diff --git a/hl/test/test_ds.c b/hl/test/test_ds.c
index 3ca1e4d0f2..091a98bf46 100644
--- a/hl/test/test_ds.c
+++ b/hl/test/test_ds.c
@@ -410,8 +410,8 @@ herr_t create_long_dataset(hid_t fid, const char *dsname, const char *dsidx, int
     long    s44_wbuf[DIM4_SIZE] = {280,280};
 
     /* Allocate buffer */
-    buf = (long *)HDmalloc(sizeof(long) * DIM1_SIZE * DIM2_SIZE * DIM3_SIZE * DIM4_SIZE);
-    HDassert(buf);
+    if(NULL == (buf = (long *)HDmalloc(sizeof(long) * DIM1_SIZE * DIM2_SIZE * DIM3_SIZE * DIM4_SIZE)))
+         return FAIL;
 
     /* make a dataset */
     if(H5LTmake_dataset_long(fid, dsname, rank, dims, buf) >= 0) {
diff --git a/hl/tools/gif2h5/h52gifgentst.c b/hl/tools/gif2h5/h52gifgentst.c
index 6a410289e8..39e950b8be 100644
--- a/hl/tools/gif2h5/h52gifgentst.c
+++ b/hl/tools/gif2h5/h52gifgentst.c
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ int main(void)
     hsize_t       height = HEIGHT;
 
     /* Allocate buffer */
-    buf = (unsigned char *)malloc(WIDTH * HEIGHT);
-    assert(buf);
+    if(NULL == (buf = (unsigned char *)malloc(WIDTH * HEIGHT)))
+        return EXIT_FAILURE;
 
     /* create a file  */
     if ((fid = H5Fcreate(FILENAME, H5F_ACC_TRUNC, H5P_DEFAULT, H5P_DEFAULT))<0)
diff --git a/test/h5test.c b/test/h5test.c
index 974f2e7175..92b90c53f9 100644
--- a/test/h5test.c
+++ b/test/h5test.c
@@ -867,8 +867,8 @@ h5_fileaccess(void)
         HDassert(HDstrlen(multi_letters)==H5FD_MEM_NTYPES);
         for(mt = H5FD_MEM_DEFAULT; mt < H5FD_MEM_NTYPES; H5_INC_ENUM(H5FD_mem_t, mt)) {
             memb_fapl[mt] = H5P_DEFAULT;
-            sv[mt] = (char *)HDmalloc(1024);
-            HDassert(sv[mt]);
+            if(NULL == (sv[mt] = (char *)HDmalloc(1024)))
+                return -1;
             HDsprintf(sv[mt], "%%s-%c.h5", multi_letters[mt]);
             memb_name[mt] = sv[mt];
             memb_addr[mt] = (haddr_t)MAX(mt - 1, 0) * (HADDR_MAX / 10);