diff --git a/analysis.cxx b/analysis.cxx
index a7a579e..d0d6a4f 100644
--- a/analysis.cxx
+++ b/analysis.cxx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 // later version.
 
 #include "config.h"
+#include "session.h"
 
 #ifdef HAVE_DYNINST
 
@@ -46,6 +47,8 @@ analysis::analysis(string name)
 	char *name_str = strdup(name.c_str());
 	sts = NULL;
 	co = NULL;
+	SymtabAPI::Symtab *symTab;
+	bool isParsable;
 
 	// Use cached information if available
 	if (cached_info.find(name) != cached_info.end()) {
@@ -56,6 +59,9 @@ analysis::analysis(string name)
 
 	// Not not seen before
 	// Create a new binary code object from the filename argument
+	isParsable = SymtabAPI::Symtab::openFile(symTab, name_str);
+	if(!isParsable) goto cleanup;
+
 	sts = new SymtabCodeSource(name_str);
 	if(!sts) goto cleanup;
 
@@ -143,39 +149,40 @@ static const MachRegister dyninst_register_64[] = {
 static const MachRegister dyninst_register_32[1]; // No 32-bit support
 
 #elif defined(__powerpc__)
+/* For ppc64 still use the ppc32 register names */
 static const MachRegister dyninst_register_64[] = {
-    ppc64::r0,
-    ppc64::r1,
-    ppc64::r2,
-    ppc64::r3,
-    ppc64::r4,
-    ppc64::r5,
-    ppc64::r6,
-    ppc64::r7,
-    ppc64::r8,
-    ppc64::r9,
-    ppc64::r10,
-    ppc64::r11,
-    ppc64::r12,
-    ppc64::r13,
-    ppc64::r14,
-    ppc64::r15,
-    ppc64::r16,
-    ppc64::r17,
-    ppc64::r18,
-    ppc64::r19,
-    ppc64::r20,
-    ppc64::r21,
-    ppc64::r22,
-    ppc64::r23,
-    ppc64::r24,
-    ppc64::r25,
-    ppc64::r26,
-    ppc64::r27,
-    ppc64::r28,
-    ppc64::r29,
-    ppc64::r30,
-    ppc64::r31
+    ppc32::r0,
+    ppc32::r1,
+    ppc32::r2,
+    ppc32::r3,
+    ppc32::r4,
+    ppc32::r5,
+    ppc32::r6,
+    ppc32::r7,
+    ppc32::r8,
+    ppc32::r9,
+    ppc32::r10,
+    ppc32::r11,
+    ppc32::r12,
+    ppc32::r13,
+    ppc32::r14,
+    ppc32::r15,
+    ppc32::r16,
+    ppc32::r17,
+    ppc32::r18,
+    ppc32::r19,
+    ppc32::r20,
+    ppc32::r21,
+    ppc32::r22,
+    ppc32::r23,
+    ppc32::r24,
+    ppc32::r25,
+    ppc32::r26,
+    ppc32::r27,
+    ppc32::r28,
+    ppc32::r29,
+    ppc32::r30,
+    ppc32::r31
 };
 
 static const MachRegister dyninst_register_32[] = {
@@ -218,14 +225,26 @@ static const MachRegister dyninst_register_32[] = {
 typedef map<string, LivenessAnalyzer*> precomputed_liveness;
 static precomputed_liveness cached_liveness;
 
-int liveness(string executable,
+int liveness(systemtap_session& s,
+	     target_symbol *e,
+	     string executable,
 	     Dwarf_Addr addr,
 	     location_context ctx)
 {
+  try{
+	// Doing this inside a try/catch because dyninst may require
+	// too much memory to parse the binary.
 	// should cache the executable names like the other things
 	analysis func_to_analyze(executable);
 	MachRegister r;
 
+	// Punt if unsuccessful in parsing binary
+	if (!func_to_analyze.co){
+		s.print_warning(_F("liveness analysis unable to parse binary %s",
+				   executable.c_str()), e->tok);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
 	// Determine whether 32-bit or 64-bit code as the register names are different in dyninst
 	int reg_width = func_to_analyze.co->cs()->getAddressWidth();
 
@@ -282,6 +301,11 @@ int liveness(string executable,
 	bool used;
 	la->query(iloc, LivenessAnalyzer::Before, r, used);
 	return (used ? 1 : -1);
+  } catch (std::bad_alloc & ex){
+    s.print_warning(_F("unable to allocate memory for liveness analysis of %s",
+				   executable.c_str()), e->tok);
+    return 0;
+  }
 }
 
 #endif // HAVE_DYNINST
diff --git a/analysis.h b/analysis.h
index 9b6d115..6bea675 100644
--- a/analysis.h
+++ b/analysis.h
@@ -17,13 +17,15 @@
 
 #ifdef HAVE_DYNINST
 
-extern int liveness(std::string executable,
+extern int liveness(systemtap_session& s,
+		    target_symbol *e,
+		    std::string executable,
 		    Dwarf_Addr location,
 		    location_context ctx);
 
 #else
 
-#define liveness(executable, location, var) (0)
+#define liveness(session, target, executable, location, var) (0)
 
 #endif // HAVE_DYNINST
 #endif // ANALYSIS_H
diff --git a/tapsets.cxx b/tapsets.cxx
index 60794bb..8fc5146 100644
--- a/tapsets.cxx
+++ b/tapsets.cxx
@@ -4732,7 +4732,7 @@ dwarf_var_expanding_visitor::visit_target_symbol (target_symbol *e)
 
       // Now that have location information check if change to variable has any effect
       if (lvalue) {
-	      if (liveness(q.dw.mod_info->elf_path, addr, ctx) < 0) {
+	      if (liveness(q.sess, e, q.dw.mod_info->elf_path, addr, ctx) < 0) {
 		      q.sess.print_warning(_F("write at %p will have no effect",
 					      (void *)addr), e->tok);
 	      }