diff --git a/cplusplus/xraylib++.h b/cplusplus/xraylib++.h
index 4f44ead3..48da95d6 100644
--- a/cplusplus/xraylib++.h
+++ b/cplusplus/xraylib++.h
@@ -16,10 +16,8 @@ THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY Tom Schoonjans ''AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
 
 #include <xraylib.h>
 #include <stdexcept>
-#include <new>
 #include <complex>
 #include <vector>
-#include <cstring>
 
 using _compoundDataPod = struct compoundData;
 using _radioNuclideDataPod = struct radioNuclideData;
@@ -338,8 +336,8 @@ namespace xrlpp {
                 n_atom(atoms.size()),
                 atom(atoms)
             {
-                cs = (Crystal_Struct *) malloc(sizeof(Crystal_Struct));
-                cs->name = strdup(name.c_str());
+                cs = (Crystal_Struct *) xrl_malloc(sizeof(Crystal_Struct));
+                cs->name = xrl_strdup(name.c_str());
                 cs->a = a;
                 cs->b = b;
                 cs->c = c;
@@ -348,7 +346,7 @@ namespace xrlpp {
                 cs->gamma = gamma;
                 cs->volume = volume;
                 cs->n_atom = n_atom;
-                cs->atom = (Crystal_Atom *) malloc(sizeof(Crystal_Atom) * n_atom);
+                cs->atom = (Crystal_Atom *) xrl_malloc(sizeof(Crystal_Atom) * n_atom);
                 for (int i = 0 ; i < n_atom ; i++) {
                     cs->atom[i].Zatom = atoms[i].Zatom;
                     cs->atom[i].fraction = atoms[i].fraction;
diff --git a/include/Makefile.am b/include/Makefile.am
index be2fbb48..1db48276 100644
--- a/include/Makefile.am
+++ b/include/Makefile.am
@@ -10,4 +10,5 @@ xraylibinclude_HEADERS = 	xraylib.h \
 				xraylib-nist-compounds.h \
 				xraylib-radionuclides.h \
 				xraylib-error.h \
-				xraylib-deprecated.h
+				xraylib-deprecated.h \
+				xraylib-aux.h
diff --git a/src/xraylib-aux.h b/include/xraylib-aux.h
similarity index 96%
rename from src/xraylib-aux.h
rename to include/xraylib-aux.h
index cde7ec57..8b6f04bc 100644
--- a/src/xraylib-aux.h
+++ b/include/xraylib-aux.h
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY Tom Schoonjans ''AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
 #ifndef _XRAYLIB_AUX_H
 #define _XRAYLIB_AUX_H
 
-#include "xraylib.h"
+#ifndef SWIG
 #include <stddef.h>
 
 XRL_EXTERN
@@ -23,4 +23,8 @@ char *xrl_strdup(const char *str);
 XRL_EXTERN
 char *xrl_strndup(const char *str, size_t len);
 
+XRL_EXTERN
+void *xrl_malloc(size_t size);
+
+#endif
 #endif
diff --git a/include/xraylib.h b/include/xraylib.h
index 1b65f3dc..27543112 100644
--- a/include/xraylib.h
+++ b/include/xraylib.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #include "xraylib-nist-compounds.h"
 #include "xraylib-radionuclides.h"
 #include "xraylib-deprecated.h"
+#include "xraylib-aux.h"
 
 /*
  * Siegbahn notation
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 9213db95..80fb2476 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -48,9 +48,8 @@ libprdata_la_SOURCES = \
 		 radrate.c \
 		 auger_trans.c \
 		 kissel_pe.c \
-	         cross_sections.c \
-		 xraylib-aux.c \
-		 xraylib-aux.h 
+	     cross_sections.c \
+		 xraylib-aux.c
 
 libprdata_la_LIBADD = $(LIBM)
 
@@ -80,7 +79,6 @@ libxrl_la_SOURCES = xrayvars.c \
 		    xrayglob.h \
 		    xrayvars.h \
 		    xraylib-aux.c \
-		    xraylib-aux.h \
 		    xraylib-parser.c \
 		    cs_cp.c \
 		    refractive_indices.c \
diff --git a/src/xraylib-aux.c b/src/xraylib-aux.c
index 0c2f170d..99343c79 100644
--- a/src/xraylib-aux.c
+++ b/src/xraylib-aux.c
@@ -40,3 +40,7 @@ char *xrl_strndup(const char *str, size_t len) {
 	return strndup(str, len);
 #endif
 }
+
+void *xrl_malloc(size_t size) {
+	return malloc(size);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/xraylib.i b/src/xraylib.i
index 5cd44d4f..b942bb63 100644
--- a/src/xraylib.i
+++ b/src/xraylib.i
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ __version__ = VERSION
 
 XRL_GNUC_BEGIN_IGNORE_DEPRECATIONS
 #include "xraylib.h"
-#include "xraylib-aux.h"
 #include "xrf_cross_sections_aux.h"