diff --git a/src/htsmsg.c b/src/htsmsg.c
index e59abb5f..1976dda0 100644
--- a/src/htsmsg.c
+++ b/src/htsmsg.c
@@ -570,3 +570,14 @@ htsmsg_copy(htsmsg_t *src)
   htsmsg_copy_i(src, dst);
   return dst;
 }
+
+
+/**
+ *
+ */
+void
+htsmsg_dtor(htsmsg_t **mp)
+{
+  if(*mp != NULL)
+    htsmsg_destroy(*mp);
+}
diff --git a/src/htsmsg.h b/src/htsmsg.h
index 8cad0672..6df3abf6 100644
--- a/src/htsmsg.h
+++ b/src/htsmsg.h
@@ -259,4 +259,9 @@ htsmsg_t *htsmsg_copy(htsmsg_t *src);
 
 #define HTSMSG_FOREACH(f, msg) TAILQ_FOREACH(f, &(msg)->hm_fields, hmf_link)
 
+
+extern void htsmsg_dtor(htsmsg_t **mp);
+
+#define htsmsg_autodtor(n) htsmsg_t *n __attribute__((cleanup(htsmsg_dtor)))
+
 #endif /* HTSMSG_H_ */
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 19911411..251f22e9 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -511,3 +511,12 @@ tvh_str_update(char **strp, const char *src)
   *strp = strdup(src);
 }
 
+
+/**
+ *
+ */
+void
+scopedunlock(pthread_mutex_t **mtxp)
+{
+  pthread_mutex_unlock(*mtxp);
+}
diff --git a/src/tvhead.h b/src/tvhead.h
index 2d637dd9..c2b623c1 100644
--- a/src/tvhead.h
+++ b/src/tvhead.h
@@ -656,4 +656,13 @@ extern time_t dispatch_clock;
 extern struct th_transport_list all_transports;
 extern struct channel_tree channel_name_tree;
 
+extern void scopedunlock(pthread_mutex_t **mtxp);
+
+#define scopedlock(mtx) \
+ pthread_mutex_t *scopedlock ## __LINE__ \
+ __attribute__((cleanup(scopedunlock))) = mtx; \
+ pthread_mutex_lock(mtx);
+
+#define scopedgloballock() scopedlock(&global_lock)
+
 #endif /* TV_HEAD_H */