--- a/liboctave/CmplxQR.cc
+++ b/liboctave/CmplxQR.cc
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@
 
 ComplexQR::ComplexQR (const ComplexMatrix& a, QR::type qr_type)
 {
+  tau = 0;
+  work = 0;
+  tmp_data = 0;
+
   int m = a.rows ();
   int n = a.cols ();
 
@@ -57,11 +61,12 @@
       return;
     }
 
-  Complex *tmp_data;
   int min_mn = m < n ? m : n;
-  Complex *tau = new Complex[min_mn];
+  tau = new Complex[min_mn];
+
   int lwork = 32*n;
-  Complex *work = new Complex[lwork];
+  work = new Complex[lwork];
+
   int info = 0;
 
   if (m > n)
@@ -72,53 +77,72 @@
   else
     tmp_data = dup (a.data (), a.length ());
 
-  F77_FCN (zgeqrf, ZGEQRF) (m, n, tmp_data, m, tau, work, lwork,
-			    info);
+  F77_XFCN (zgeqrf, ZGEQRF, (m, n, tmp_data, m, tau, work, lwork, info));
 
   delete [] work;
+  work = 0;
 
-  if (qr_type == QR::raw)
-    {
-      for (int j = 0; j < min_mn; j++)
-	{
-	  int limit = j < min_mn - 1 ? j : min_mn - 1;
-	  for (int i = limit + 1; i < m; i++)
-	    tmp_data[m*j+i] *= tau[j];
-	}
-    }
+  if (f77_exception_encountered)
+    (*current_liboctave_error_handler) ("unrecoverable error in zgeqrf");
   else
     {
-      int n2;
-      if (qr_type == QR::economy && m > n)
+      if (qr_type == QR::raw)
 	{
-	  n2 = n;
-	  r.resize (n, n, 0.0);
+	  for (int j = 0; j < min_mn; j++)
+	    {
+	      int limit = j < min_mn - 1 ? j : min_mn - 1;
+	      for (int i = limit + 1; i < m; i++)
+		tmp_data[m*j+i] *= tau[j];
+	    }
 	}
       else
 	{
-	  n2 = m;
-	  r.resize (m, n, 0.0);
-	}
+	  volatile int n2;
 
-      for (int j = 0; j < n; j++)
-	{
-	  int limit = j < min_mn-1 ? j : min_mn-1;
-	  for (int i = 0; i <= limit; i++)
-	    r.elem (i, j) = tmp_data[m*j+i];
-	}
+	  if (qr_type == QR::economy && m > n)
+	    {
+	      n2 = n;
+	      r.resize (n, n, 0.0);
+	    }
+	  else
+	    {
+	      n2 = m;
+	      r.resize (m, n, 0.0);
+	    }
+
+	  for (int j = 0; j < n; j++)
+	    {
+	      int limit = j < min_mn-1 ? j : min_mn-1;
+	      for (int i = 0; i <= limit; i++)
+		r.elem (i, j) = tmp_data[m*j+i];
+	    }
+
+	  lwork = 32*m;
+	  work = new Complex[lwork];
 
-      lwork = 32*m;
-      work = new Complex[lwork];
+	  F77_XFCN (zungqr, ZUNGQR, (m, m, min_mn, tmp_data, m, tau, work,
+				     lwork, info));
 
-      F77_FCN (zungqr, ZUNGQR) (m, m, min_mn, tmp_data, m, tau, work,
-				lwork, info);
+	  delete [] work;
+	  work = 0;
 
-      q = ComplexMatrix (tmp_data, m, m);
-      q.resize (m, n2);
+	  if (f77_exception_encountered)
+	    (*current_liboctave_error_handler)
+	      ("unrecoverable error in zungqr");
+	  else
+	    {
+	      q = ComplexMatrix (tmp_data, m, m);
+	      tmp_data = 0;
+	      q.resize (m, n2);
+	    }
+	}
+    }
 
-      delete [] tau;
-      delete [] work;
-    }
+  delete [] tau;
+  tau = 0;
+
+  delete [] tmp_data;
+  tmp_data = 0;
 }
 
 /*