diff --git a/renderdoc/api/replay/basic_types.h b/renderdoc/api/replay/basic_types.h
index d9e387fb1..a2f844aeb 100644
--- a/renderdoc/api/replay/basic_types.h
+++ b/renderdoc/api/replay/basic_types.h
@@ -267,6 +267,10 @@ struct ItemDestroyHelper<T, true>
   static void destroyRange(T *first, size_t itemCount) {}
 };
 
+#ifdef RENDERDOC_EXPORTS
+void RENDERDOC_OutOfMemory(uint64_t sz);
+#endif
+
 template <typename T>
 struct rdcarray
 {
@@ -279,11 +283,15 @@ protected:
   // memory management, in a dll safe way
   static T *allocate(size_t count)
   {
+    T *ret = NULL;
 #ifdef RENDERDOC_EXPORTS
-    return (T *)malloc(count * sizeof(T));
+    ret = (T *)malloc(count * sizeof(T));
+    if(ret == NULL)
+      RENDERDOC_OutOfMemory(count * sizeof(T));
 #else
-    return (T *)RENDERDOC_AllocArrayMem(count * sizeof(T));
+    ret = (T *)RENDERDOC_AllocArrayMem(count * sizeof(T));
 #endif
+    return ret;
   }
   static void deallocate(const T *p)
   {
diff --git a/renderdoc/api/replay/rdcstr.h b/renderdoc/api/replay/rdcstr.h
index eb9607748..7d52c6dad 100644
--- a/renderdoc/api/replay/rdcstr.h
+++ b/renderdoc/api/replay/rdcstr.h
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ inline rdcliteral operator"" _lit(const char *str, size_t len)
   return rdcliteral(str, len);
 }
 
+#ifdef RENDERDOC_EXPORTS
+void RENDERDOC_OutOfMemory(uint64_t sz);
+#endif
+
 DOCUMENT("");
 class rdcstr
 {
@@ -128,11 +132,15 @@ private:
   DOCUMENT("");
   static char *allocate(size_t count)
   {
+    char *ret = NULL;
 #ifdef RENDERDOC_EXPORTS
-    return (char *)malloc(count);
+    ret = (char *)malloc(count);
+    if(ret == NULL)
+      RENDERDOC_OutOfMemory(count);
 #else
-    return (char *)RENDERDOC_AllocArrayMem(count);
+    ret = (char *)RENDERDOC_AllocArrayMem(count);
 #endif
+    return ret;
   }
   static void deallocate(const char *p)
   {
diff --git a/renderdoc/replay/entry_points.cpp b/renderdoc/replay/entry_points.cpp
index 3115b36ee..59345337f 100644
--- a/renderdoc/replay/entry_points.cpp
+++ b/renderdoc/replay/entry_points.cpp
@@ -376,9 +376,18 @@ extern "C" RENDERDOC_API void RENDERDOC_CC RENDERDOC_FreeArrayMem(const void *me
   free((void *)mem);
 }
 
+// not exported, this is needed for calling from the container allocate functions
+void RENDERDOC_OutOfMemory(uint64_t sz)
+{
+  RDCFATAL("Allocation failed for %llu bytes", sz);
+}
+
 extern "C" RENDERDOC_API void *RENDERDOC_CC RENDERDOC_AllocArrayMem(uint64_t sz)
 {
-  return malloc((size_t)sz);
+  void *ret = malloc((size_t)sz);
+  if(ret == NULL)
+    RENDERDOC_OutOfMemory(sz);
+  return ret;
 }
 
 extern "C" RENDERDOC_API uint32_t RENDERDOC_CC RENDERDOC_EnumerateRemoteTargets(const char *URL,