diff --git a/vm/bignum.cpp b/vm/bignum.cpp
index 62d9952364..03b34edd97 100755
--- a/vm/bignum.cpp
+++ b/vm/bignum.cpp
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ bignum *bignum_remainder(bignum * numerator, bignum * denominator)
 }
 
 #define FOO_TO_BIGNUM(name,type,utype) \
-  bignum * name##_to_bignum(type n)                                 \
+	bignum * factorvm::name##_to_bignum(type n)						   \
   {                                                                    \
     int negative_p;                                                    \
     bignum_digit_type result_digits [BIGNUM_DIGITS_FOR(type)];         \
diff --git a/vm/bignum.hpp b/vm/bignum.hpp
index 296f0dce4c..5f502dcc22 100644
--- a/vm/bignum.hpp
+++ b/vm/bignum.hpp
@@ -55,10 +55,6 @@ bignum_divide(bignum * numerator, bignum * denominator,
 		  bignum * * quotient, bignum * * remainder);
 bignum * bignum_quotient(bignum *, bignum *);
 bignum * bignum_remainder(bignum *, bignum *);
-bignum * fixnum_to_bignum(fixnum);
-bignum * cell_to_bignum(cell);
-bignum * long_long_to_bignum(s64 n);
-bignum * ulong_long_to_bignum(u64 n);
 fixnum bignum_to_fixnum(bignum *);
 cell bignum_to_cell(bignum *);
 s64 bignum_to_long_long(bignum *);
diff --git a/vm/local_roots.hpp b/vm/local_roots.hpp
index 412ef35bb4..0d6a033f82 100644
--- a/vm/local_roots.hpp
+++ b/vm/local_roots.hpp
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
 namespace factor
 {
-
 }
diff --git a/vm/math.cpp b/vm/math.cpp
index f273cede0e..74caec3074 100755
--- a/vm/math.cpp
+++ b/vm/math.cpp
@@ -3,10 +3,6 @@
 namespace factor
 {
 
-cell bignum_zero;
-cell bignum_pos_one;
-cell bignum_neg_one;
-
 inline void factorvm::vmprim_bignum_to_fixnum()
 {
 	drepl(tag_fixnum(bignum_to_fixnum(untag<bignum>(dpeek()))));
diff --git a/vm/math.hpp b/vm/math.hpp
index 0f8de05218..863fa1b4af 100644
--- a/vm/math.hpp
+++ b/vm/math.hpp
@@ -1,10 +1,6 @@
 namespace factor
 {
 
-extern cell bignum_zero;
-extern cell bignum_pos_one;
-extern cell bignum_neg_one;
-
 static const fixnum fixnum_max = (((fixnum)1 << (WORD_SIZE - TAG_BITS - 1)) - 1);
 static const fixnum fixnum_min = (-((fixnum)1 << (WORD_SIZE - TAG_BITS - 1)));
 static const fixnum array_size_max = ((cell)1 << (WORD_SIZE - TAG_BITS - 2));
diff --git a/vm/vm.hpp b/vm/vm.hpp
index 813bf5c528..fab910be48 100644
--- a/vm/vm.hpp
+++ b/vm/vm.hpp
@@ -243,6 +243,9 @@ struct factorvm {
 	inline void check_tagged_pointer(cell tagged);
 
 	// local roots
+	/* If a runtime function needs to call another function which potentially
+	   allocates memory, it must wrap any local variable references to Factor
+	   objects in gc_root instances */
 	std::vector<cell> gc_locals;
 	std::vector<cell> gc_bignums;
 
@@ -329,10 +332,17 @@ struct factorvm {
 	inline void vmprim_wrapper();
 
 	//math
+	cell bignum_zero;
+	cell bignum_pos_one;
+	cell bignum_neg_one;	
 	inline void vmprim_bignum_to_fixnum();
 	inline void vmprim_float_to_fixnum();
 	inline void vmprim_fixnum_divint();
 	inline void vmprim_fixnum_divmod();
+	bignum *fixnum_to_bignum(fixnum);
+	bignum *cell_to_bignum(cell);
+	bignum *long_long_to_bignum(s64 n);
+	bignum *ulong_long_to_bignum(u64 n);
 	inline fixnum sign_mask(fixnum x);
 	inline fixnum branchless_max(fixnum x, fixnum y);
 	inline fixnum branchless_abs(fixnum x);