diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rc/code.c b/sys/src/cmd/rc/code.c
index 3618838e3..7d1abbb3a 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rc/code.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rc/code.c
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ void
 cleanhere(char *f)
 {
 	emitf(Xdelhere);
-	emits(strdup(f));
+	emits(estrdup(f));
 }
 
 char*
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ outcode(tree *t, int eflag)
 		else{
 			emitf(Xmark);
 			emitf(Xword);
-			emits(strdup("*"));
+			emits(estrdup("*"));
 			emitf(Xdol);
 		}
 		emitf(Xmark);		/* dummy value for Xlocal */
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ outcode(tree *t, int eflag)
 		break;
 	case WORD:
 		emitf(Xword);
-		emits(strdup(t->str));
+		emits(estrdup(t->str));
 		break;
 	case DUP:
 		if(t->rtype==DUPFD){
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rc/exec.c b/sys/src/cmd/rc/exec.c
index c0fb8593f..a037d1df4 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rc/exec.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rc/exec.c
@@ -28,20 +28,30 @@ start(code *c, int pc, var *local)
 }
 
 word*
-newword(char *wd, word *next)
+Newword(char *wd, word *next)
 {
 	word *p = new(word);
-	p->word = strdup(wd);
+	p->word = wd;
 	p->next = next;
 	return p;
 }
-
 void
-pushword(char *wd)
+Pushword(char *wd)
 {
 	if(runq->argv==0)
 		panic("pushword but no argv!", 0);
-	runq->argv->words = newword(wd, runq->argv->words);
+	runq->argv->words = Newword(wd, runq->argv->words);
+}
+
+word*
+newword(char *wd, word *next)
+{
+	return Newword(estrdup(wd), next);
+}
+void
+pushword(char *wd)
+{
+	Pushword(estrdup(wd));
 }
 
 void
@@ -113,7 +123,7 @@ var*
 newvar(char *name, var *next)
 {
 	var *v = new(var);
-	v->name = name;
+	v->name = estrdup(name);
 	v->val = 0;
 	v->fn = 0;
 	v->changed = 0;
@@ -174,7 +184,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	start(bootstrap, 1, (var *)0);
 	/* prime bootstrap argv */
 	pushlist();
-	argv0 = strdup(argv[0]);
+	argv0 = estrdup(argv[0]);
 	for(i = argc-1;i!=0;--i) pushword(argv[i]);
 	for(;;){
 		if(flag['r'])
@@ -304,7 +314,7 @@ Xexit(void)
 			--runq->pc;
 			starval = vlook("*")->val;
 			start(trapreq->fn, trapreq->pc, (struct var *)0);
-			runq->local = newvar(strdup("*"), runq->local);
+			runq->local = newvar("*", runq->local);
 			runq->local->val = copywords(starval, (struct word *)0);
 			runq->local->changed = 1;
 			runq->redir = runq->startredir = 0;
@@ -548,16 +558,21 @@ Xcase(void)
 word*
 conclist(word *lp, word *rp, word *tail)
 {
-	char *buf;
-	word *v;
-	if(lp->next || rp->next)
-		tail = conclist(lp->next==0? lp: lp->next,
-			rp->next==0? rp: rp->next, tail);
-	buf = emalloc(strlen(lp->word)+strlen((char *)rp->word)+1);
-	strcpy(buf, lp->word);
-	strcat(buf, rp->word);
-	v = newword(buf, tail);
-	efree(buf);
+	word *v, *p, **end;
+	int ln, rn;
+
+	for(end = &v;;){
+		ln = strlen(lp->word), rn = strlen(rp->word);
+		p = Newword(emalloc(ln+rn+1), (word *)0);
+		Memcpy(p->word, lp->word, ln);
+		Memcpy(p->word+ln, rp->word, rn+1);
+		*end = p, end = &p->next;
+		if(lp->next == 0 && rp->next == 0)
+			break;
+		if(lp->next) lp = lp->next;
+		if(rp->next) rp = rp->next;
+	}
+	*end = tail;
 	return v;
 }
 
@@ -647,9 +662,8 @@ Xdol(void)
 void
 Xqdol(void)
 {
-	word *a, *p;
 	char *s;
-	int n;
+	word *a;
 	if(count(runq->argv->words)!=1){
 		Xerror1("variable name not singleton!");
 		return;
@@ -658,24 +672,7 @@ Xqdol(void)
 	deglob(s);
 	a = vlook(s)->val;
 	poplist();
-	n = count(a);
-	if(n==0){
-		pushword("");
-		return;
-	}
-	for(p = a;p;p = p->next) n+=strlen(p->word);
-	s = emalloc(n);
-	if(a){
-		strcpy(s, a->word);
-		for(p = a->next;p;p = p->next){
-			strcat(s, " ");
-			strcat(s, p->word);
-		}
-	}
-	else
-		s[0]='\0';
-	pushword(s);
-	efree(s);
+	Pushword(list2str(a));
 }
 
 word*
@@ -780,7 +777,7 @@ Xlocal(void)
 		return;
 	}
 	deglob(runq->argv->words->word);
-	runq->local = newvar(strdup(runq->argv->words->word), runq->local);
+	runq->local = newvar(runq->argv->words->word, runq->local);
 	poplist();
 	globlist();
 	runq->local->val = runq->argv->words;
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rc/haventfork.c b/sys/src/cmd/rc/haventfork.c
index 52c16ac65..aa97f5c58 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rc/haventfork.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rc/haventfork.c
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ rcargv(char *s)
 	word *p;
 
 	p = vlook("*")->val;
-	argv = malloc((count(p)+6)*sizeof(char*));
+	argv = emalloc((count(p)+6)*sizeof(char*));
 	argc = 0;
 	argv[argc++] = argv0;
 	if(flag['e'])
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rc/here.c b/sys/src/cmd/rc/here.c
index d10ed6aa8..5dbff855f 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rc/here.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rc/here.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ heredoc(tree *tag)
 	h->tag = tag;
 	hexnum(&tmp[9], getpid());
 	hexnum(&tmp[14], ser++);
-	h->name = strdup(tmp);
+	h->name = estrdup(tmp);
 	return token(tmp, WORD);
 }
 /*
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rc/rc.h b/sys/src/cmd/rc/rc.h
index 2e1d9ae59..eec0e068f 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rc/rc.h
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rc/rc.h
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ void *Realloc(void *, ulong);
 void *emalloc(long);
 void *erealloc(void *, long);
 void efree(void *);
+char *estrdup(char*);
 
 #define	NOFILE	128		/* should come from <param.h> */
 
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rc/simple.c b/sys/src/cmd/rc/simple.c
index d4b897cd1..fb50ce31d 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rc/simple.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rc/simple.c
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ execfunc(var *func)
 	runq->argv->words = 0;
 	poplist();
 	start(func->fn, func->pc, runq->local);
-	runq->local = newvar(strdup("*"), runq->local);
+	runq->local = newvar("*", runq->local);
 	runq->local->val = starval;
 	runq->local->changed = 1;
 }
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ execcd(void)
 				dir = smprint("%s/%s", cdpath->word,
 					a->next->word);
 			else
-				dir = strdup(a->next->word);
+				dir = estrdup(a->next->word);
 
 			if(dochdir(dir) >= 0){
 				if(cdpath->word[0] != '\0' &&
@@ -355,14 +355,14 @@ execdot(void)
 		Xerror1("Usage: . [-i] file [arg ...]");
 		return;
 	}
-	zero = strdup(p->argv->words->word);
+	zero = estrdup(p->argv->words->word);
 	popword();
 	fd = -1;
 	for(path = searchpath(zero); path; path = path->next){
 		if(path->word[0] != '\0')
 			file = smprint("%s/%s", path->word, zero);
 		else
-			file = strdup(zero);
+			file = estrdup(zero);
 
 		fd = open(file, 0);
 		free(file);
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ execwhatis(void){	/* mildly wrong -- should fork before writing */
 						file = smprint("%s/%s",
 							path->word, a->word);
 					else
-						file = strdup(a->word);
+						file = estrdup(a->word);
 					if(Executable(file)){
 						pfmt(out, "%s\n", file);
 						free(file);
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rc/subr.c b/sys/src/cmd/rc/subr.c
index b0fc80005..ee5550a8d 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rc/subr.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rc/subr.c
@@ -30,6 +30,19 @@ efree(void *p)
 		free(p);
 	else pfmt(err, "free 0\n");
 }
+
+char*
+estrdup(char *s)
+{
+	char *d;
+	int n;
+
+	n = strlen(s)+1;
+	d = emalloc(n);
+	Memcpy(d, s, n);
+	return d;
+}
+
 extern int lastword, lastdol;
 
 void
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rc/trap.c b/sys/src/cmd/rc/trap.c
index a572cac37..fa7e35832 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rc/trap.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rc/trap.c
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ dotrap(void)
 		trapreq = vlook(Signame[i]);
 		if(trapreq->fn){
 			start(trapreq->fn, trapreq->pc, (struct var *)0);
-			runq->local = newvar(strdup("*"), runq->local);
+			runq->local = newvar("*", runq->local);
 			runq->local->val = copywords(starval, (struct word *)0);
 			runq->local->changed = 1;
 			runq->redir = runq->startredir = 0;
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rc/tree.c b/sys/src/cmd/rc/tree.c
index a2cd1af69..f7d0b4cf4 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rc/tree.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rc/tree.c
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ simplemung(tree *t)
 	t = tree1(SIMPLE, t);
 	s = openstr();
 	pfmt(s, "%t", t);
-	t->str = strdup((char *)s->strp);
+	t->str = estrdup((char *)s->strp);
 	closeio(s);
 	for(u = t->child[0];u->type==ARGLIST;u = u->child[0]){
 		if(u->child[1]->type==DUP
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rc/unix.c b/sys/src/cmd/rc/unix.c
index 1a5a4a8c0..31c6e2145 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rc/unix.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rc/unix.c
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ register struct word *args, *path;
 		case ENOEXEC:
 			pfmt(err, "%s: Bourne again\n", argv[1]);
 			argv[0]="sh";
-			argv[1] = strdup(file);
+			argv[1] = estrdup(file);
 			execve("/bin/sh", argv, env);
 			goto Bad;
 		case ETXTBSY:
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rc/var.c b/sys/src/cmd/rc/var.c
index a96af06d6..f6b8dbb09 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rc/var.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rc/var.c
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ gvlook(char *name)
 	int h = hash(name, NVAR);
 	var *v;
 	for(v = gvar[h];v;v = v->next) if(strcmp(v->name, name)==0) return v;
-	return gvar[h] = newvar(strdup(name), gvar[h]);
+	return gvar[h] = newvar(name, gvar[h]);
 }
 
 var*