--- a/src/ov.h
+++ b/src/ov.h
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include "Range.h"
 #include "idx-vector.h"
 #include "mx-base.h"
+#include "oct-alloc.h"
 #include "str-vec.h"
 
 #include "error.h"
@@ -158,10 +159,11 @@
 	}
     }
 
-#if 0
-  void *operator new (size_t size);
-  void operator delete (void *p, size_t size);
-#endif
+  void *operator new (size_t size)
+    { return allocator.alloc (size); }
+
+  void operator delete (void *p, size_t size)
+    { allocator.free (p, size); }
 
   // Simple assignment.
 
@@ -392,6 +394,8 @@
 
 private:
 
+  static octave_allocator allocator;
+
   union
     {
       octave_value *freeptr;  // For custom memory management.