diff --git a/common/utils/ds/spsc_q.c b/common/utils/ds/spsc_q.c
index 6f05a19865..499af88d03 100644
--- a/common/utils/ds/spsc_q.c
+++ b/common/utils/ds/spsc_q.c
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 #include "spsc_q.h"
 
-spsc_q_t spsc_q_alloc(size_t cnt, size_t elsiz)
+bool spsc_q_alloc(spsc_q_t *rbn, size_t cnt, size_t elsiz)
 {
   /* internally, use one element more: the ringbuffer is full if
    * (write_idx + 1) % cnt == read_idx, so it's full if one element is still
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ spsc_q_t spsc_q_alloc(size_t cnt, size_t elsiz)
   cnt += 1;
   spsc_q_t rb = {.cnt = cnt, .elsiz = elsiz};
   rb.buf = calloc(cnt, elsiz);
-  return rb;
+  *rbn = rb;
+  return rb.buf != NULL;
 }
 
 void spsc_q_free(spsc_q_t *rb)
diff --git a/common/utils/ds/spsc_q.h b/common/utils/ds/spsc_q.h
index 1149a80f7d..a18607de87 100644
--- a/common/utils/ds/spsc_q.h
+++ b/common/utils/ds/spsc_q.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ typedef struct spsc_q {
   atomic_size_t read_idx;
 } spsc_q_t;
 
-spsc_q_t spsc_q_alloc(size_t cnt, size_t elsiz);
+bool spsc_q_alloc(spsc_q_t *rbn, size_t cnt, size_t elsiz);
 void spsc_q_free(spsc_q_t *rb);
 
 bool spsc_q_put(spsc_q_t *rb, const void *src, size_t elsiz);
diff --git a/common/utils/ds/tests/test_spsc_q.cpp b/common/utils/ds/tests/test_spsc_q.cpp
index 0c1638d490..35ccee7d22 100644
--- a/common/utils/ds/tests/test_spsc_q.cpp
+++ b/common/utils/ds/tests/test_spsc_q.cpp
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ extern "C" {
 }
 
 TEST(spsc_q, basic_test) {
-  spsc_q_t rb = spsc_q_alloc(2, sizeof(int));
+  spsc_q_t rb;
+  EXPECT_TRUE(spsc_q_alloc(&rb, 2, sizeof(int)));
 
   int a = 1;
   EXPECT_TRUE(spsc_q_put(&rb, &a, sizeof(a)));
@@ -26,7 +27,8 @@ TEST(spsc_q, basic_test) {
 }
 
 TEST(spsc_q, cont_write) {
-  spsc_q_t rb = spsc_q_alloc(10, sizeof(int));
+  spsc_q_t rb;
+  EXPECT_TRUE(spsc_q_alloc(&rb, 10, sizeof(int)));
 
   int a = 1;
   for (int i = 0; i < 1111; ++i) {
@@ -57,7 +59,8 @@ bool count(const void *data, void *user)
   return true; /* count all */
 }
 TEST(spsc_q, iterator) {
-  spsc_q_t rb = spsc_q_alloc(10, sizeof(int));
+  spsc_q_t rb;
+  EXPECT_TRUE(spsc_q_alloc(&rb, 10, sizeof(int)));
   int n = 8;
   for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i)
     EXPECT_TRUE(spsc_q_put(&rb, &i, sizeof(i)));
@@ -85,7 +88,8 @@ bool drop(const void *data, void *user)
   return true; /* drop all */
 }
 TEST(spsc_q, drop) {
-  spsc_q_t rb = spsc_q_alloc(10, sizeof(int));
+  spsc_q_t rb;
+  EXPECT_TRUE(spsc_q_alloc(&rb, 10, sizeof(int)));
   int n = 8;
   for (int i = 0; i < n; ++i)
     EXPECT_TRUE(spsc_q_put(&rb, &i, sizeof(i)));
@@ -104,7 +108,8 @@ TEST(spsc_q, drop) {
 
 TEST(spsc_q, full) {
   int n = 3;
-  spsc_q_t rb = spsc_q_alloc(n, sizeof(int));
+  spsc_q_t rb;
+  EXPECT_TRUE(spsc_q_alloc(&rb, n, sizeof(int)));
   int a = 1;
   EXPECT_TRUE(spsc_q_put(&rb, &a, sizeof(a)));
   a++;
diff --git a/openair1/PHY/INIT/nr_init.c b/openair1/PHY/INIT/nr_init.c
index 35b27468f6..5385eba113 100644
--- a/openair1/PHY/INIT/nr_init.c
+++ b/openair1/PHY/INIT/nr_init.c
@@ -424,11 +424,15 @@ void init_nr_transport(PHY_VARS_gNB *gNB)
   gNB->max_nb_pusch = buffer_ul_slots ? MAX_MOBILES_PER_GNB * buffer_ul_slots : 1;
 
   int max_nb_pucch = buffer_ul_slots ? MAX_MOBILES_PER_GNB * buffer_ul_slots : 1;
-  gNB->pucch_queue = spsc_q_alloc(max_nb_pucch, sizeof(NR_gNB_PUCCH_job_t));
-  gNB->pusch_queue = spsc_q_alloc(gNB->max_nb_pusch, sizeof(NR_gNB_PUSCH_job_t));
+  bool ret;
+  ret = spsc_q_alloc(&gNB->pucch_queue, max_nb_pucch, sizeof(NR_gNB_PUCCH_job_t));
+  DevAssert(ret);
+  ret = spsc_q_alloc(&gNB->pusch_queue, gNB->max_nb_pusch, sizeof(NR_gNB_PUSCH_job_t));
+  DevAssert(ret);
 
   int max_nb_srs = buffer_ul_slots ? buffer_ul_slots << 1 : 1; // assuming at most 2 SRS per slot
-  gNB->srs_queue = spsc_q_alloc(max_nb_srs, sizeof(NR_gNB_SRS_job_t));
+  ret = spsc_q_alloc(&gNB->srs_queue, max_nb_srs, sizeof(NR_gNB_SRS_job_t));
+  DevAssert(ret);
 
   gNB->ulsch = (NR_gNB_ULSCH_t *)malloc16(gNB->max_nb_pusch * sizeof(NR_gNB_ULSCH_t));
   for (int i = 0; i < gNB->max_nb_pusch; i++) {
diff --git a/openair1/PHY/NR_TRANSPORT/nr_prach.c b/openair1/PHY/NR_TRANSPORT/nr_prach.c
index e8c66f00fe..24b08290de 100644
--- a/openair1/PHY/NR_TRANSPORT/nr_prach.c
+++ b/openair1/PHY/NR_TRANSPORT/nr_prach.c
@@ -15,8 +15,11 @@
 void init_nr_prach(PHY_VARS_gNB *gNB)
 {
   int num_prach = 16;
-  gNB->prach_ru_queue = spsc_q_alloc(num_prach, sizeof(prach_item_t));
-  gNB->prach_l1rx_queue = spsc_q_alloc(num_prach, sizeof(prach_item_t));
+  bool ret;
+  ret = spsc_q_alloc(&gNB->prach_ru_queue, num_prach, sizeof(prach_item_t));
+  DevAssert(ret);
+  ret = spsc_q_alloc(&gNB->prach_l1rx_queue, num_prach, sizeof(prach_item_t));
+  DevAssert(ret);
 }
 
 void reset_nr_prach(PHY_VARS_gNB *gNB)