diff --git a/src/include/ngspice/spmatrix.h b/src/include/ngspice/spmatrix.h
index 6148755da..c4151aca7 100644
--- a/src/include/ngspice/spmatrix.h
+++ b/src/include/ngspice/spmatrix.h
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ typedef spGenericPtr spMatrix;
 typedef spREAL spElement;
 
 /*! Declares the type of the Sparse error codes. */
-typedef int spError;
+//typedef int spError;
 
 
 
@@ -313,12 +313,12 @@ typedef struct MatrixFrame *MatrixPtr;
 
 spcEXTERN  void       spClear( MatrixPtr );
 spcEXTERN  spREAL     spCondition( MatrixPtr, spREAL, int* );
-spcEXTERN  MatrixPtr   spCreate( int, int, spError* );
+spcEXTERN  MatrixPtr  spCreate( int, int, int* );
 spcEXTERN  void       spDeleteRowAndCol( MatrixPtr, int, int );
 spcEXTERN  void       spDestroy( MatrixPtr );
 spcEXTERN  int        spElementCount( MatrixPtr );
 spcEXTERN  int        spOriginalCount( MatrixPtr );
-spcEXTERN  spError    spErrorState( MatrixPtr );
+spcEXTERN  int        spError( MatrixPtr );
 #ifdef EOF
     spcEXTERN void    spErrorMessage( MatrixPtr, FILE*, char* );
 #else
@@ -326,18 +326,18 @@ spcEXTERN  spError    spErrorState( MatrixPtr );
 #endif
 
 
-spcEXTERN  spError    spFactor( MatrixPtr );
+spcEXTERN  int        spFactor( MatrixPtr );
 spcEXTERN  int        spFileMatrix( MatrixPtr, char*, char*, int, int, int );
 spcEXTERN  int        spFileStats( MatrixPtr, char*, char* );
 spcEXTERN  int        spFillinCount( MatrixPtr );
 spcEXTERN  spElement *spFindElement( MatrixPtr, int, int );
-spcEXTERN  spError    spGetAdmittance( MatrixPtr, int, int,
+spcEXTERN  int        spGetAdmittance( MatrixPtr, int, int,
                 struct spTemplate* );
 spcEXTERN  spElement *spGetElement( MatrixPtr, int, int );
 spcEXTERN  spGenericPtr spGetInitInfo( spElement* );
-spcEXTERN  spError    spGetOnes( MatrixPtr, int, int, int,
+spcEXTERN  int        spGetOnes( MatrixPtr, int, int, int,
                 struct spTemplate* );
-spcEXTERN  spError    spGetQuad( MatrixPtr, int, int, int, int,
+spcEXTERN  int        spGetQuad( MatrixPtr, int, int, int, int,
                 struct spTemplate* );
 spcEXTERN  int        spGetSize( MatrixPtr, int );
 spcEXTERN  int        spInitialize( MatrixPtr, int (*pInit)(spElement *, spGenericPtr, int, int) );
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ spcEXTERN  void       spInstallInitInfo( spElement*, spGenericPtr );
 spcEXTERN  spREAL     spLargestElement( MatrixPtr );
 spcEXTERN  void       spMNA_Preorder( MatrixPtr );
 spcEXTERN  spREAL     spNorm( MatrixPtr );
-spcEXTERN  spError    spOrderAndFactor( MatrixPtr, spREAL[], spREAL,
+spcEXTERN  int        spOrderAndFactor( MatrixPtr, spREAL[], spREAL,
                 spREAL, int );
 spcEXTERN  void       spPartition( MatrixPtr, int );
 spcEXTERN  void       spPrint( MatrixPtr, int, int, int );
diff --git a/src/maths/sparse/spAllocate.c b/src/maths/sparse/spAllocate.c
index 57a051bbd..f20357f85 100644
--- a/src/maths/sparse/spAllocate.c
+++ b/src/maths/sparse/spAllocate.c
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 /*  >>> User accessible functions contained in this file:
  *  spCreate
  *  spDestroy
- *  spErrorState
+ *  spError
  *  spWhereSingular
  *  spGetSize
  *  spSetReal
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ char spcMatrixMustNotBeFactored[] = "Matrix must not be factored";
 
 //static spError ReserveElements( MatrixPtr, int );
 static void InitializeElementBlocks( MatrixPtr, int, int );
-static void RecordAllocation( MatrixPtr, void* );
+static void RecordAllocation( MatrixPtr, void * );
 static void AllocateBlockOfAllocationList( MatrixPtr );
 
 
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ static void AllocateBlockOfAllocationList( MatrixPtr );
  *      Further note that if a matrix will be both real and complex, it must
  *      be specified here as being complex.
  *  \param pError
- *      Returns error flag, needed because function \a spErrorState() will
+ *      Returns error flag, needed because function \a spError() will
  *      not work correctly if \a spCreate() returns \a NULL. Possible errors
  *      include \a  spNO_MEMORY and \a spPANIC.
  */
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ MatrixPtr
 spCreate(
     int  Size,
     int  Complex,
-    spError *pError
+    int *pError
 )
 {
 unsigned  SizePlusOne;
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ AllocationListPtr  ListPtr;
     }
 
 /* Record allocation of space for allocation list on allocation list. */
-    Matrix->TopOfAllocationList->AllocatedPtr = ListPtr;
+    Matrix->TopOfAllocationList->AllocatedPtr = (void *)ListPtr;
     Matrix->RecordsRemaining = ELEMENTS_PER_ALLOCATION;
 
     return;
@@ -654,7 +654,11 @@ AllocationListPtr  ListPtr, NextListPtr;
     ListPtr = Matrix->TopOfAllocationList;
     while (ListPtr != NULL)
     {   NextListPtr = ListPtr->NextRecord;
-        SP_FREE( ListPtr->AllocatedPtr );
+        if ((void *) ListPtr == ListPtr->AllocatedPtr) {
+            SP_FREE( ListPtr );
+        } else {
+            SP_FREE( ListPtr->AllocatedPtr );
+        }
         ListPtr = NextListPtr;
     }
     return;
@@ -676,10 +680,10 @@ AllocationListPtr  ListPtr, NextListPtr;
  *      The pointer to the matrix for which the error status is desired.
  */
 
-spError
-spErrorState( MatrixPtr Matrix )
+int
+spError( MatrixPtr Matrix )
 {
-/* Begin `spErrorState'. */
+/* Begin `spError'. */
 
     if (Matrix != NULL)
     {   ASSERT_IS_SPARSE( Matrix );
diff --git a/src/maths/sparse/spFactor.c b/src/maths/sparse/spFactor.c
index a91de02c8..028dd11ee 100644
--- a/src/maths/sparse/spFactor.c
+++ b/src/maths/sparse/spFactor.c
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ static void WriteStatus( MatrixPtr, int );
  *
  */
 
-spError
+int
 spOrderAndFactor(
     MatrixPtr Matrix,
     spREAL RHS[],
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ Done:
  *  \see spOrderAndFactor()
  */
 
-spError
+int
 spFactor( MatrixPtr Matrix )
 {
 #if REAL
diff --git a/src/maths/sparse/spSMP.c b/src/maths/sparse/spSMP.c
index 1f308a36c..743f86c49 100644
--- a/src/maths/sparse/spSMP.c
+++ b/src/maths/sparse/spSMP.c
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ int Row, int Col,
 double Value)
 {
     *spGetElement( Matrix, Row, Col ) = Value;
-    return spErrorState( Matrix );
+    return spError( Matrix );
 }
 
 /*
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ SMPpreOrder(
 SMPmatrix *Matrix)
 {
     spMNA_Preorder( Matrix );
-    return spErrorState( Matrix );
+    return spError( Matrix );
 }
 
 /*
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ int *pExponent)
 #else
     spDeterminant( Matrix, pExponent, &(pMantissa->real) );
 #endif
-    return spErrorState( Matrix );
+    return spError( Matrix );
 }
 
 /*
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ SMPcDProd(SMPmatrix *Matrix, SPcomplex *pMantissa, int *pExponent)
     printf("Determinant 10->2: (%20g,%20g)^%d\n", pMantissa->real,
     pMantissa->imag, *pExponent);
 #endif
-    return spErrorState( Matrix );
+    return spError( Matrix );
 }
 
 
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ SMPcZeroCol(SMPmatrix *Matrix, int Col)
 #endif
     }
 
-    return spErrorState( Matrix );
+    return spError( Matrix );
 }
 
 /*
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ SMPcAddCol(SMPmatrix *Matrix, int Accum_Col, int Addend_Col)
         Addend = Addend->NextInCol;
     }
 
-    return spErrorState( Matrix );
+    return spError( Matrix );
 }
 
 /*