diff --git a/common/configdir.c b/common/configdir.c
index b4e401a11..8bbf29b4c 100644
--- a/common/configdir.c
+++ b/common/configdir.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include <ccan/tal/str/str.h>
 #include <common/configdir.h>
 #include <common/configvar.h>
+#include <common/memleak.h>
 #include <common/utils.h>
 #include <common/version.h>
 
@@ -35,8 +36,7 @@ static char *opt_set_abspath(const char *arg, char **p)
 /* Tal wrappers for opt. */
 static void *opt_allocfn(size_t size)
 {
-	return tal_arr_label(NULL, char, size,
-			     TAL_LABEL(opt_allocfn_notleak, ""));
+	return notleak(tal_arr(NULL, char, size));
 }
 
 static void *tal_reallocfn(void *ptr, size_t size)
diff --git a/common/memleak.c b/common/memleak.c
index 7ac0da7c7..de321a9a7 100644
--- a/common/memleak.c
+++ b/common/memleak.c
@@ -58,9 +58,6 @@ struct tal_backtrace {
 void *notleak_(void *ptr, bool plus_children)
 {
 	const char *name;
-	/* If we're not tracking, don't do anything. */
-	if (!memleak_track)
-		return cast_const(void *, ptr);
 
 	/* We use special tal names to mark notleak */
 	name = tal_name(ptr);
@@ -69,12 +66,14 @@ void *notleak_(void *ptr, bool plus_children)
 
 	/* Don't mark more than once! */
 	if (!strstr(name, "**NOTLEAK")) {
+		/* Don't use tmpctx: it might not be set up yet! */
 		if (plus_children)
-			name = tal_fmt(tmpctx, "%s **NOTLEAK_IGNORE_CHILDREN**",
+			name = tal_fmt(NULL, "%s **NOTLEAK_IGNORE_CHILDREN**",
 				       name);
 		else
-			name = tal_fmt(tmpctx, "%s **NOTLEAK**", name);
+			name = tal_fmt(NULL, "%s **NOTLEAK**", name);
 		tal_set_name(ptr, name);
+		tal_free(name);
 	}
 
 	return cast_const(void *, ptr);
@@ -331,8 +330,7 @@ static void call_memleak_helpers(struct htable *memtable, const tal_t *p)
 			if (strends(name, "struct memleak_helper")) {
 				const struct memleak_helper *mh = i;
 				mh->cb(memtable, p);
-			} else if (strends(name, " **NOTLEAK**")
-				   || strends(name, "_notleak")) {
+			} else if (strends(name, " **NOTLEAK**")) {
 				memleak_ptr(memtable, i);
 				memleak_scan_obj(memtable, i);
 			} else if (strends(name,
diff --git a/common/trace.c b/common/trace.c
index 7ffe7eac1..e3018a00e 100644
--- a/common/trace.c
+++ b/common/trace.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <ccan/str/hex/hex.h>
 #include <ccan/tal/str/str.h>
 #include <common/json_stream.h>
+#include <common/memleak.h>
 #include <common/pseudorand.h>
 #include <common/trace.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
@@ -181,15 +182,11 @@ static inline void trace_check_tree(void) {}
 static void trace_init(void)
 {
 	const char *dev_trace_file;
-	const char notleak_name[] = "struct span **NOTLEAK**";
 
 	if (active_spans)
 		return;
 
-	active_spans = tal_arrz(NULL, struct span, 1);
-	/* We're usually too early for memleak to be initialized, so mark
-	 * this notleak manually! */
-	tal_set_name(active_spans, notleak_name);
+	active_spans = notleak(tal_arrz(NULL, struct span, 1));
 
 	current = NULL;
 	dev_trace_file = getenv("CLN_DEV_TRACE_FILE");