] == NULL)
-	    errorx(1, _("unable to allocate memory"));
+	    errorx(1, NULL);
 	ud->cwd = user_info[i] + sizeof("cwd=") - 1;
     }
 
     if ((cp = get_process_ttyname()) != NULL) {
 	user_info[++i] = fmt_string("tty", cp);
 	if (user_info[i] == NULL)
-	    errorx(1, _("unable to allocate memory"));
+	    errorx(1, NULL);
 	ud->tty = user_info[i] + sizeof("tty=") - 1;
 	efree(cp);
     }
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ get_user_info(struct user_details *ud)
 	strlcpy(host, "localhost", sizeof(host));
     user_info[++i] = fmt_string("host", host);
     if (user_info[i] == NULL)
-	errorx(1, _("unable to allocate memory"));
+	errorx(1, NULL);
     ud->host = user_info[i] + sizeof("host=") - 1;
 
     get_ttysize(&ud->ts_lines, &ud->ts_cols);
@@ -756,7 +756,7 @@ command_info_to_details(char * const info[], struct command_details *details)
 #endif
     details->pw = getpwuid(details->euid);
     if (details->pw != NULL && (details->pw = pw_dup(details->pw)) == NULL)
-	errorx(1, _("unable to allocate memory"));
+	errorx(1, NULL);
 #ifdef HAVE_SETAUTHDB
     aix_restoreauthdb();
 #endif