diff --git a/src/eval.c b/src/eval.c
index 76dd653..89407b2 100644
--- a/src/eval.c
+++ b/src/eval.c
@@ -467,6 +467,7 @@
 static void f_acos __ARGS((typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv));
 #endif
 static void f_add __ARGS((typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv));
+static void f_alloc_fail __ARGS((typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv));
 static void f_and __ARGS((typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv));
 static void f_append __ARGS((typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv));
 static void f_argc __ARGS((typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv));
@@ -8071,6 +8072,7 @@
     {"acos",		1, 1, f_acos},	/* WJMc */
 #endif
     {"add",		2, 2, f_add},
+    {"alloc_fail",	3, 3, f_alloc_fail},
     {"and",		2, 2, f_and},
     {"append",		2, 2, f_append},
     {"argc",		0, 0, f_argc},
@@ -8984,6 +8986,28 @@
 }
 
 /*
+ * "alloc_fail(id, countdown, repeat)" function
+ */
+    static void
+f_alloc_fail(argvars, rettv)
+    typval_T	*argvars;
+    typval_T	*rettv UNUSED;
+{
+    if (argvars[0].v_type != VAR_NUMBER
+	    || argvars[0].vval.v_number <= 0
+	    || argvars[1].v_type != VAR_NUMBER
+	    || argvars[1].vval.v_number < 0
+	    || argvars[2].v_type != VAR_NUMBER)
+	EMSG(_(e_invarg));
+    else
+    {
+	alloc_fail_id = argvars[0].vval.v_number;
+	alloc_fail_countdown = argvars[1].vval.v_number;
+	alloc_fail_repeat = argvars[2].vval.v_number;
+    }
+}
+
+/*
  * "and(expr, expr)" function
  */
     static void
diff --git a/src/globals.h b/src/globals.h
index d921a4e..54a1d72 100644
--- a/src/globals.h
+++ b/src/globals.h
@@ -1619,6 +1619,15 @@
 EXTERN int ignored;
 EXTERN char *ignoredp;
 
+#ifdef FEAT_EVAL
+/* set by alloc_fail(): ID */
+EXTERN int  alloc_fail_id INIT(= 0);
+/* set by alloc_fail(), when zero alloc() returns NULL */
+EXTERN int  alloc_fail_countdown INIT(= -1);
+/* set by alloc_fail(), number of times alloc() returns NULL */
+EXTERN int  alloc_fail_repeat INIT(= 0);
+#endif
+
 /*
  * Optional Farsi support.  Include it here, so EXTERN and INIT are defined.
  */
diff --git a/src/misc2.c b/src/misc2.c
index 9f8d7ad..65ac886 100644
--- a/src/misc2.c
+++ b/src/misc2.c
@@ -797,6 +797,21 @@
 
 #endif /* MEM_PROFILE */
 
+#ifdef FEAT_EVAL
+    static int
+alloc_does_fail()
+{
+    if (alloc_fail_countdown == 0)
+    {
+	if (--alloc_fail_repeat <= 0)
+	    alloc_fail_id = 0;
+	return TRUE;
+    }
+    --alloc_fail_countdown;
+    return FALSE;
+}
+#endif
+
 /*
  * Some memory is reserved for error messages and for being able to
  * call mf_release_all(), which needs some memory for mf_trans_add().
@@ -821,6 +836,22 @@
 }
 
 /*
+ * alloc() with an ID for alloc_fail().
+ * LAST_ID_USED: 5
+ */
+    char_u *
+alloc_id(size, id)
+    unsigned	size;
+    int		id;
+{
+#ifdef FEAT_EVAL
+    if (alloc_fail_id == id && alloc_does_fail())
+	return NULL;
+#endif
+    return (lalloc((long_u)size, TRUE));
+}
+
+/*
  * Allocate memory and set all bytes to zero.
  */
     char_u *
@@ -968,6 +999,23 @@
     return p;
 }
 
+/*
+ * lalloc() with an ID for alloc_fail().
+ * See LAST_ID_USED above.
+ */
+    char_u *
+lalloc_id(size, message, id)
+    long_u	size;
+    int		message;
+    int		id;
+{
+#ifdef FEAT_EVAL
+    if (alloc_fail_id == id && alloc_does_fail())
+	return NULL;
+#endif
+    return (lalloc((long_u)size, message));
+}
+
 #if defined(MEM_PROFILE) || defined(PROTO)
 /*
  * realloc() with memory profiling.
diff --git a/src/proto/misc2.pro b/src/proto/misc2.pro
index 490b1af..4a955e3 100644
--- a/src/proto/misc2.pro
+++ b/src/proto/misc2.pro
@@ -20,10 +20,12 @@
 int leftcol_changed __ARGS((void));
 void vim_mem_profile_dump __ARGS((void));
 char_u *alloc __ARGS((unsigned size));
+char_u *alloc_id __ARGS((unsigned size, int id));
 char_u *alloc_clear __ARGS((unsigned size));
 char_u *alloc_check __ARGS((unsigned size));
 char_u *lalloc_clear __ARGS((long_u size, int message));
 char_u *lalloc __ARGS((long_u size, int message));
+char_u *lalloc_id __ARGS((long_u size, int message, int id));
 void *mem_realloc __ARGS((void *ptr, size_t size));
 void do_outofmem_msg __ARGS((long_u size));
 void free_all_mem __ARGS((void));
diff --git a/src/quickfix.c b/src/quickfix.c
index 758f792..1fda311 100644
--- a/src/quickfix.c
+++ b/src/quickfix.c
@@ -253,9 +253,9 @@
 			{'s', ".\\+"}
 		    };
 
-    namebuf = alloc(CMDBUFFSIZE + 1);
-    errmsg = alloc(CMDBUFFSIZE + 1);
-    pattern = alloc(CMDBUFFSIZE + 1);
+    namebuf = alloc_id(CMDBUFFSIZE + 1, 3);
+    errmsg = alloc_id(CMDBUFFSIZE + 1, 4);
+    pattern = alloc_id(CMDBUFFSIZE + 1, 5);
     if (namebuf == NULL || errmsg == NULL || pattern == NULL)
 	goto qf_init_end;
 
@@ -3465,8 +3465,8 @@
 	goto theend;
     }
 
-    dirname_start = alloc(MAXPATHL);
-    dirname_now = alloc(MAXPATHL);
+    dirname_start = alloc_id(MAXPATHL, 1);
+    dirname_now = alloc_id(MAXPATHL, 2);
     if (dirname_start == NULL || dirname_now == NULL)
 	goto theend;
 
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_quickfix.vim b/src/testdir/test_quickfix.vim
index 60cb539..6910a8b 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_quickfix.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_quickfix.vim
@@ -273,3 +273,42 @@
   call XbufferTests('l')
 endfunction
 
+function Test_nomem()
+  call alloc_fail(1, 0, 0)
+  try
+    vimgrep vim runtest.vim
+  catch
+    call assert_true(v:exception =~ 'E342')
+  endtry
+
+  call alloc_fail(2, 0, 0)
+  try
+    vimgrep vim runtest.vim
+  catch
+    call assert_true(v:exception =~ 'E342')
+  endtry
+
+  call alloc_fail(3, 0, 0)
+  try
+    cfile runtest.vim
+  catch
+    call assert_true(v:exception =~ 'E342')
+  endtry
+
+  call alloc_fail(4, 0, 0)
+  try
+    cfile runtest.vim
+  catch
+    call assert_true(v:exception =~ 'E342')
+  endtry
+
+  call alloc_fail(5, 0, 0)
+  try
+    cfile runtest.vim
+  catch
+    call assert_true(v:exception =~ 'E342')
+  endtry
+
+endfunc
+
+
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index b20ebd4..34df592 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -742,6 +742,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    1058,
+/**/
     1057,
 /**/
     1056,