diff --git a/src/credits.c b/src/credits.c
index 59025a6a..390ae327 100644
--- a/src/credits.c
+++ b/src/credits.c
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ static void credits_add(char *data, int time) {
 	for(c = data; *c; ++c) {
 		if(*c == '\n') {
 			buf[i] = 0;
-			e->data[l] = strdup(buf);
+			e->data[l] = mem_strdup(buf);
 			i = 0;
 			++l;
 		} else {
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ static void credits_add(char *data, int time) {
 	}
 
 	buf[i] = 0;
-	e->data[l] = strdup(buf);
+	e->data[l] = mem_strdup(buf);
 	credits.end += time;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/filewatch/filewatch_inotify.c b/src/filewatch/filewatch_inotify.c
index cae4dfc5..b0422ba0 100644
--- a/src/filewatch/filewatch_inotify.c
+++ b/src/filewatch/filewatch_inotify.c
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ static DirWatch *dirwatch_get(const char *path, bool create) {
 	}
 
 	dw = ALLOC(typeof(*dw));
-	dw->path = strdup(path);
+	dw->path = mem_strdup(path);
 	dw->wd = wd;
 
 	WDRecord *wdrec = NOT_NULL(wdrecord_get(wd, true));
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ FileWatch *filewatch_watch(const char *syspath) {
 
 	auto fw = list_push(&dw->filewatch_list, ALLOC(FileWatch, {
 		.dw = dw,
-		.filename = strdup(filename),
+		.filename = mem_strdup(filename),
 	}));
 
 	SDL_UnlockMutex(FW.modify_mtx);
diff --git a/src/hashtable.inc.h b/src/hashtable.inc.h
index 60b29886..8387781f 100644
--- a/src/hashtable.inc.h
+++ b/src/hashtable.inc.h
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@
  *
  * Example:
  *
- *        #define HT_FUNC_COPY_KEY(dst, src) (*(dst) = strdup(src))
+ *        #define HT_FUNC_COPY_KEY(dst, src) (*(dst) = mem_strdup(src))
  */
 #ifndef HT_FUNC_COPY_KEY
 	#define HT_FUNC_COPY_KEY(dst, src) (*(dst) = (src))
diff --git a/src/hashtable_predefs.inc.h b/src/hashtable_predefs.inc.h
index 5bb6f4d4..0bad3393 100644
--- a/src/hashtable_predefs.inc.h
+++ b/src/hashtable_predefs.inc.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 #define HT_FUNC_FREE_KEY(key)          mem_free(key)
 #define HT_FUNC_KEYS_EQUAL(key1, key2) (!strcmp(key1, key2))
 #define HT_FUNC_HASH_KEY(key)          htutil_hashfunc_string(key)
-#define HT_FUNC_COPY_KEY(dst, src)     (*(dst) = strdup(src))
+#define HT_FUNC_COPY_KEY(dst, src)     (*(dst) = mem_strdup(src))
 #define HT_KEY_FMT                     "s"
 #define HT_KEY_PRINTABLE(key)          (key)
 #define HT_VALUE_FMT                   "p"
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 #define HT_FUNC_FREE_KEY(key)          mem_free(key)
 #define HT_FUNC_KEYS_EQUAL(key1, key2) (!strcmp(key1, key2))
 #define HT_FUNC_HASH_KEY(key)          htutil_hashfunc_string(key)
-#define HT_FUNC_COPY_KEY(dst, src)     (*(dst) = strdup(src))
+#define HT_FUNC_COPY_KEY(dst, src)     (*(dst) = mem_strdup(src))
 #define HT_KEY_FMT                     "s"
 #define HT_KEY_PRINTABLE(key)          (key)
 #define HT_VALUE_FMT                   "p"
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
 #define HT_FUNC_FREE_KEY(key)          mem_free(key)
 #define HT_FUNC_KEYS_EQUAL(key1, key2) (!strcmp(key1, key2))
 #define HT_FUNC_HASH_KEY(key)          htutil_hashfunc_string(key)
-#define HT_FUNC_COPY_KEY(dst, src)     (*(dst) = strdup(src))
+#define HT_FUNC_COPY_KEY(dst, src)     (*(dst) = mem_strdup(src))
 #define HT_KEY_FMT                     "s"
 #define HT_KEY_PRINTABLE(key)          (key)
 #define HT_VALUE_FMT                   PRIi64
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
 #define HT_FUNC_FREE_KEY(key)          mem_free(key)
 #define HT_FUNC_KEYS_EQUAL(key1, key2) (!strcmp(key1, key2))
 #define HT_FUNC_HASH_KEY(key)          htutil_hashfunc_string(key)
-#define HT_FUNC_COPY_KEY(dst, src)     (*(dst) = strdup(src))
+#define HT_FUNC_COPY_KEY(dst, src)     (*(dst) = mem_strdup(src))
 #define HT_KEY_FMT                     "s"
 #define HT_KEY_PRINTABLE(key)          (key)
 #define HT_VALUE_FMT                   PRIi64
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@
 #define HT_FUNC_FREE_KEY(key)          mem_free(key)
 #define HT_FUNC_KEYS_EQUAL(key1, key2) (!strcmp(key1, key2))
 #define HT_FUNC_HASH_KEY(key)          htutil_hashfunc_string(key)
-#define HT_FUNC_COPY_KEY(dst, src)     (*(dst) = strdup(src))
+#define HT_FUNC_COPY_KEY(dst, src)     (*(dst) = mem_strdup(src))
 #define HT_KEY_FMT                     "s"
 #define HT_KEY_PRINTABLE(key)          (key)
 #define HT_VALUE_FMT                   "s"
diff --git a/src/log.c b/src/log.c
index 99abb009..4f9c9afc 100644
--- a/src/log.c
+++ b/src/log.c
@@ -771,7 +771,7 @@ static char *copy_pattern(const char *p) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	return strdup(orig);
+	return mem_strdup(orig);
 }
 
 void log_add_filter(LogLevelDiff diff, const char *pmod, const char *pfunc) {
diff --git a/src/memory/memory.h b/src/memory/memory.h
index 7f4db09b..0754f7d8 100644
--- a/src/memory/memory.h
+++ b/src/memory/memory.h
@@ -56,6 +56,12 @@ void *mem_dup(const void *src, size_t size)
 
 #define memdup mem_dup
 
+INLINE attr_returns_allocated attr_nonnull(1)
+char *mem_strdup(const char *str) {
+	size_t sz = strlen(str) + 1;
+	return memcpy(mem_alloc(sz), str, sz);
+}
+
 /*
  * This macro transparently handles allocation of both normal and over-aligned types.
  * The allocation must be free'd with mem_free().
diff --git a/src/menu/menu.c b/src/menu/menu.c
index c0122321..2241ed32 100644
--- a/src/menu/menu.c
+++ b/src/menu/menu.c
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ MenuEntry *add_menu_entry(MenuData *menu, const char *name, MenuAction action, v
 		.action = action,
 		.arg = arg,
 		.transition = menu->transition,
-		.name = name ? strdup(name) : NULL,
+		.name = name ? mem_strdup(name) : NULL,
 	});
 }
 
diff --git a/src/menu/options.c b/src/menu/options.c
index 10aafb9a..4e070e3e 100644
--- a/src/menu/options.c
+++ b/src/menu/options.c
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ static int bind_addvalue(OptionBinding *b, char *val) {
 	}
 
 	b->values = mem_realloc(b->values, (1 + b->valrange_max) * sizeof(char*));
-	b->values[b->valrange_max] = strdup(val);
+	b->values[b->valrange_max] = mem_strdup(val);
 	return b->valrange_max;
 }
 
@@ -965,7 +965,7 @@ static MenuData* create_options_menu_gamepad(MenuData *parent) {
 	m->end = destroy_options_menu_gamepad;
 
 	OptionsMenuContext *ctx = m->context;
-	ctx->data = strdup(config_get_str(CONFIG_GAMEPAD_DEVICE));
+	ctx->data = mem_strdup(config_get_str(CONFIG_GAMEPAD_DEVICE));
 	ctx->draw_overlay = draw_gamepad_options_overlay;
 	ctx->gamepad_testmode.allowed = true;
 
diff --git a/src/menu/replayview.c b/src/menu/replayview.c
index e1597fa7..ee89f190 100644
--- a/src/menu/replayview.c
+++ b/src/menu/replayview.c
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ static int fill_replayview_menu(MenuData *m) {
 
 		auto ictx = ALLOC(ReplayviewItemContext, {
 			.replay = rpy,
-			.replayname = strdup(filename),
+			.replayname = mem_strdup(filename),
 		});
 
 		add_menu_entry(m, " ", replayview_run, ictx)->transition = /*rpy->numstages < 2 ? TransFadeBlack :*/ NULL;
diff --git a/src/pixmap/pixmap.c b/src/pixmap/pixmap.c
index d14dd15d..7acd83ae 100644
--- a/src/pixmap/pixmap.c
+++ b/src/pixmap/pixmap.c
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ char *pixmap_source_path(const char *prefix, const char *path) {
 	strcpy(base_path + strlen(prefix), path);
 
 	if(pixmap_check_filename(base_path) && vfs_query(base_path).exists) {
-		return strdup(base_path);
+		return mem_strdup(base_path);
 	}
 
 	char *dot = strrchr(base_path, '.');
diff --git a/src/renderer/common/shaderlib/lang_spirv.c b/src/renderer/common/shaderlib/lang_spirv.c
index a18b4502..21919904 100644
--- a/src/renderer/common/shaderlib/lang_spirv.c
+++ b/src/renderer/common/shaderlib/lang_spirv.c
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ static spvc_result write_glsl_attribs(spvc_compiler compiler, ShaderSource *out)
 
 		log_debug("[%i] %s\t\tid=%i\t\tbase_type_id=%i\t\ttype_id=%i\t\tlocation=%i", i, res->name, res->id, res->base_type_id, res->type_id, location);
 
-		attrs[i].name = strdup(res->name);
+		attrs[i].name = mem_strdup(res->name);
 		attrs[i].location = location;
 	}
 
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ bool _spirv_decompile(const ShaderSource *in, ShaderSource *out, const SPIRVDeco
 
 	assume(code != NULL);
 
-	out->content = strdup(code);
+	out->content = mem_strdup(code);
 	out->content_size = strlen(code) + 1;
 	out->stage = in->stage;
 	out->lang = *options->lang;
diff --git a/src/renderer/gl33/shader_object.c b/src/renderer/gl33/shader_object.c
index d581b22e..668eb8cb 100644
--- a/src/renderer/gl33/shader_object.c
+++ b/src/renderer/gl33/shader_object.c
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ ShaderObject *gl33_shader_object_compile(ShaderSource *source) {
 
 		for(uint i = 0; i < nattribs; ++i) {
 			GLSLAttribute *a = source->meta.glsl.attributes + i;
-			shobj->attribs[i].name = strdup(a->name);
+			shobj->attribs[i].name = mem_strdup(a->name);
 			shobj->attribs[i].location = a->location;
 		}
 	} else {
diff --git a/src/resource/resource.c b/src/resource/resource.c
index ac7a6a21..f1c843ee 100644
--- a/src/resource/resource.c
+++ b/src/resource/resource.c
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ static void register_watched_path(InternalResource *ires, const char *vfspath, F
 		free_slot = dynarray_append(&ires->watched_paths, {});
 	}
 
-	free_slot->vfs_path = strdup(vfspath);
+	free_slot->vfs_path = mem_strdup(vfspath);
 	free_slot->watch = w;
 
 done:
@@ -816,7 +816,7 @@ struct valfunc_arg {
 static void *valfunc_begin_load_resource(void *varg) {
 	struct valfunc_arg *arg = varg;
 	auto ires = ires_alloc(arg->type);
-	ires->name = strdup(NOT_NULL(arg->name));
+	ires->name = mem_strdup(NOT_NULL(arg->name));
 	ires->refcount.value = 1;
 	return ires;
 }
@@ -1702,7 +1702,7 @@ void res_util_strip_ext(char *path) {
 char *res_util_basename(const char *prefix, const char *path) {
 	assert(strstartswith(path, prefix));
 
-	char *out = strdup(path + strlen(prefix));
+	char *out = mem_strdup(path + strlen(prefix));
 	res_util_strip_ext(out);
 
 	return out;
diff --git a/src/resource/sprite.c b/src/resource/sprite.c
index 8c210178..4e26d18e 100644
--- a/src/resource/sprite.c
+++ b/src/resource/sprite.c
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ static void load_sprite_stage1(ResourceLoadState *st) {
 	auto state = ALLOC(struct sprite_load_state, { .spr = spr });
 
 	if(texture_res_handler.procs.check(st->path)) {
-		state->texture_name = strdup(st->name);
+		state->texture_name = mem_strdup(st->name);
 		res_load_dependency(st, RES_TEXTURE, state->texture_name);
 		res_load_continue_after_dependencies(st, load_sprite_stage2, state);
 		return;
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ static void load_sprite_stage1(ResourceLoadState *st) {
 	}
 
 	if(!state->texture_name) {
-		state->texture_name = strdup(st->name);
+		state->texture_name = mem_strdup(st->name);
 		log_info("%s: inferred texture name from sprite name", state->texture_name);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/resource/texture_loader/texture_loader.c b/src/resource/texture_loader/texture_loader.c
index 284384a3..d97a929e 100644
--- a/src/resource/texture_loader/texture_loader.c
+++ b/src/resource/texture_loader/texture_loader.c
@@ -669,7 +669,7 @@ void texture_loader_stage1(ResourceLoadState *st) {
 			return;
 		}
 	} else {
-		ld->src_paths.main = strdup(st->path);
+		ld->src_paths.main = mem_strdup(st->path);
 	}
 
 
diff --git a/src/stageinfo.c b/src/stageinfo.c
index 23934b33..5ec27f47 100644
--- a/src/stageinfo.c
+++ b/src/stageinfo.c
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ static void add_stage(
 		.type = type,
 		.spell = spell,
 		.difficulty = diff,
-		.title = title ? strdup(title) : NULL,
-		.subtitle = subtitle ? strdup(subtitle) : NULL,
+		.title = title ? mem_strdup(title) : NULL,
+		.subtitle = subtitle ? mem_strdup(subtitle) : NULL,
 	});
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util/consideredharmful.h b/src/util/consideredharmful.h
index 482c847e..3fe1f047 100644
--- a/src/util/consideredharmful.h
+++ b/src/util/consideredharmful.h
@@ -96,4 +96,8 @@ INLINE void *libc_realloc(void *ptr, size_t size) { return realloc(ptr, size); }
 attr_deprecated("Use the memory.h API instead")
 void *realloc(void *ptr, size_t size);
 
+#undef strdup
+attr_deprecated("Use mem_strdup from memory.h instead")
+char *strdup(const char *s);
+
 PRAGMA(GCC diagnostic pop)
diff --git a/src/util/kvparser.c b/src/util/kvparser.c
index 58aaaa10..90ebbb6d 100644
--- a/src/util/kvparser.c
+++ b/src/util/kvparser.c
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ bool parse_keyvalue_file_cb(const char *filename, KVCallback callback, void *dat
 
 static bool kvcallback_hashtable(const char *key, const char *val, void *data) {
 	ht_str2ptr_t *ht = data;
-	ht_set(ht, key, strdup(val));
+	ht_set(ht, key, mem_strdup(val));
 	return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util/stringops.c b/src/util/stringops.c
index 2f159d17..6d197d3b 100644
--- a/src/util/stringops.c
+++ b/src/util/stringops.c
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ bool strstartswith_any(const char *s, const char **earray) {
 
 void stralloc(char **dest, const char *src) {
 	mem_free(*dest);
-	*dest = src ? strdup(src) : NULL;
+	*dest = src ? mem_strdup(src) : NULL;
 }
 
 char* strjoin(const char *first, ...) {
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ char* strftimealloc(const char *fmt, const struct tm *timeinfo) {
 		char str[sz_allocated];
 
 		if(strftime(str, sz_allocated, fmt, timeinfo)) {
-			return strdup(str);
+			return mem_strdup(str);
 		}
 
 		sz_allocated *= 2;
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ char* strftimealloc(const char *fmt, const struct tm *timeinfo) {
 
 char* strappend(char **dst, const char *src) {
 	if(!*dst) {
-		return *dst = strdup(src);
+		return *dst = mem_strdup(src);
 	}
 
 	*dst = mem_realloc(*dst, strlen(*dst) + strlen(src) + 1);
diff --git a/src/util/stringops.h b/src/util/stringops.h
index 6bd04ebd..0719aad4 100644
--- a/src/util/stringops.h
+++ b/src/util/stringops.h
@@ -25,13 +25,6 @@
 #undef strlcpy
 #define strlcpy SDL_strlcpy
 
-#undef strdup
-#define strdup _ts_strdup
-INLINE attr_returns_allocated attr_nonnull(1) char *strdup(const char *str) {
-	size_t sz = strlen(str) + 1;
-	return memcpy(mem_alloc(sz), str, sz);
-}
-
 #ifndef TAISEI_BUILDCONF_HAVE_STRTOK_R
 #undef strtok_r
 #define strtok_r _ts_strtok_r
diff --git a/src/vfs/pathutil.c b/src/vfs/pathutil.c
index a55c4e5e..f6bd6a80 100644
--- a/src/vfs/pathutil.c
+++ b/src/vfs/pathutil.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ char *vfs_path_normalize(const char *path, char *out) {
 }
 
 char *vfs_path_normalize_alloc(const char *path) {
-	return vfs_path_normalize(path, strdup(path));
+	return vfs_path_normalize(path, mem_strdup(path));
 }
 
 char *vfs_path_normalize_inplace(char *path) {
@@ -145,5 +145,5 @@ char *vfs_syspath_normalize_inplace(char *path) {
 char *vfs_syspath_join_alloc(const char *parent, const char *child) {
 	char buf[strlen(parent) + strlen(child) + 2];
 	vfs_syspath_join(buf, sizeof(buf), parent, child);
-	return strdup(buf);
+	return mem_strdup(buf);
 }
diff --git a/src/vfs/public.c b/src/vfs/public.c
index f710bbf1..0d70abd5 100644
--- a/src/vfs/public.c
+++ b/src/vfs/public.c
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ char** vfs_dir_list_sorted(const char *path, size_t *out_size, int (*compare)(co
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		dynarray_append(&results, strdup(e));
+		dynarray_append(&results, mem_strdup(e));
 	}
 
 	vfs_dir_close(dir);
diff --git a/src/vfs/syspath_posix.c b/src/vfs/syspath_posix.c
index 6f99854a..92e2d646 100644
--- a/src/vfs/syspath_posix.c
+++ b/src/vfs/syspath_posix.c
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ static char *vfs_syspath_repr(VFSNode *node) {
 }
 
 static char *vfs_syspath_syspath(VFSNode *node) {
-	char *p = strdup(VFS_NODE_CAST(VFSSysPathNode, node)->path);
+	char *p = mem_strdup(VFS_NODE_CAST(VFSSysPathNode, node)->path);
 	vfs_syspath_normalize_inplace(p);
 	return p;
 }
@@ -186,5 +186,5 @@ static VFSNode *vfs_syspath_create_internal(char *path) {
 }
 
 VFSNode *vfs_syspath_create(const char *path) {
-	return vfs_syspath_create_internal(strdup(path));
+	return vfs_syspath_create_internal(mem_strdup(path));
 }
diff --git a/src/vfs/syspath_win32.c b/src/vfs/syspath_win32.c
index bf5e91b6..e5c68f51 100644
--- a/src/vfs/syspath_win32.c
+++ b/src/vfs/syspath_win32.c
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ static char* vfs_syspath_repr(VFSNode *node) {
 
 static char* vfs_syspath_syspath(VFSNode *node) {
 	auto pnode = VFS_NODE_CAST(VFSSysPathNode, node);
-	char *p = strdup(pnode->path);
+	char *p = mem_strdup(pnode->path);
 	vfs_syspath_normalize_inplace(p);
 	return p;
 }
@@ -322,5 +322,5 @@ static VFSNode *vfs_syspath_create_internal(char *path) {
 }
 
 VFSNode *vfs_syspath_create(const char *path) {
-	return vfs_syspath_create_internal(strdup(path));
+	return vfs_syspath_create_internal(mem_strdup(path));
 }
diff --git a/src/vfs/vdir.c b/src/vfs/vdir.c
index 0cc2d81f..e19e7d1f 100644
--- a/src/vfs/vdir.c
+++ b/src/vfs/vdir.c
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ static bool vfs_vdir_mkdir(VFSNode *node, const char *subdir) {
 }
 
 static char *vfs_vdir_repr(VFSNode *node) {
-	return strdup("virtual directory");
+	return mem_strdup("virtual directory");
 }
 
 VFS_NODE_FUNCS(VFSVDirNode, {
diff --git a/src/vfs/zipfile.c b/src/vfs/zipfile.c
index cf1db736..8efb022f 100644
--- a/src/vfs/zipfile.c
+++ b/src/vfs/zipfile.c
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ const char *vfs_zipfile_iter_shared(VFSZipFileIterData *idata, VFSZipFileTLS *tl
 			// strip the trailing slash
 
 			mem_free(idata->allocated);
-			idata->allocated = strdup(p);
+			idata->allocated = mem_strdup(p);
 			*strchr(idata->allocated, '/') = 0;
 			r = idata->allocated;
 		} else {