diff --git a/control.c b/control.c
index 302c2956..578d04cb 100644
--- a/control.c
+++ b/control.c
@@ -775,12 +775,16 @@ control_start(struct client *c)
 
 	cs->read_event = bufferevent_new(c->fd, control_read_callback,
 	    control_write_callback, control_error_callback, c);
+	if (cs->read_event == NULL)
+		fatalx("out of memory");
 
 	if (c->flags & CLIENT_CONTROLCONTROL)
 		cs->write_event = cs->read_event;
 	else {
 		cs->write_event = bufferevent_new(c->out_fd, NULL,
 		    control_write_callback, control_error_callback, c);
+		if (cs->write_event == NULL)
+			fatalx("out of memory");
 	}
 	bufferevent_setwatermark(cs->write_event, EV_WRITE, CONTROL_BUFFER_LOW,
 	    0);
diff --git a/file.c b/file.c
index b2f155fe..04a907bf 100644
--- a/file.c
+++ b/file.c
@@ -585,6 +585,8 @@ file_write_open(struct client_files *files, struct tmuxpeer *peer,
 
 	cf->event = bufferevent_new(cf->fd, NULL, file_write_callback,
 	    file_write_error_callback, cf);
+	if (cf->event == NULL)
+		fatalx("out of memory");
 	bufferevent_enable(cf->event, EV_WRITE);
 	goto reply;
 
@@ -744,6 +746,8 @@ file_read_open(struct client_files *files, struct tmuxpeer *peer,
 
 	cf->event = bufferevent_new(cf->fd, file_read_callback, NULL,
 	    file_read_error_callback, cf);
+	if (cf->event == NULL)
+		fatalx("out of memory");
 	bufferevent_enable(cf->event, EV_READ);
 	return;
 
diff --git a/window.c b/window.c
index f689f01d..fe184bb4 100644
--- a/window.c
+++ b/window.c
@@ -1043,6 +1043,8 @@ window_pane_set_event(struct window_pane *wp)
 
 	wp->event = bufferevent_new(wp->fd, window_pane_read_callback,
 	    NULL, window_pane_error_callback, wp);
+	if (wp->event == NULL)
+		fatalx("out of memory");
 	wp->ictx = input_init(wp, wp->event, &wp->palette);
 
 	bufferevent_enable(wp->event, EV_READ|EV_WRITE);