diff --git a/backends/libpurple/main.cpp b/backends/libpurple/main.cpp
index 09b63049..19c160c1 100644
--- a/backends/libpurple/main.cpp
+++ b/backends/libpurple/main.cpp
@@ -1692,6 +1692,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	}
 	else {
 #ifndef WIN32
+		mallopt(M_CHECK_ACTION, 2);
+		mallopt(M_PERTURB, 0xb);
+
 		signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN);
 
 		if (signal(SIGCHLD, spectrum_sigchld_handler) == SIG_ERR) {
diff --git a/spectrum/src/main.cpp b/spectrum/src/main.cpp
index 1665969a..bc35e2e2 100644
--- a/spectrum/src/main.cpp
+++ b/spectrum/src/main.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <grp.h>
 #include <sys/resource.h>
 #include "libgen.h"
+#include <malloc.h>
 #else
 #include <windows.h>
 #endif
@@ -125,8 +126,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	std::string jid;
 
 	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
-	putenv("MALLOC_CHECK_=2");
-	putenv("MALLOC_PERTURB_=B");
+#ifndef WIN32
+	mallopt(M_CHECK_ACTION, 2);
+	mallopt(M_PERTURB, 0xb);
+#endif
 
 #ifndef WIN32
 	if (signal(SIGINT, spectrum_sigint_handler) == SIG_ERR) {
diff --git a/spectrum_manager/src/main.cpp b/spectrum_manager/src/main.cpp
index ffbdc239..012e2bea 100644
--- a/spectrum_manager/src/main.cpp
+++ b/spectrum_manager/src/main.cpp
@@ -569,9 +569,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	putenv("MALLOC_CHECK_=2");
-	putenv("MALLOC_PERTURB_=B");
-
 	if (command[0] == "start") {
 		start_instances(&config);
 	}