diff --git a/ptrlist.c b/ptrlist.c
index 0f0b3f6d..c5766002 100644
--- a/ptrlist.c
+++ b/ptrlist.c
@@ -154,10 +154,10 @@ void *ptr_list_nth_entry(struct ptr_list *list, unsigned int idx)
 // @head: the list to be linearized
 // @arr: a ``void*`` array to fill with @head's entries
 // @max: the maximum number of entries to store into @arr
-// @return: the number of entries linearized.
+// @return: the number of entries in the list.
 //
 // Linearize the entries of a list up to a total of @max,
-// and return the nr of entries linearized.
+// and return the number of entries in the list.
 //
 // The array to linearize into (@arr) should really
 // be ``void *x[]``, but we want to let people fill in any kind
@@ -170,14 +170,14 @@ int linearize_ptr_list(struct ptr_list *head, void **arr, int max)
 
 		do {
 			int i = list->nr;
+			nr += i;
+			if (max == 0)
+				continue;
 			if (i > max) 
 				i = max;
 			memcpy(arr, list->list, i*sizeof(void *));
 			arr += i;
-			nr += i;
 			max -= i;
-			if (!max)
-				break;
 		} while ((list = list->next) != head);
 	}
 	return nr;
diff --git a/ptrlist.h b/ptrlist.h
index c5fa4cdd..5a3dcbeb 100644
--- a/ptrlist.h
+++ b/ptrlist.h
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 /* Silly type-safety check ;) */
 #define CHECK_TYPE(head,ptr)		(void)(&(ptr) == &(head)->list[0])
-#define TYPEOF(head)			__typeof__(&(head)->list[0])
+#define PTRLIST_TYPE(head)		__typeof__((head)->list[0])
 #define VRFY_PTR_LIST(head)		(void)(sizeof((head)->list[0]))
 
 #define LIST_NODE_NR (13)
@@ -67,6 +67,12 @@ extern void **__add_ptr_list_tag(struct ptr_list **, void *, unsigned long);
 		(__typeof__(&(ptr))) __add_ptr_list_tag(head, ptr, tag);\
 	})
 
+#define pop_ptr_list(l) ({						\
+		PTRLIST_TYPE(*(l)) ptr;					\
+		ptr = delete_ptr_list_last((struct ptr_list**)(l));	\
+		ptr;							\
+	})
+
 extern void __free_ptr_list(struct ptr_list **);
 #define free_ptr_list(list)	do {					\
 		VRFY_PTR_LIST(*(list));					\
@@ -75,7 +81,13 @@ extern void __free_ptr_list(struct ptr_list **);
 
 #define ptr_list_nth(lst, nth) ({					\
 		struct ptr_list* head = (struct ptr_list*)(lst);	\
-		(__typeof__((lst)->list[0])) ptr_list_nth_entry(head, nth);\
+		(PTRLIST_TYPE(lst)) ptr_list_nth_entry(head, nth);\
+	})
+
+#define ptr_list_to_array(list, array, size) ({				\
+		struct ptr_list* head = (struct ptr_list*)(list);	\
+		CHECK_TYPE(list, *array);				\
+		linearize_ptr_list(head, (void**)array, size);		\
 	})
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -251,7 +263,7 @@ extern void __free_ptr_list(struct ptr_list **);
 extern void split_ptr_list_head(struct ptr_list *);
 
 #define DO_INSERT_CURRENT(new, __head, __list, __nr) do {		\
-	TYPEOF(__head) __this, __last;					\
+	PTRLIST_TYPE(__head) *__this, *__last;				\
 	if (__list->nr == LIST_NODE_NR) {				\
 		split_ptr_list_head((struct ptr_list*)__list);		\
 		if (__nr >= __list->nr) {				\
@@ -270,8 +282,8 @@ extern void split_ptr_list_head(struct ptr_list *);
 } while (0)
 
 #define DO_DELETE_CURRENT(__head, __list, __nr) do {			\
-	TYPEOF(__head) __this = __list->list + __nr;			\
-	TYPEOF(__head) __last = __list->list + __list->nr - 1;		\
+	PTRLIST_TYPE(__head) *__this = __list->list + __nr;		\
+	PTRLIST_TYPE(__head) *__last = __list->list + __list->nr - 1;	\
 	while (__this < __last) {					\
 		__this[0] = __this[1];					\
 		__this++;						\
diff --git a/simplify.c b/simplify.c
index 584078dd..207af8ed 100644
--- a/simplify.c
+++ b/simplify.c
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ static struct basic_block *phi_parent(struct basic_block *source, pseudo_t pseud
 //	number of element, a positive number if there was
 //	more than expected and a negative one if less.
 //
-// :note: we can't reuse a function like linearize_ptr_list()
+// :note: we can't reuse ptr_list_to_array() for the phi-sources
 //	because any VOIDs in the phi-list must be ignored here
 //	as in this context they mean 'entry has been removed'.
 static int get_phisources(struct instruction *sources[], int nbr, struct instruction *insn)
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ static int get_phisources(struct instruction *sources[], int nbr, struct instruc
 static int if_convert_phi(struct instruction *insn)
 {
 	struct instruction *array[2];
-	struct basic_block *parents[3];
+	struct basic_block *parents[2];
 	struct basic_block *bb, *bb1, *bb2, *source;
 	struct instruction *br;
 	pseudo_t p1, p2;
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ static int if_convert_phi(struct instruction *insn)
 	bb = insn->bb;
 	if (get_phisources(array, 2, insn))
 		return 0;
-	if (linearize_ptr_list((struct ptr_list *)bb->parents, (void **)parents, 3) != 2)
+	if (ptr_list_to_array(bb->parents, parents, 2) != 2)
 		return 0;
 	p1 = array[0]->phi_src;
 	bb1 = array[0]->bb;
diff --git a/sparse.c b/sparse.c
index 151eaf4e..9d62d4fe 100644
--- a/sparse.c
+++ b/sparse.c
@@ -163,20 +163,9 @@ static void check_byte_count(struct instruction *insn, pseudo_t count)
 	/* OK, we could try to do the range analysis here */
 }
 
-static pseudo_t argument(struct instruction *call, unsigned int argno)
-{
-	pseudo_t args[8];
-	struct ptr_list *arg_list = (struct ptr_list *) call->arguments;
-
-	argno--;
-	if (linearize_ptr_list(arg_list, (void *)args, 8) > argno)
-		return args[argno];
-	return NULL;
-}
-
 static void check_memset(struct instruction *insn)
 {
-	check_byte_count(insn, argument(insn, 3));
+	check_byte_count(insn, ptr_list_nth(insn->arguments, 3));
 }
 
 #define check_memcpy check_memset