diff --git a/lib/url.c b/lib/url.c
index 66012ef32..4b13c3634 100644
--- a/lib/url.c
+++ b/lib/url.c
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ CURLcode Curl_close(struct SessionHandle *data)
 
 CURLcode Curl_open(struct SessionHandle **curl)
 {
-  /* We don't yet support specifying the URL at this point */
+  CURLcode res = CURLE_OK;
   struct SessionHandle *data;
   /* Very simple start-up: alloc the struct, init it with zeroes and return */
   data = (struct SessionHandle *)malloc(sizeof(struct SessionHandle));
@@ -281,71 +281,75 @@ CURLcode Curl_open(struct SessionHandle **curl)
   /* We do some initial setup here, all those fields that can't be just 0 */
 
   data->state.headerbuff=(char*)malloc(HEADERSIZE);
-  if(!data->state.headerbuff) {
-    free(data); /* free the memory again */
-    return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
-  }
+  if(!data->state.headerbuff)
+    res = CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+  else {
+    data->state.headersize=HEADERSIZE;
 
-  data->state.headersize=HEADERSIZE;
+    data->set.out = stdout; /* default output to stdout */
+    data->set.in  = stdin;  /* default input from stdin */
+    data->set.err  = stderr;  /* default stderr to stderr */
 
-  data->set.out = stdout; /* default output to stdout */
-  data->set.in  = stdin;  /* default input from stdin */
-  data->set.err  = stderr;  /* default stderr to stderr */
+    /* use fwrite as default function to store output */
+    data->set.fwrite = (curl_write_callback)fwrite;
 
-  /* use fwrite as default function to store output */
-  data->set.fwrite = (curl_write_callback)fwrite;
+    /* use fread as default function to read input */
+    data->set.fread = (curl_read_callback)fread;
 
-  /* use fread as default function to read input */
-  data->set.fread = (curl_read_callback)fread;
+    data->set.infilesize = -1; /* we don't know any size */
 
-  data->set.infilesize = -1; /* we don't know any size */
+    data->state.current_speed = -1; /* init to negative == impossible */
 
-  data->state.current_speed = -1; /* init to negative == impossible */
+    data->set.httpreq = HTTPREQ_GET; /* Default HTTP request */
+    data->set.ftp_use_epsv = TRUE;   /* FTP defaults to EPSV operations */
+    data->set.ftp_use_eprt = TRUE;   /* FTP defaults to EPRT operations */
 
-  data->set.httpreq = HTTPREQ_GET; /* Default HTTP request */
-  data->set.ftp_use_epsv = TRUE;   /* FTP defaults to EPSV operations */
-  data->set.ftp_use_eprt = TRUE;   /* FTP defaults to EPRT operations */
+    data->set.dns_cache_timeout = 60; /* Timeout every 60 seconds by default */
 
-  data->set.dns_cache_timeout = 60; /* Timeout every 60 seconds by default */
+    /* make libcurl quiet by default: */
+    data->set.hide_progress = TRUE;  /* CURLOPT_NOPROGRESS changes these */
+    data->progress.flags |= PGRS_HIDE;
 
-  /* make libcurl quiet by default: */
-  data->set.hide_progress = TRUE;  /* CURLOPT_NOPROGRESS changes these */
-  data->progress.flags |= PGRS_HIDE;
+    /* Set the default size of the SSL session ID cache */
+    data->set.ssl.numsessions = 5;
 
-  /* Set the default size of the SSL session ID cache */
-  data->set.ssl.numsessions = 5;
+    data->set.proxyport = 1080;
+    data->set.proxytype = CURLPROXY_HTTP; /* defaults to HTTP proxy */
+    data->set.httpauth = CURLAUTH_BASIC;  /* defaults to basic */
+    data->set.proxyauth = CURLAUTH_BASIC; /* defaults to basic */
 
-  data->set.proxyport = 1080;
+    /* create an array with connection data struct pointers */
+    data->state.numconnects = 5; /* hard-coded right now */
+    data->state.connects = (struct connectdata **)
+      malloc(sizeof(struct connectdata *) * data->state.numconnects);
 
-  data->set.proxytype = CURLPROXY_HTTP; /* defaults to HTTP proxy */
+    if(!data->state.connects)
+      res = CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+    else 
+      memset(data->state.connects, 0,
+             sizeof(struct connectdata *)*data->state.numconnects);
 
-  data->set.httpauth = CURLAUTH_BASIC; /* defaults to basic authentication */
-  data->set.proxyauth = CURLAUTH_BASIC; /* defaults to basic authentication */
-
-  /* create an array with connection data struct pointers */
-  data->state.numconnects = 5; /* hard-coded right now */
-  data->state.connects = (struct connectdata **)
-    malloc(sizeof(struct connectdata *) * data->state.numconnects);
-
-  if(!data->state.connects) {
-    free(data->state.headerbuff);
-    free(data);
-    return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
-  }
-
-  /*
-   * libcurl 7.10 introduces SSL verification *by default*! This needs to be
-   * switched off unless wanted.
-   */
-  data->set.ssl.verifypeer = TRUE;
-  data->set.ssl.verifyhost = 2;
+    /*
+     * libcurl 7.10 introduced SSL verification *by default*! This needs to be
+     * switched off unless wanted.
+     */
+    data->set.ssl.verifypeer = TRUE;
+    data->set.ssl.verifyhost = 2;
 #ifdef CURL_CA_BUNDLE
-  /* This is our prefered CA cert bundle since install time */
-  data->set.ssl.CAfile = (char *)CURL_CA_BUNDLE;
+    /* This is our prefered CA cert bundle since install time */
+    data->set.ssl.CAfile = (char *)CURL_CA_BUNDLE;
 #endif
+  }
 
-  memset(data->state.connects, 0,
-         sizeof(struct connectdata *)*data->state.numconnects);
+  if(res) {
+#ifdef USE_ARES
+    ares_destroy(data->state.areschannel);
+#endif
+    if(data->state.headerbuff)
+      free(data->state.headerbuff);
+    free(data);
+    data = NULL;
+  }
 
   *curl = data;
   return CURLE_OK;