diff --git a/libs/binder/RpcState.cpp b/libs/binder/RpcState.cpp
index 96190dc..976351c 100644
--- a/libs/binder/RpcState.cpp
+++ b/libs/binder/RpcState.cpp
@@ -326,7 +326,11 @@
             .asyncNumber = asyncNumber,
     };
 
-    std::vector<uint8_t> transactionData(sizeof(RpcWireTransaction) + data.dataSize());
+    ByteVec transactionData(sizeof(RpcWireTransaction) + data.dataSize());
+    if (!transactionData.valid()) {
+        return NO_MEMORY;
+    }
+
     memcpy(transactionData.data() + 0, &transaction, sizeof(RpcWireTransaction));
     memcpy(transactionData.data() + sizeof(RpcWireTransaction), data.data(), data.dataSize());
 
@@ -379,9 +383,12 @@
         if (status != OK) return status;
     }
 
-    uint8_t* data = new uint8_t[command.bodySize];
+    ByteVec data(command.bodySize);
+    if (!data.valid()) {
+        return NO_MEMORY;
+    }
 
-    if (!rpcRec(fd, "reply body", data, command.bodySize)) {
+    if (!rpcRec(fd, "reply body", data.data(), command.bodySize)) {
         return DEAD_OBJECT;
     }
 
@@ -391,9 +398,10 @@
         terminate();
         return BAD_VALUE;
     }
-    RpcWireReply* rpcReply = reinterpret_cast<RpcWireReply*>(data);
+    RpcWireReply* rpcReply = reinterpret_cast<RpcWireReply*>(data.data());
     if (rpcReply->status != OK) return rpcReply->status;
 
+    data.release();
     reply->ipcSetDataReference(rpcReply->data, command.bodySize - offsetof(RpcWireReply, data),
                                nullptr, 0, cleanup_reply_data);
 
@@ -461,7 +469,10 @@
                                    const RpcWireHeader& command) {
     LOG_ALWAYS_FATAL_IF(command.command != RPC_COMMAND_TRANSACT, "command: %d", command.command);
 
-    std::vector<uint8_t> transactionData(command.bodySize);
+    ByteVec transactionData(command.bodySize);
+    if (!transactionData.valid()) {
+        return NO_MEMORY;
+    }
     if (!rpcRec(fd, "transaction body", transactionData.data(), transactionData.size())) {
         return DEAD_OBJECT;
     }
@@ -479,7 +490,7 @@
 }
 
 status_t RpcState::processTransactInternal(const base::unique_fd& fd, const sp<RpcSession>& session,
-                                           std::vector<uint8_t>&& transactionData) {
+                                           ByteVec transactionData) {
     if (transactionData.size() < sizeof(RpcWireTransaction)) {
         ALOGE("Expecting %zu but got %zu bytes for RpcWireTransaction. Terminating!",
               sizeof(RpcWireTransaction), transactionData.size());
@@ -630,7 +641,7 @@
                 // justification for const_cast (consider avoiding priority_queue):
                 // - AsyncTodo operator< doesn't depend on 'data' object
                 // - gotta go fast
-                std::vector<uint8_t> data = std::move(
+                ByteVec data = std::move(
                         const_cast<BinderNode::AsyncTodo&>(it->second.asyncTodo.top()).data);
                 it->second.asyncTodo.pop();
                 _l.unlock();
@@ -644,7 +655,10 @@
             .status = replyStatus,
     };
 
-    std::vector<uint8_t> replyData(sizeof(RpcWireReply) + reply.dataSize());
+    ByteVec replyData(sizeof(RpcWireReply) + reply.dataSize());
+    if (!replyData.valid()) {
+        return NO_MEMORY;
+    }
     memcpy(replyData.data() + 0, &rpcReply, sizeof(RpcWireReply));
     memcpy(replyData.data() + sizeof(RpcWireReply), reply.data(), reply.dataSize());
 
@@ -671,7 +685,10 @@
 status_t RpcState::processDecStrong(const base::unique_fd& fd, const RpcWireHeader& command) {
     LOG_ALWAYS_FATAL_IF(command.command != RPC_COMMAND_DEC_STRONG, "command: %d", command.command);
 
-    std::vector<uint8_t> commandData(command.bodySize);
+    ByteVec commandData(command.bodySize);
+    if (!commandData.valid()) {
+        return NO_MEMORY;
+    }
     if (!rpcRec(fd, "dec ref body", commandData.data(), commandData.size())) {
         return DEAD_OBJECT;
     }
diff --git a/libs/binder/RpcState.h b/libs/binder/RpcState.h
index 3f3eb1c..83d0344 100644
--- a/libs/binder/RpcState.h
+++ b/libs/binder/RpcState.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <binder/RpcSession.h>
 
 #include <map>
+#include <optional>
 #include <queue>
 
 namespace android {
@@ -100,6 +101,20 @@
      */
     void terminate();
 
+    // alternative to std::vector<uint8_t> that doesn't abort on too big of allocations
+    struct ByteVec {
+        explicit ByteVec(size_t size)
+              : mData(size > 0 ? new (std::nothrow) uint8_t[size] : nullptr), mSize(size) {}
+        bool valid() { return mSize == 0 || mData != nullptr; }
+        size_t size() { return mSize; }
+        uint8_t* data() { return mData.get(); }
+        uint8_t* release() { return mData.release(); }
+
+    private:
+        std::unique_ptr<uint8_t[]> mData;
+        size_t mSize;
+    };
+
     [[nodiscard]] bool rpcSend(const base::unique_fd& fd, const char* what, const void* data,
                                size_t size);
     [[nodiscard]] bool rpcRec(const base::unique_fd& fd, const char* what, void* data, size_t size);
@@ -113,7 +128,7 @@
                                            const RpcWireHeader& command);
     [[nodiscard]] status_t processTransactInternal(const base::unique_fd& fd,
                                                    const sp<RpcSession>& session,
-                                                   std::vector<uint8_t>&& transactionData);
+                                                   ByteVec transactionData);
     [[nodiscard]] status_t processDecStrong(const base::unique_fd& fd,
                                             const RpcWireHeader& command);
 
@@ -148,7 +163,7 @@
 
         // async transaction queue, _only_ for local binder
         struct AsyncTodo {
-            std::vector<uint8_t> data; // most convenient format, to move it here
+            ByteVec data;
             uint64_t asyncNumber = 0;
 
             bool operator<(const AsyncTodo& o) const {