diff --git a/include/jemalloc/internal/jemalloc_internal.h.in b/include/jemalloc/internal/jemalloc_internal.h.in
index 4f557794..b7b8df8b 100644
--- a/include/jemalloc/internal/jemalloc_internal.h.in
+++ b/include/jemalloc/internal/jemalloc_internal.h.in
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #include <sys/mman.h>
 #include <sys/param.h>
 #include <sys/syscall.h>
+#if !defined(SYS_write) && defined(__NR_write)
+#define	SYS_write __NR_write
+#endif
 #include <sys/time.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/uio.h>
diff --git a/src/util.c b/src/util.c
index 090e1f06..895aa198 100644
--- a/src/util.c
+++ b/src/util.c
@@ -44,7 +44,17 @@ JEMALLOC_CATTR(visibility("hidden"), static)
 void
 wrtmessage(void *cbopaque, const char *s)
 {
+
+#ifdef SYS_write
+	/*
+	 * Use syscall(2) rather than write(2) when possible in order to avoid
+	 * the possibility of memory allocation within libc.  This is necessary
+	 * on FreeBSD; most operating systems do not have this problem though.
+	 */
 	UNUSED int result = syscall(SYS_write, STDERR_FILENO, s, strlen(s));
+#else
+	UNUSED int result = write(STDERR_FILENO, s, strlen(s));
+#endif
 }
 
 void	(*je_malloc_message)(void *, const char *s)