diff --git a/bfd/mach-o.c b/bfd/mach-o.c
index d02398048c..7d70087c95 100644
--- a/bfd/mach-o.c
+++ b/bfd/mach-o.c
@@ -5417,7 +5417,7 @@ bfd_mach_o_fat_archive_p (bfd *abfd)
    ARCH_TYPE/ARCH_SUBTYPE and corresponding entry in header is ENTRY.
    Set arelt_data and origin fields too.  */
 
-static void
+static bfd_boolean
 bfd_mach_o_fat_member_init (bfd *abfd,
 			    enum bfd_architecture arch_type,
 			    unsigned long arch_subtype,
@@ -5426,27 +5426,35 @@ bfd_mach_o_fat_member_init (bfd *abfd,
   struct areltdata *areltdata;
   /* Create the member filename. Use ARCH_NAME.  */
   const bfd_arch_info_type *ap = bfd_lookup_arch (arch_type, arch_subtype);
+  char *filename;
 
   if (ap)
     {
       /* Use the architecture name if known.  */
-      abfd->filename = xstrdup (ap->printable_name);
+      filename = bfd_strdup (ap->printable_name);
+      if (filename == NULL)
+	return FALSE;
     }
   else
     {
       /* Forge a uniq id.  */
       const size_t namelen = 2 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 8 + 1;
-      char *name = xmalloc (namelen);
-      snprintf (name, namelen, "0x%lx-0x%lx",
+      filename = bfd_malloc (namelen);
+      if (filename == NULL)
+	return FALSE;
+      snprintf (filename, namelen, "0x%lx-0x%lx",
 		entry->cputype, entry->cpusubtype);
-      abfd->filename = name;
     }
+  bfd_set_filename (abfd, filename);
 
   areltdata = bfd_zmalloc (sizeof (struct areltdata));
+  if (areltdata == NULL)
+    return FALSE;
   areltdata->parsed_size = entry->size;
   abfd->arelt_data = areltdata;
   abfd->iostream = NULL;
   abfd->origin = entry->offset;
+  return TRUE;
 }
 
 bfd *
@@ -5502,7 +5510,11 @@ bfd_mach_o_fat_openr_next_archived_file (bfd *archive, bfd *prev)
   bfd_mach_o_convert_architecture (entry->cputype, entry->cpusubtype,
 				   &arch_type, &arch_subtype);
 
-  bfd_mach_o_fat_member_init (nbfd, arch_type, arch_subtype, entry);
+  if (!bfd_mach_o_fat_member_init (nbfd, arch_type, arch_subtype, entry))
+    {
+      bfd_close (nbfd);
+      return NULL;
+    }
 
   bfd_set_arch_mach (nbfd, arch_type, arch_subtype);
 
@@ -5574,9 +5586,8 @@ bfd_mach_o_fat_extract (bfd *abfd,
       if (res == NULL)
 	return NULL;
 
-      bfd_mach_o_fat_member_init (res, cpu_type, cpu_subtype, e);
-
-      if (bfd_check_format (res, format))
+      if (bfd_mach_o_fat_member_init (res, cpu_type, cpu_subtype, e)
+	  && bfd_check_format (res, format))
 	{
 	  BFD_ASSERT (bfd_get_arch_info (res) == arch);
 	  return res;
diff --git a/bfd/vms-lib.c b/bfd/vms-lib.c
index f238ba0016..43addd46ec 100644
--- a/bfd/vms-lib.c
+++ b/bfd/vms-lib.c
@@ -1297,7 +1297,9 @@ _bfd_vms_lib_get_module (bfd *abfd, unsigned int modidx)
   struct lib_tdata *tdata = bfd_libdata (abfd);
   bfd *res;
   file_ptr file_off;
-  char *name;
+  const char *name;
+  char *newname;
+  size_t namelen;
 
   /* Sanity check.  */
   if (modidx >= tdata->nbr_modules)
@@ -1335,18 +1337,22 @@ _bfd_vms_lib_get_module (bfd *abfd, unsigned int modidx)
       if (bfd_bread (buf, tdata->mhd_size, abfd) != tdata->mhd_size)
 	return NULL;
 
+      mhd = (struct vms_mhd *) buf;
+      if (mhd->id != MHD__C_MHDID)
+	return NULL;
+
       res = _bfd_create_empty_archive_element_shell (abfd);
       if (res == NULL)
 	return NULL;
       arelt = bfd_zmalloc (sizeof (*arelt));
       if (arelt == NULL)
-	return NULL;
+	{
+	  bfd_close (res);
+	  return NULL;
+	}
       res->arelt_data = arelt;
 
       /* Get info from mhd.  */
-      mhd = (struct vms_mhd *)buf;
-      if (mhd->id != MHD__C_MHDID)
-	return NULL;
       if (tdata->mhd_size >= offsetof (struct vms_mhd, objstat) + 1)
 	res->selective_search = (mhd->objstat & MHD__M_SELSRC) ? 1 : 0;
       res->mtime = vms_rawtime_to_time_t (mhd->datim);
@@ -1361,23 +1367,25 @@ _bfd_vms_lib_get_module (bfd *abfd, unsigned int modidx)
 
   /* Set filename.  */
   name = tdata->modules[modidx].name;
+  namelen = strlen (name);
+  newname = bfd_malloc (namelen + 4 + 1);
+  if (newname == NULL)
+    {
+      bfd_close (res);
+      return NULL;
+    }
+  strcpy (newname, name);
   switch (tdata->type)
     {
     case LBR__C_TYP_IOBJ:
     case LBR__C_TYP_EOBJ:
       /* For object archives, append .obj to mimic standard behaviour.  */
-      {
-	size_t namelen = strlen (name);
-	char *name1 = bfd_alloc (res, namelen + 4 + 1);
-	memcpy (name1, name, namelen);
-	strcpy (name1 + namelen, ".obj");
-	name = name1;
-      }
+      strcpy (newname + namelen, ".obj");
       break;
     default:
       break;
     }
-  res->filename = xstrdup (name);
+  bfd_set_filename (res, newname);
 
   tdata->cache[modidx] = res;
 
diff --git a/gdb/solib-spu.c b/gdb/solib-spu.c
index 5b97b9bcf6..c5e0acaf02 100644
--- a/gdb/solib-spu.c
+++ b/gdb/solib-spu.c
@@ -377,8 +377,7 @@ spu_bfd_open (const char *pathname)
 
 	  strcat (buf, original_name);
 
-	  xfree ((char *)abfd->filename);
-	  abfd->filename = xstrdup (buf);
+	  bfd_set_filename (abfd.get (), xstrdup (buf));
 	}
     }
 
diff --git a/gdb/spu-linux-nat.c b/gdb/spu-linux-nat.c
index 2f4b4d6946..9dbb633734 100644
--- a/gdb/spu-linux-nat.c
+++ b/gdb/spu-linux-nat.c
@@ -371,8 +371,7 @@ spu_bfd_open (ULONGEST addr)
 				    sect_size - 20);
 	  buf[sect_size - 20] = '\0';
 
-	  xfree ((char *)nbfd->filename);
-	  nbfd->filename = xstrdup (buf);
+	  bfd_set_filename (nbfd.get (), xstrdup (buf));
 	}
     }
 
diff --git a/ld/emultempl/pe.em b/ld/emultempl/pe.em
index 49bb66b906..2e78f26ad8 100644
--- a/ld/emultempl/pe.em
+++ b/ld/emultempl/pe.em
@@ -1543,7 +1543,7 @@ gld_${EMULATION_NAME}_after_open (void)
 			/* Rename this implib to match the other one.  */
 			n = xmalloc (strlen (other_bfd_filename) + 1);
 			strcpy (n, other_bfd_filename);
-			is->the_bfd->my_archive->filename = n;
+			bfd_set_filename (is->the_bfd->my_archive, n);
 		      }
 
 		    free (relocs);
@@ -1648,7 +1648,7 @@ gld_${EMULATION_NAME}_after_open (void)
 
 		new_name = xmalloc (strlen (is->the_bfd->filename) + 3);
 		sprintf (new_name, "%s.%c", is->the_bfd->filename, seq);
-		is->the_bfd->filename = new_name;
+		bfd_set_filename (is->the_bfd, new_name);
 
 		new_name = xmalloc (strlen (is->filename) + 3);
 		sprintf (new_name, "%s.%c", is->filename, seq);
diff --git a/ld/emultempl/pep.em b/ld/emultempl/pep.em
index 4daa32b5c6..601ef11c20 100644
--- a/ld/emultempl/pep.em
+++ b/ld/emultempl/pep.em
@@ -1510,7 +1510,7 @@ gld_${EMULATION_NAME}_after_open (void)
 			/* Rename this implib to match the other one.  */
 			n = xmalloc (strlen (other_bfd_filename) + 1);
 			strcpy (n, other_bfd_filename);
-			is->the_bfd->my_archive->filename = n;
+			bfd_set_filename (is->the_bfd->my_archive, n);
 		      }
 
 		    free (relocs);
@@ -1615,7 +1615,7 @@ gld_${EMULATION_NAME}_after_open (void)
 
 		new_name = xmalloc (strlen (is->the_bfd->filename) + 3);
 		sprintf (new_name, "%s.%c", is->the_bfd->filename, seq);
-		is->the_bfd->filename = new_name;
+		bfd_set_filename (is->the_bfd, new_name);
 
 		new_name = xmalloc (strlen (is->filename) + 3);
 		sprintf (new_name, "%s.%c", is->filename, seq);
