diff --git a/lib/isc/mem.c b/lib/isc/mem.c
index cd2066e287..613d4c4d48 100644
--- a/lib/isc/mem.c
+++ b/lib/isc/mem.c
@@ -753,7 +753,6 @@ isc_mem_createx(size_t init_max_size, size_t target_size,
 		isc_mem_t **ctxp, unsigned int flags)
 {
 	isc__mem_t *ctx;
-	isc_result_t result;
 
 	REQUIRE(ctxp != NULL && *ctxp == NULL);
 	REQUIRE(memalloc != NULL);
@@ -765,9 +764,7 @@ isc_mem_createx(size_t init_max_size, size_t target_size,
 	RUNTIME_CHECK(isc_once_do(&once, initialize_action) == ISC_R_SUCCESS);
 
 	ctx = (memalloc)(arg, sizeof(*ctx));
-	if (ctx == NULL) {
-		return (ISC_R_NOMEMORY);
-	}
+	RUNTIME_CHECK(ctx != NULL);
 
 	if ((flags & ISC_MEMFLAG_NOLOCK) == 0) {
 		isc_mutex_init(&ctx->lock);
@@ -816,10 +813,8 @@ isc_mem_createx(size_t init_max_size, size_t target_size,
 
 	ctx->stats = (memalloc)(arg,
 				(ctx->max_size+1) * sizeof(struct stats));
-	if (ctx->stats == NULL) {
-		result = ISC_R_NOMEMORY;
-		goto error;
-	}
+	RUNTIME_CHECK(ctx->stats != NULL);
+
 	memset(ctx->stats, 0, (ctx->max_size + 1) * sizeof(struct stats));
 	ctx->malloced += (ctx->max_size+1) * sizeof(struct stats);
 	ctx->maxmalloced += (ctx->max_size+1) * sizeof(struct stats);
@@ -831,10 +826,7 @@ isc_mem_createx(size_t init_max_size, size_t target_size,
 			ctx->mem_target = target_size;
 		ctx->freelists = (memalloc)(arg, ctx->max_size *
 						 sizeof(element *));
-		if (ctx->freelists == NULL) {
-			result = ISC_R_NOMEMORY;
-			goto error;
-		}
+		RUNTIME_CHECK(ctx->freelists != NULL);
 		memset(ctx->freelists, 0,
 		       ctx->max_size * sizeof(element *));
 		ctx->malloced += ctx->max_size * sizeof(element *);
@@ -847,10 +839,7 @@ isc_mem_createx(size_t init_max_size, size_t target_size,
 
 		ctx->debuglist = (memalloc)(arg, (DEBUG_TABLE_COUNT *
 						  sizeof(debuglist_t)));
-		if (ctx->debuglist == NULL) {
-			result = ISC_R_NOMEMORY;
-			goto error;
-		}
+		RUNTIME_CHECK(ctx->debuglist != NULL);
 		for (i = 0; i < DEBUG_TABLE_COUNT; i++)
 			ISC_LIST_INIT(ctx->debuglist[i]);
 		ctx->malloced += DEBUG_TABLE_COUNT * sizeof(debuglist_t);
@@ -867,23 +856,6 @@ isc_mem_createx(size_t init_max_size, size_t target_size,
 	*ctxp = (isc_mem_t *)ctx;
 
 	return (ISC_R_SUCCESS);
-
-  error:
-	if (ctx != NULL) {
-		if (ctx->stats != NULL)
-			(memfree)(arg, ctx->stats);
-		if (ctx->freelists != NULL)
-			(memfree)(arg, ctx->freelists);
-#if ISC_MEM_TRACKLINES
-		if (ctx->debuglist != NULL)
-			(ctx->memfree)(ctx->arg, ctx->debuglist);
-#endif /* ISC_MEM_TRACKLINES */
-		if ((ctx->flags & ISC_MEMFLAG_NOLOCK) == 0)
-			isc_mutex_destroy(&ctx->lock);
-		(memfree)(arg, ctx);
-	}
-
-	return (result);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -1639,8 +1611,7 @@ isc_mempool_create(isc_mem_t *mctx0, size_t size, isc_mempool_t **mpctxp) {
 	 * well, attach to the memory context.
 	 */
 	mpctx = isc_mem_get((isc_mem_t *)mctx, sizeof(isc__mempool_t));
-	if (mpctx == NULL)
-		return (ISC_R_NOMEMORY);
+	RUNTIME_CHECK(mpctx != NULL);
 
 	mpctx->common.impmagic = MEMPOOL_MAGIC;
 	mpctx->common.magic = ISCAPI_MPOOL_MAGIC;
@@ -2284,16 +2255,10 @@ isc_mem_renderxml(xmlTextWriterPtr writer) {
 #endif /* HAVE_LIBXML2 */
 
 #ifdef HAVE_JSON
-#define CHECKMEM(m) do { \
-	if (m == NULL) { \
-		result = ISC_R_NOMEMORY;\
-		goto error;\
-	} \
-} while(0)
+#define CHECKMEM(m) RUNTIME_CHECK(m != NULL)
 
 static isc_result_t
 json_renderctx(isc__mem_t *ctx, summarystat_t *summary, json_object *array) {
-	isc_result_t result = ISC_R_FAILURE;
 	json_object *ctxobj, *obj;
 	char buf[1024];
 
@@ -2385,12 +2350,6 @@ json_renderctx(isc__mem_t *ctx, summarystat_t *summary, json_object *array) {
 	MCTXUNLOCK(ctx, &ctx->lock);
 	json_object_array_add(array, ctxobj);
 	return (ISC_R_SUCCESS);
-
- error:
-	MCTXUNLOCK(ctx, &ctx->lock);
-	if (ctxobj != NULL)
-		json_object_put(ctxobj);
-	return (result);
 }
 
 isc_result_t