--- a/src/xdiff/xdiffi.c
+++ b/src/xdiff/xdiffi.c
@@ -315,16 +315,19 @@ int xdl_do_diff(mmfile_t *mf1, mmfile_t 
 	long *kvd, *kvdf, *kvdb;
 	xdalgoenv_t xenv;
 	diffdata_t dd1, dd2;
+	int res;
 
-	if (XDF_DIFF_ALG(xpp->flags) == XDF_PATIENCE_DIFF)
-		return xdl_do_patience_diff(mf1, mf2, xpp, xe);
+	if (xdl_prepare_env(mf1, mf2, xpp, xe) < 0)
+		return -1;
 
-	if (XDF_DIFF_ALG(xpp->flags) == XDF_HISTOGRAM_DIFF)
-		return xdl_do_histogram_diff(mf1, mf2, xpp, xe);
+	if (XDF_DIFF_ALG(xpp->flags) == XDF_PATIENCE_DIFF) {
+		res = xdl_do_patience_diff(xpp, xe);
+		goto out;
+	}
 
-	if (xdl_prepare_env(mf1, mf2, xpp, xe) < 0) {
-
-		return -1;
+	if (XDF_DIFF_ALG(xpp->flags) == XDF_HISTOGRAM_DIFF) {
+		res = xdl_do_histogram_diff(xpp, xe);
+		goto out;
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -334,7 +337,7 @@ int xdl_do_diff(mmfile_t *mf1, mmfile_t 
 	 * One is to store the forward path and one to store the backward path.
 	 */
 	ndiags = xe->xdf1.nreff + xe->xdf2.nreff + 3;
-	if (!(kvd = (long *) xdl_malloc((2 * ndiags + 2) * sizeof(long)))) {
+	if (!XDL_ALLOC_ARRAY(kvd, 2 * ndiags + 2)) {
 
 		xdl_free_env(xe);
 		return -1;
@@ -359,17 +362,15 @@ int xdl_do_diff(mmfile_t *mf1, mmfile_t 
 	dd2.rchg = xe->xdf2.rchg;
 	dd2.rindex = xe->xdf2.rindex;
 
-	if (xdl_recs_cmp(&dd1, 0, dd1.nrec, &dd2, 0, dd2.nrec,
-			 kvdf, kvdb, (xpp->flags & XDF_NEED_MINIMAL) != 0, &xenv) < 0) {
-
-		xdl_free(kvd);
+	res = xdl_recs_cmp(&dd1, 0, dd1.nrec, &dd2, 0, dd2.nrec,
+			   kvdf, kvdb, (xpp->flags & XDF_NEED_MINIMAL) != 0,
+			   &xenv);
+	xdl_free(kvd);
+ out:
+	if (res < 0)
 		xdl_free_env(xe);
-		return -1;
-	}
 
-	xdl_free(kvd);
-
-	return 0;
+	return res;
 }
 
 
@@ -390,12 +391,9 @@ static xdchange_t *xdl_add_change(xdchan
 }
 
 
-static int recs_match(xrecord_t *rec1, xrecord_t *rec2, long flags)
+static int recs_match(xrecord_t *rec1, xrecord_t *rec2)
 {
-	return (rec1->ha == rec2->ha &&
-		xdl_recmatch(rec1->ptr, rec1->size,
-			     rec2->ptr, rec2->size,
-			     flags));
+	return (rec1->ha == rec2->ha);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -759,10 +757,10 @@ static inline int group_previous(xdfile_
  * following group, expand this group to include it. Return 0 on success or -1
  * if g cannot be slid down.
  */
-static int group_slide_down(xdfile_t *xdf, struct xdlgroup *g, long flags)
+static int group_slide_down(xdfile_t *xdf, struct xdlgroup *g)
 {
 	if (g->end < xdf->nrec &&
-	    recs_match(xdf->recs[g->start], xdf->recs[g->end], flags)) {
+	    recs_match(xdf->recs[g->start], xdf->recs[g->end])) {
 		xdf->rchg[g->start++] = 0;
 		xdf->rchg[g->end++] = 1;
 
@@ -780,10 +778,10 @@ static int group_slide_down(xdfile_t *xd
  * into a previous group, expand this group to include it. Return 0 on success
  * or -1 if g cannot be slid up.
  */
-static int group_slide_up(xdfile_t *xdf, struct xdlgroup *g, long flags)
+static int group_slide_up(xdfile_t *xdf, struct xdlgroup *g)
 {
 	if (g->start > 0 &&
-	    recs_match(xdf->recs[g->start - 1], xdf->recs[g->end - 1], flags)) {
+	    recs_match(xdf->recs[g->start - 1], xdf->recs[g->end - 1])) {
 		xdf->rchg[--g->start] = 1;
 		xdf->rchg[--g->end] = 0;
 
@@ -839,7 +837,7 @@ int xdl_change_compact(xdfile_t *xdf, xd
 			end_matching_other = -1;
 
 			/* Shift the group backward as much as possible: */
-			while (!group_slide_up(xdf, &g, flags))
+			while (!group_slide_up(xdf, &g))
 				if (group_previous(xdfo, &go))
 					xdl_bug("group sync broken sliding up");
 
@@ -854,7 +852,7 @@ int xdl_change_compact(xdfile_t *xdf, xd
 
 			/* Now shift the group forward as far as possible: */
 			while (1) {
-				if (group_slide_down(xdf, &g, flags))
+				if (group_slide_down(xdf, &g))
 					break;
 				if (group_next(xdfo, &go))
 					xdl_bug("group sync broken sliding down");
@@ -881,7 +879,7 @@ int xdl_change_compact(xdfile_t *xdf, xd
 			 * other file that it can align with.
 			 */
 			while (go.end == go.start) {
-				if (group_slide_up(xdf, &g, flags))
+				if (group_slide_up(xdf, &g))
 					xdl_bug("match disappeared");
 				if (group_previous(xdfo, &go))
 					xdl_bug("group sync broken sliding to match");
@@ -924,7 +922,7 @@ int xdl_change_compact(xdfile_t *xdf, xd
 			}
 
 			while (g.end > best_shift) {
-				if (group_slide_up(xdf, &g, flags))
+				if (group_slide_up(xdf, &g))
 					xdl_bug("best shift unreached");
 				if (group_previous(xdfo, &go))
 					xdl_bug("group sync broken sliding to blank line");