diff --git a/vm/os-genunix.c b/vm/os-genunix.c
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 92598eec41..a0bd3e05ae
--- a/vm/os-genunix.c
+++ b/vm/os-genunix.c
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ const char *default_image_path(void)
 	if(!path)
 		return "factor.image";
 
-	char *new_path = safe_realloc(path,PATH_MAX + strlen(SUFFIX) + 1);
+	char *new_path = safe_malloc(PATH_MAX + strlen(SUFFIX) + 1);
+	memcpy(new_path,path,strlen(path) + 1);
 	strcat(new_path,SUFFIX); 
 	return new_path;
 }
diff --git a/vm/utilities.c b/vm/utilities.c
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 60a4ecb268..ebc8e87977
--- a/vm/utilities.c
+++ b/vm/utilities.c
@@ -8,13 +8,6 @@ void *safe_malloc(size_t size)
 	return ptr;
 }
 
-void *safe_realloc(const void *ptr, size_t size)
-{
-	void *new_ptr = realloc((void *)ptr,size);
-	if(!new_ptr) fatal_error("Out of memory in safe_realloc", 0);
-	return new_ptr;
-}
-
 F_CHAR *safe_strdup(const F_CHAR *str)
 {
 	F_CHAR *ptr = STRDUP(str);
diff --git a/vm/utilities.h b/vm/utilities.h
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 483e395345..89a8ba57a3
--- a/vm/utilities.h
+++ b/vm/utilities.h
@@ -1,3 +1,2 @@
 void *safe_malloc(size_t size);
-void *safe_realloc(const void *ptr, size_t size);
 F_CHAR *safe_strdup(const F_CHAR *str);