diff --git a/cluster_helper.cpp b/cluster_helper.cpp
index e96cf674a..ed67189e4 100644
--- a/cluster_helper.cpp
+++ b/cluster_helper.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 /*!
     \file
-    \version \$Id: cluster_helper.cpp,v 1.19 2003/05/21 22:17:33 mosu Exp $
+    \version \$Id: cluster_helper.cpp,v 1.20 2003/05/26 21:49:11 mosu Exp $
     \brief cluster helper
     \author Moritz Bunkus <moritz@bunkus.org>
 */
@@ -283,12 +283,10 @@ void cluster_helper_c::check_clusters(int num) {
       if (p->bref == -1)
         continue;
       clstr = find_packet_cluster(p->bref);
-      if (clstr == NULL) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "Error: backward refenrece could not be resolved "
-                "(%lld -> %lld). Called from line %d.\n",
-                p->timecode, p->bref, num);
-        die("internal error");
-      }
+      if (clstr == NULL)
+        die("Error: backward refenrece could not be resolved "
+            "(%lld -> %lld). Called from line %d.\n",
+            p->timecode, p->bref, num);
     }
   }
 }
@@ -328,11 +326,9 @@ int cluster_helper_c::free_clusters() {
         if (p->bref == -1)
           continue;
         clstr = find_packet_cluster(p->bref);
-        if (clstr == NULL) {
-          fprintf(stderr, "Error: backward refenrece could not be resolved "
-                  "(%lld).\n", p->bref);
-          die("internal error");
-        }
+        if (clstr == NULL)
+          die("Error: backward refenrece could not be resolved "
+              "(%lld).\n", p->bref);
         clstr->is_referenced = 1;
       }
     }
diff --git a/common.cpp b/common.cpp
index ffd268809..f8fdab9d4 100644
--- a/common.cpp
+++ b/common.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 /*!
     \file
-    \version \$Id: common.cpp,v 1.26 2003/05/25 15:35:39 mosu Exp $
+    \version \$Id: common.cpp,v 1.27 2003/05/26 21:49:11 mosu Exp $
     \brief helper functions, common variables
     \author Moritz Bunkus <moritz@bunkus.org>
 */
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #endif
 #include <locale.h>
 #include <malloc.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -39,8 +40,17 @@
 
 int verbose = 1;
 
-void _die(const char *s, const char *file, int line) {
-  fprintf(stderr, "die @ %s/%d : %s\n", file, line, s);
+void _die(const char *fmt, const char *file, int line, ...) {
+  va_list ap;
+
+  fprintf(stderr, "die @ %s/%d : ", file, line);
+  va_start(ap, line);
+  vfprintf(stderr, fmt, ap);
+  va_end(ap);
+  fprintf(stderr, "\n");
+#ifdef DEBUG
+  debug_c::dump_info();
+#endif
   exit(1);
 }
 
@@ -212,7 +222,7 @@ char *to_utf8(int handle, char *local) {
   }
 
   if (handle >= num_mkv_convs)
-    die("Invalid conversion handle.");
+    die("Invalid conversion handle %d (num: %d).", handle, num_mkv_convs);
 
   return convert_charset(mkv_convs[handle].ict_to_utf8, local);
 }
@@ -226,7 +236,7 @@ char *from_utf8(int handle, char *utf8) {
   }
 
   if (handle >= num_mkv_convs)
-    die("Invalid conversion handle.");
+    die("Invalid conversion handle %d (num: %d).", handle, num_mkv_convs);
 
   return convert_charset(mkv_convs[handle].ict_from_utf8, utf8);
 }
@@ -282,8 +292,8 @@ char *_safestrdup(const char *s, const char *file, int line) {
 
   copy = strdup(s);
   if (copy == NULL) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "die @ %s/%d : in safestrdup: strdup == NULL\n", file,
-            line);
+    fprintf(stderr, "die @ %s/%d : in safestrdup: strdup == NULL (%s)\n", file,
+            line, s);
     exit(1);
   }
 
@@ -299,8 +309,8 @@ unsigned char *_safestrdup(const unsigned char *s, const char *file,
 
   copy = strdup((const char *)s);
   if (copy == NULL) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "die @ %s/%d : in safestrdup: strdup == NULL\n", file,
-            line);
+    fprintf(stderr, "die @ %s/%d : in safestrdup: strdup == NULL (%s)\n", file,
+            line, s);
     exit(1);
   }
 
@@ -315,8 +325,8 @@ void *_safememdup(const void *s, size_t size, const char *file, int line) {
 
   copy = malloc(size);
   if (copy == NULL) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "die @ %s/%d : in safememdup: malloc == NULL\n", file,
-            line);
+    fprintf(stderr, "die @ %s/%d : in safememdup: malloc == NULL (%d)\n", file,
+            line, size);
     exit(1);
   }
   memcpy(copy, s, size);
@@ -329,8 +339,8 @@ void *_safemalloc(size_t size, const char *file, int line) {
 
   mem = malloc(size);
   if (mem == NULL) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "die @ %s/%d : in safemalloc: malloc == NULL\n", file,
-            line);
+    fprintf(stderr, "die @ %s/%d : in safemalloc: malloc == NULL (%d)\n", file,
+            line, size);
     exit(1);
   }
 
@@ -340,8 +350,8 @@ void *_safemalloc(size_t size, const char *file, int line) {
 void *_saferealloc(void *mem, size_t size, const char *file, int line) {
   mem = realloc(mem, size);
   if (mem == NULL) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "die @ %s/%d : in safemalloc: realloc == NULL\n", file,
-            line);
+    fprintf(stderr, "die @ %s/%d : in safemalloc: realloc == NULL (%d)\n",
+            file, line, size);
     exit(1);
   }
 
@@ -444,11 +454,8 @@ void debug_c::leave(const char *label) {
       break;
     }
 
-  if ((entry == NULL) || (entry->entered_at == 0)) {
-    string s("leave without enter: ");
-    s += label;
-    die(s.c_str());
-  }
+  if ((entry == NULL) || (entry->entered_at == 0))
+    die("leave without enter: %s", label);
 
   entry->number_of_calls++;
   entry->elapsed_time += (uint64_t)tv.tv_sec * (uint64_t)1000000 +
diff --git a/common.h b/common.h
index 4a8303def..f1bad1c10 100644
--- a/common.h
+++ b/common.h
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 /*!
     \file
-    \version \$Id: common.h,v 1.31 2003/05/25 15:35:39 mosu Exp $
+    \version \$Id: common.h,v 1.32 2003/05/26 21:49:11 mosu Exp $
     \brief definitions used in all programs, helper functions
     \author Moritz Bunkus <moritz@bunkus.org>
 */
@@ -79,8 +79,8 @@ using namespace std;
 
 #define TIMECODE_SCALE 1000000
 
-#define die(s) _die(s, __FILE__, __LINE__)
-void _die(const char *s, const char *file, int line);
+#define die(fmt, args...) _die(fmt, __FILE__, __LINE__, ## args)
+void _die(const char *fmt, const char *file, int line, ...);
 
 #define trace() _trace(__func__, __FILE__, __LINE__)
 void _trace(const char *func, const char *file, int line);
diff --git a/p_aac.cpp b/p_aac.cpp
index ea7a6f925..c020b7a0e 100644
--- a/p_aac.cpp
+++ b/p_aac.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 /*!
     \file
-    \version \$Id: p_aac.cpp,v 1.7 2003/05/25 15:35:39 mosu Exp $
+    \version \$Id: p_aac.cpp,v 1.8 2003/05/26 21:49:11 mosu Exp $
     \brief AAC output module
     \author Moritz Bunkus <moritz@bunkus.org>
 */
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ void aac_packetizer_c::set_headers() {
     else if (profile == AAC_PROFILE_LTP)
       set_codec_id(MKV_A_AAC_4LTP);
     else
-      die("aac_packetizer: Unknown AAC MPEG-4 object type...");
+      die("aac_packetizer: Unknown AAC MPEG-4 object type %d.", profile);
   } else {
     if (profile == AAC_PROFILE_MAIN)
       set_codec_id(MKV_A_AAC_2MAIN);
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ void aac_packetizer_c::set_headers() {
     else if (profile == AAC_PROFILE_SSR)
       set_codec_id(MKV_A_AAC_2SSR);
     else
-      die("aac_packetizer: Unknown AAC MPEG-2 profile...");
+      die("aac_packetizer: Unknown AAC MPEG-2 profile %d.", profile);
   }
   set_audio_sampling_freq((float)samples_per_sec);
   set_audio_channels(channels);
diff --git a/pr_generic.cpp b/pr_generic.cpp
index ff27879c4..555bc13f7 100644
--- a/pr_generic.cpp
+++ b/pr_generic.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 /*!
     \file
-    \version \$Id: pr_generic.cpp,v 1.46 2003/05/25 15:35:39 mosu Exp $
+    \version \$Id: pr_generic.cpp,v 1.47 2003/05/26 21:49:11 mosu Exp $
     \brief functions common for all readers/packetizers
     \author Moritz Bunkus <moritz@bunkus.org>
 */
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ void generic_packetizer_c::set_as_default_track(int type) {
   else if (type == track_subtitle)
     idx = 2;
   else
-    die("Unknown track type");
+    die("Unknown track type %d.", type);
 
   if (default_tracks[idx] == 0)
     default_tracks[idx] = -1 * hserialno;
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ void generic_packetizer_c::force_default_track(int type) {
   else if (type == track_subtitle)
     idx = 2;
   else
-    die("Unknown track type");
+    die("Unknown track type %d.", type);
 
   if (default_tracks[idx] > 0)
     fprintf(stdout, "Warning: Another default track for %s tracks has already "
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ void generic_packetizer_c::add_packet(unsigned char  *data, int length,
   if (data == NULL)
     return;
   if (timecode < 0)
-    die("timecode < 0");
+    die("timecode < 0 (%lld)", timecode);
 
   pack = (packet_t *)safemalloc(sizeof(packet_t));
   memset(pack, 0, sizeof(packet_t));
diff --git a/r_matroska.cpp b/r_matroska.cpp
index 9e4231cb0..26b5ef120 100644
--- a/r_matroska.cpp
+++ b/r_matroska.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 /*!
     \file
-    \version \$Id: r_matroska.cpp,v 1.40 2003/05/25 15:35:39 mosu Exp $
+    \version \$Id: r_matroska.cpp,v 1.41 2003/05/26 21:49:11 mosu Exp $
     \brief Matroska reader
     \author Moritz Bunkus <moritz@bunkus.org>
 */
@@ -416,12 +416,7 @@ int mkv_reader_c::read_headers() {
     // Create the interface between MPlayer's IO system and
     // libmatroska's IO system.
     in = new StdIOCallback(ti->fname, MODE_READ);
-    if (in == NULL)
-      die("new");
-
     es = new EbmlStream(*in);
-    if (es == NULL)
-      die("new");
 
     // Find the EbmlHead element. Must be the first one.
     l0 = es->FindNextID(EbmlHead::ClassInfos, 0xFFFFFFFFL);
@@ -1150,7 +1145,7 @@ int mkv_reader_c::demuxing_requested(mkv_track_t *t) {
   else if (t->type == 's')
     tracks = ti->stracks;
   else
-    die("internal bug - unknown stream type");
+    die("internal bug - unknown stream type %d", t->type);
 
   if (tracks == NULL)
     return 1;