diff --git a/src/kits/support/String.cpp b/src/kits/support/String.cpp
index 2089d62960..9bdfcbb280 100644
--- a/src/kits/support/String.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/support/String.cpp
@@ -2360,14 +2360,9 @@ BString::_Resize(int32 length)
 	if (length < 0)
 		length = 0;
 
-	char* newData = (char*)realloc(data, length + kPrivateDataOffset + 1);
-	if (newData == NULL) {
-		free(data);
-		data = NULL;
+	data = (char*)realloc(data, length + kPrivateDataOffset + 1);
+	if (data == NULL)
 		return NULL;
-	} else {
-		data = newData;
-	}
 
 	data += kPrivateDataOffset;
 
diff --git a/src/tests/kits/support/bstring/StringAppendTest.cpp b/src/tests/kits/support/bstring/StringAppendTest.cpp
index 130137553b..0cb65e727f 100644
--- a/src/tests/kits/support/bstring/StringAppendTest.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/kits/support/bstring/StringAppendTest.cpp
@@ -116,7 +116,14 @@ StringAppendTest::PerformTest(void)
 	CPPUNIT_ASSERT(strcmp(str1->String(), "BaseCCCCC") == 0);
 	delete str1;
 
-	
+	// TODO: The following test cases only work with hoard2, which will not
+	// allow allocations via malloc() larger than the largest size-class
+	// (see threadHeap::malloc(size_t). Other malloc implementations like
+	// rpmalloc will allow arbitrarily large allocations via create_area().
+	//
+	// This test should be made more robust by breaking the dependency on
+	// the allocator to simulate failures in another way. This may require
+	// a tricky build configuration to avoid breaking the ABI of BString.
 #ifndef TEST_R5
 	const int32 OUT_OF_MEM_VAL = 2 * 1000 * 1000 * 1000;
 	// Append(char, int32) with excessive length:
diff --git a/src/tests/kits/support/bstring/StringAssignTest.cpp b/src/tests/kits/support/bstring/StringAssignTest.cpp
index edb26e2f98..414c76492c 100644
--- a/src/tests/kits/support/bstring/StringAssignTest.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/kits/support/bstring/StringAssignTest.cpp
@@ -99,6 +99,14 @@ StringAssignTest::PerformTest(void)
 	delete str;
 
 #ifndef TEST_R5
+	// TODO: The following test cases only work with hoard2, which will not
+	// allow allocations via malloc() larger than the largest size-class
+	// (see threadHeap::malloc(size_t). Other malloc implementations like
+	// rpmalloc will allow arbitrarily large allocations via create_area().
+	//
+	// This test should be made more robust by breaking the dependency on
+	// the allocator to simulate failures in another way. This may require
+	// a tricky build configuration to avoid breaking the ABI of BString.
 	const int32 OUT_OF_MEM_VAL = 2 * 1000 * 1000 * 1000;
 	// SetTo(char, int32) with excessive length:
 	NextSubTest();