diff --git a/.clang-tidy b/.clang-tidy
index ad3e652b..20c7cf54 100644
--- a/.clang-tidy
+++ b/.clang-tidy
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
+# optin.core.unix.Malloc: disabled so we can use __attribute__((cleanup)) without leak complaints
 # optin.core.EnumCastOutOfRange: disabled because we use a lot of "wrong" enum values for testing
 #                                and internally and don't want those values leak into the public API
 Checks: >
+  -clang-analyzer-unix.Malloc,
   -clang-analyzer-optin.core.EnumCastOutOfRange
 WarningsAsErrors: true
diff --git a/src/quirks.h b/src/quirks.h
index ba4df631..ad6f6aa3 100644
--- a/src/quirks.h
+++ b/src/quirks.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include <libudev.h>
 
 #include "libinput.h"
+#include "util-mem.h"
 
 /**
  * Handle to the quirks context.
@@ -179,6 +180,8 @@ quirks_init_subsystem(const char *data_path,
 struct quirks_context *
 quirks_context_unref(struct quirks_context *ctx);
 
+DEFINE_UNREF_CLEANUP_FUNC(quirks_context);
+
 struct quirks_context *
 quirks_context_ref(struct quirks_context *ctx);
 
diff --git a/src/util-mem.h b/src/util-mem.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7e472464
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util-mem.h
@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT */
+/*
+ * Copyright © 2020 Red Hat, Inc.
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
+ * copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"),
+ * to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation
+ * the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense,
+ * and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
+ * Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice (including the next
+ * paragraph) shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the
+ * Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.  IN NO EVENT SHALL
+ * THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
+ * FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER
+ * DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+/**
+ * Use: _cleanup_(somefunction) struct foo *bar;
+ */
+#define _cleanup_(_x) __attribute__((cleanup(_x)))
+
+/**
+ * Use: _unref_(foo) struct foo *bar;
+ *
+ * This requires foo_unrefp() to be present, use DEFINE_UNREF_CLEANUP_FUNC.
+ */
+#define _unref_(_type) __attribute__((cleanup(_type##_unrefp))) struct _type
+
+/**
+ * Use: _destroy_(foo) struct foo *bar;
+ *
+ * This requires foo_destroyp() to be present, use DEFINE_UNREF_CLEANUP_FUNC.
+ */
+#define _destroy_(_type) __attribute__((cleanup(_type##_destroyp))) struct _type
+
+/**
+ * Use: _free_(foo) struct foo *bar;
+ *
+ * This requires foo_freep() to be present, use DEFINE_FREE_CLEANUP_FUNC.
+ */
+#define _free_(_type) __attribute__((cleanup(_type##_freep))) struct _type
+
+static inline void _free_ptr_(void *p) { free(*(void**)p); }
+/**
+ * Use: _autofree_ char *data;
+ */
+#define _autofree_ _cleanup_(_free_ptr_)
+
+static inline void _close_fd_(int *fd) { if (*fd != -1) close(*fd); }
+
+/**
+ * Use: _autoclose_ int fd = open(...);
+ */
+#define _autoclose_ _cleanup_(_close_fd_)
+
+static inline void _close_file_(FILE **fp) { if (*fp) fclose(*fp); }
+
+/**
+ * Use: _autofclose_ FILE *fp = fopen(...);
+ */
+#define _autofclose_ _cleanup_(_close_file_)
+
+/**
+ * Use:
+ * DEFINE_TRIVIAL_CLEANUP_FUNC(struct foo *, foo_unref)
+ * _cleanup_(foo_unrefp) struct foo *bar;
+ */
+#define DEFINE_TRIVIAL_CLEANUP_FUNC(_type, _func)		\
+	static inline void _func##p(_type *_p) {		\
+		if (*_p)					\
+			_func(*_p);				\
+	}							\
+	struct __useless_struct_to_allow_trailing_semicolon__
+
+/**
+ * Define a cleanup function for the struct type foo with a matching
+ * foo_unref(). Use:
+ * DEFINE_UNREF_CLEANUP_FUNC(foo)
+ * _unref_(foo) struct foo *bar;
+ */
+#define DEFINE_UNREF_CLEANUP_FUNC(_type)		\
+	static inline void _type##_unrefp(struct _type **_p) {	\
+		if (*_p)					\
+			_type##_unref(*_p);			\
+	}							\
+	struct __useless_struct_to_allow_trailing_semicolon__
+
+/**
+ * Define a cleanup function for the struct type foo with a matching
+ * foo_destroy(). Use:
+ * DEFINE_DESTROY_CLEANUP_FUNC(foo)
+ * _destroy_(foo) struct foo *bar;
+ */
+#define DEFINE_DESTROY_CLEANUP_FUNC(_type)		\
+	static inline void _type##_destroyp(struct _type **_p) {\
+		if (*_p)					\
+			_type##_destroy(*_p);			\
+	}							\
+	struct __useless_struct_to_allow_trailing_semicolon__
+
+/**
+ * Define a cleanup function for the struct type foo with a matching
+ * foo_free(). Use:
+ * DEFINE_FREE_CLEANUP_FUNC(foo)
+ * _free_(foo) struct foo *bar;
+ */
+#define DEFINE_FREE_CLEANUP_FUNC(_type)		\
+	static inline void _type##_freep(struct _type **_p) {\
+		if (*_p)					\
+			_type##_free(*_p);			\
+	}							\
+	struct __useless_struct_to_allow_trailing_semicolon__
+
+static inline void*
+_steal(void *ptr) {
+	void **original = (void**)ptr;
+	void *swapped = *original;
+	*original = NULL;
+	return swapped;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Resets the pointer content and resets the data to NULL.
+ * This circumvents _cleanup_ handling for that pointer.
+ * Use:
+ *   _cleanup_free_ char *data = malloc();
+ *   return steal(&data);
+ *
+ */
+#define steal(ptr_) \
+  (typeof(*ptr_))_steal(ptr_)
+
+static inline int
+steal_fd(int *fd) {
+	int copy = *fd;
+	*fd = -1;
+	return copy;
+}
diff --git a/src/util-strings.h b/src/util-strings.h
index 190cae11..c245f9d3 100644
--- a/src/util-strings.h
+++ b/src/util-strings.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include "util-macros.h"
+#include "util-mem.h"
 
 #define yesno(b) ((b) ? "yes" : "no")
 #define truefalse(b) ((b) ? "true" : "false")
@@ -334,6 +335,13 @@ strv_free(char **strv) {
 	free (strv);
 }
 
+DEFINE_TRIVIAL_CLEANUP_FUNC(char **, strv_free);
+
+/**
+ * Use: _autostrvfree_ char **strv = ...;
+ */
+#define _autostrvfree_ _cleanup_(strv_freep)
+
 /**
  * parse a string containing a list of doubles into a double array.
  *
diff --git a/test/test-utils.c b/test/test-utils.c
index 8aae01de..f5a7bbf8 100644
--- a/test/test-utils.c
+++ b/test/test-utils.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 #include "util-ratelimit.h"
 #include "util-stringbuf.h"
 #include "util-matrix.h"
+#include "util-mem.h"
 #include "util-input-event.h"
 #include "util-newtype.h"
 
@@ -2119,6 +2120,71 @@ START_TEST(newtype_test)
 }
 END_TEST
 
+struct sunref {};
+struct sdestroy {};
+struct sfree{};
+
+static void sunref_unref(struct sunref *s) { free(s); };
+static void sdestroy_destroy(struct sdestroy *s) { free(s); };
+static void sfree_free(struct sfree *s) { free(s); };
+
+DEFINE_UNREF_CLEANUP_FUNC(sunref);
+DEFINE_DESTROY_CLEANUP_FUNC(sdestroy);
+DEFINE_FREE_CLEANUP_FUNC(sfree);
+
+START_TEST(attribute_cleanup)
+{
+	/* These tests will likely only show up in valgrind,
+	 * the various asserts are just to shut up the compiler
+	 * about unused variables
+	 */
+	{
+		_autofree_ char *autofree = zalloc(64);
+		litest_assert(autofree);
+	}
+	{
+		_autofree_ char *stolen = zalloc(64);
+		free(steal(&stolen));
+	}
+	{
+		_autoclose_ int fd = open("/proc/self/cmdline", O_RDONLY);
+		litest_assert_int_ge(fd, 0);
+
+		_autoclose_ int badfd = -1;
+		litest_assert_int_eq(badfd, -1);
+
+		_autoclose_ int stealfd = open("/proc/self/cmdline", O_RDONLY);
+		steal_fd(&stealfd);
+		litest_assert_int_eq(stealfd, -1);
+	}
+	{
+		_autostrvfree_ char **strv = zalloc(3 * sizeof(*strv));
+		for (int i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
+			strv[i] = strdup_printf("element %d", i);
+		}
+
+		_autostrvfree_ char **badstrv = NULL;
+		litest_assert_ptr_null(badstrv);
+	}
+	{
+		_autofclose_ FILE *fp = fopen("/proc/self/cmdline", "r");
+		litest_assert_ptr_notnull(fp);
+
+		_autofclose_ FILE *badfd = NULL;
+		litest_assert_ptr_null(badfd);
+	}
+	{
+		_unref_(sunref) *s = zalloc(sizeof(*s));
+	}
+	{
+		_destroy_(sdestroy) *s = zalloc(sizeof(*s));
+	}
+	{
+		_free_(sfree) *s = zalloc(sizeof(*s));
+	}
+}
+END_TEST
+
 int main(void)
 {
 	struct litest_runner *runner = litest_runner_new();
@@ -2189,6 +2255,7 @@ int main(void)
 	ADD_TEST(multivalue_test);
 
 	ADD_TEST(newtype_test);
+	ADD_TEST(attribute_cleanup);
 
 	enum litest_runner_result result = litest_runner_run_tests(runner);
 	litest_runner_destroy(runner);