diff --git a/src/frontend/numparam/mystring.c b/src/frontend/numparam/mystring.c
index f0f5448d5..10e4aa298 100644
--- a/src/frontend/numparam/mystring.c
+++ b/src/frontend/numparam/mystring.c
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 
 #include "general.h"
 
+extern void winmessage(char* new_msg);
+
 #define Getmax(s,ls)  (((unsigned char)(s[ls+1])) << 8) + (unsigned char)(s[ls+2])
 
 /***** primitive input-output ***/
diff --git a/src/frontend/numparam/spicenum.c b/src/frontend/numparam/spicenum.c
index 8cedc5102..a9d4d6643 100644
--- a/src/frontend/numparam/spicenum.c
+++ b/src/frontend/numparam/spicenum.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ Todo:
 #include "ngspice.h"
 
 extern void txfree (void *ptr);
+extern void winmessage(char* new_msg);
 
 char *nupa_inst_name;
 static tdico *inst_dico;
@@ -664,6 +665,7 @@ nupa_copy (char *s, int linenum)
   if (t == NULL)
   {
     fputs ("Fatal: String malloc crash in nupa_copy()\n", stderr);
+    winmessage("Fatal error in SPICE");
     exit (-1);
   }
   else
diff --git a/src/misc/alloc.c b/src/misc/alloc.c
index 1d26b119c..a785106b0 100644
--- a/src/misc/alloc.c
+++ b/src/misc/alloc.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ $Id$
 extern HANDLE outheap;
 #endif
 #endif
+extern void winmessage(char* new_msg);
 
 /* Malloc num bytes and initialize to zero. Fatal error if the space can't
  * be tmalloc'd.   Return NULL for a request for 0 bytes.