diff --git a/libraries/timidity/common.cpp b/libraries/timidity/common.cpp
index 6e77611a3..f58b53543 100644
--- a/libraries/timidity/common.cpp
+++ b/libraries/timidity/common.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ namespace Timidity
 /* This'll allocate memory or die. */
 void *safe_malloc(size_t count)
 {
+#if 0
 	char buffer[80];
 	void *p;
 	if (count > (1 << 21))
@@ -51,6 +52,15 @@ void *safe_malloc(size_t count)
 		throw std::runtime_error(buffer);
 	}
 	return 0;	// Unreachable.
+#else
+	// No, we cannot throw exceptions here - this code can get called from real-time worker threads.
+	auto p = malloc(count);
+	if (!p)
+	{
+		std::terminate(); // we must abort, though...
+	}
+	return p;
+#endif
 }
 
 
diff --git a/libraries/timidityplus/common.cpp b/libraries/timidityplus/common.cpp
index ce275c16b..053a57f0c 100644
--- a/libraries/timidityplus/common.cpp
+++ b/libraries/timidityplus/common.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ void *safe_malloc(size_t count)
 	auto p = malloc(count);
 	if (p == nullptr)
 	{
-		// I_FatalError("Out of memory");
+		abort();
 	}
 	return p;
 }
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ void *safe_realloc(void *ptr, size_t count)
 	auto p = realloc(ptr, count);
 	if (p == nullptr)
 	{
-		// I_FatalError("Out of memory");
+		abort();
 	}
 	return p;
 }
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ char *safe_strdup(const char *s)
 	auto p = strdup(s);
 	if (p == nullptr)
 	{
-		// I_FatalError("Out of memory");
+		abort();
 	}
 	return p;
 }