diff --git a/src/backend/backend.c b/src/backend/backend.c
index b2100ebcd..baa3d49b6 100644
--- a/src/backend/backend.c
+++ b/src/backend/backend.c
@@ -89,6 +89,10 @@ lumiera_backend_init (void)
   mpool_init_hook = lumiera_backend_resourcecollector_register_mpool;
   mpool_destroy_hook = lumiera_backend_resourcecollector_unregister_mpool;
 
+  /* hook the resourcecollector into the safeclib allocation functions */
+  lumiera_safeclib_set_resourcecollector (lumiera_resourcecollector_run);
+
+  PLANNED("The resourcecollector aborts by default when there is no final strategy for recovery, TODO: initiate sane shutdown");
 
   lumiera_threadpool_init ();
   PLANNED ("hook threadpool into the resourcecollector (maybe in threadpool_init() instead here");
@@ -144,6 +148,13 @@ lumiera_backend_destroy (void)
   lumiera_filedescriptorregistry_destroy ();
   lumiera_threadpool_destroy ();
 
+  lumiera_safeclib_set_resourcecollector (NULL);
+
+  mpool_init_hook = NULL;
+  mpool_destroy_hook = NULL;
+  mpool_malloc_hook = malloc;
+  mpool_free_hook = free;
+
   lumiera_resourcecollector_destroy ();
 
   lumiera_mutex_destroy (&lumiera_filecreate_mutex, &NOBUG_FLAG (mutex_dbg), NOBUG_CONTEXT);
diff --git a/src/backend/resourcecollector.h b/src/backend/resourcecollector.h
index eae4079ea..1d41e3e44 100644
--- a/src/backend/resourcecollector.h
+++ b/src/backend/resourcecollector.h
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ enum lumiera_resource_try
  * @return indication what the the handler really did (LUMIERA_RESOURCE_NONE when it didn't obey the request)
  */
 typedef enum lumiera_resource_try (*lumiera_resource_handler_fn)(enum lumiera_resource_try itr, void* data, void* context);
+typedef int (*lumiera_resourcecollector_run_fn) (enum lumiera_resource which, enum lumiera_resource_try* iteration, void* context);
 
 typedef struct lumiera_resourcehandler_struct lumiera_resourcehandler;
 typedef lumiera_resourcehandler* LumieraResourcehandler;
diff --git a/src/lib/safeclib.c b/src/lib/safeclib.c
index b6503a998..989648812 100644
--- a/src/lib/safeclib.c
+++ b/src/lib/safeclib.c
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 #include "lib/error.h"
 #include "lib/safeclib.h"
 
+#include "backend/resourcecollector.h"
+
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <pthread.h>
@@ -31,12 +33,40 @@
 
 LUMIERA_ERROR_DEFINE (NO_MEMORY, "Out of Memory!");
 
+
+
+/* placeholder function until the resourcecollector gets hooked in */
+static int
+die_no_mem (enum lumiera_resource which, enum lumiera_resource_try* iteration, void* context)
+{
+  (void) which; (void) iteration; (void) context;
+  LUMIERA_DIE (NO_MEMORY);
+  return 0; /* not reached */
+}
+
+static lumiera_resourcecollector_run_fn lumiera_safeclib_resourcecollector_run_hook = die_no_mem;
+
+void
+lumiera_safeclib_set_resourcecollector (void* hook)
+{
+  if (hook)
+    lumiera_safeclib_resourcecollector_run_hook = (lumiera_resourcecollector_run_fn)hook;
+  else
+    lumiera_safeclib_resourcecollector_run_hook = die_no_mem;
+}
+
+
 void*
 lumiera_malloc (size_t size)
 {
-  void* o = size ? malloc (size) : NULL;
-  if (!o)
-    LUMIERA_DIE (NO_MEMORY);
+  enum lumiera_resource_try iteration = LUMIERA_RESOURCE_ONE;
+  void* o = NULL;
+
+  if (size)
+    do
+      o = malloc (size);
+    while (!o && lumiera_safeclib_resourcecollector_run_hook (LUMIERA_RESOURCE_MEMORY, &iteration, &size));
+
   return o;
 }
 
@@ -44,9 +74,16 @@ lumiera_malloc (size_t size)
 void*
 lumiera_calloc (size_t n, size_t size)
 {
-  void* o = (n&&size)? calloc (n, size) : NULL;
-  if (!o)
-    LUMIERA_DIE (NO_MEMORY);
+  enum lumiera_resource_try iteration = LUMIERA_RESOURCE_ONE;
+  void* o = NULL;
+
+  size_t gross = n*size;
+
+  if (n&&size)
+    do
+      o = calloc (n, size);
+    while (!o && lumiera_safeclib_resourcecollector_run_hook (LUMIERA_RESOURCE_MEMORY, &iteration, &gross));
+
   return o;
 }
 
@@ -54,9 +91,13 @@ lumiera_calloc (size_t n, size_t size)
 void*
 lumiera_realloc (void* ptr, size_t size)
 {
-  void* o = size ? realloc (ptr, size) : NULL;
-  if (!o)
-    LUMIERA_DIE (NO_MEMORY);
+  enum lumiera_resource_try iteration = LUMIERA_RESOURCE_ONE;
+  void* o = NULL;
+
+  if (size)
+    do
+      o = realloc (ptr, size);
+    while (!o && lumiera_safeclib_resourcecollector_run_hook (LUMIERA_RESOURCE_MEMORY, &iteration, &size));
 
   return o;
 }
@@ -65,14 +106,16 @@ lumiera_realloc (void* ptr, size_t size)
 char*
 lumiera_strndup (const char* str, size_t len)
 {
-  char* o;
-  if (str)
-    o = strndup (str, len);
-  else
-    o = strdup ("");
+  enum lumiera_resource_try iteration = LUMIERA_RESOURCE_ONE;
+  void* o = NULL;
+
+  do
+    if (str && len)
+      o = strndup (str, len);
+    else
+      o = strdup ("");
+  while (!o && lumiera_safeclib_resourcecollector_run_hook (LUMIERA_RESOURCE_MEMORY, &iteration, &len));
 
-  if (!o)
-    LUMIERA_DIE (NO_MEMORY);
   return o;
 }
 
@@ -234,3 +277,12 @@ lumiera_tmpbuf_tr (const char* in, const char* from, const char* to, const char*
 
   return ret;
 }
+
+
+/*
+// Local Variables:
+// mode: C
+// c-file-style: "gnu"
+// indent-tabs-mode: nil
+// End:
+*/
diff --git a/src/lib/safeclib.h b/src/lib/safeclib.h
index ed0d73fd3..be322aa0b 100644
--- a/src/lib/safeclib.h
+++ b/src/lib/safeclib.h
@@ -29,6 +29,18 @@
  */
 LUMIERA_ERROR_DECLARE(NO_MEMORY);
 
+/**
+ * Install the resourcecollector run hook.
+ * The resourcecollectr must be hooked into the safeclib at bootup after it got
+ * initialized and removed from it before shut down. Without resourcecollector
+ * failed allocations will abort().
+ * @param hook pointer to the resourcecollector_run function, must be of type
+ *        lumiera_resourcecollector_run_fn but we dont want a dependency on backend in this header
+ */
+void
+lumiera_safeclib_set_resourcecollector (void* hook);
+
+
 /**
  * Allocate memory.
  * always succeeds or dies