diff --git a/src/fccfg.c b/src/fccfg.c
index 95c5016..0f89b57 100644
--- a/src/fccfg.c
+++ b/src/fccfg.c
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ FcConfigCreate (void)
     config->rescanTime = time(0);
     config->rescanInterval = 30;    
 
+    config->expr_pool = NULL;
+
     config->ref = 1;
     
     return config;
@@ -193,6 +195,26 @@ FcSubstDestroy (FcSubst *s)
     }
 }
 
+FcExpr *
+FcConfigAllocExpr (FcConfig *config)
+{
+  if (!config->expr_pool || config->expr_pool->next == config->expr_pool->end)
+  {
+    FcExprPage *new_page;
+
+    new_page = malloc (sizeof (FcExprPage));
+    if (!new_page)
+      return 0;
+    FcMemAlloc (FC_MEM_EXPR, sizeof (FcExprPage));
+
+    new_page->next_page = config->expr_pool;
+    new_page->next = new_page->exprs;
+    config->expr_pool = new_page;
+  }
+
+  return config->expr_pool->next++;
+}
+
 FcConfig *
 FcConfigReference (FcConfig *config)
 {
@@ -212,6 +234,7 @@ void
 FcConfigDestroy (FcConfig *config)
 {
     FcSetName	set;
+    FcExprPage	*page;
 
     if (--config->ref > 0)
 	return;
@@ -238,6 +261,15 @@ FcConfigDestroy (FcConfig *config)
 	if (config->fonts[set])
 	    FcFontSetDestroy (config->fonts[set]);
 
+    page = config->expr_pool;
+    while (page)
+    {
+      FcExprPage *next = page->next_page;
+      FcMemFree (FC_MEM_EXPR, sizeof (FcExprPage));
+      free (page);
+      page = next;
+    }
+
     free (config);
     FcMemFree (FC_MEM_CONFIG, sizeof (FcConfig));
 }
diff --git a/src/fcint.h b/src/fcint.h
index 606097a..4414a2d 100644
--- a/src/fcint.h
+++ b/src/fcint.h
@@ -247,6 +247,15 @@ typedef struct _FcExpr {
     } u;
 } FcExpr;
 
+typedef struct _FcExprPage FcExprPage;
+
+struct _FcExprPage {
+  FcExprPage *next_page;
+  FcExpr *next;
+  FcExpr exprs[(1024 - 2/* two pointers */ - 2/* malloc overhead */) * sizeof (void *) / sizeof (FcExpr)];
+  FcExpr end[0];
+};
+
 typedef enum _FcQual {
     FcQualAny, FcQualAll, FcQualFirst, FcQualNotFirst
 } FcQual;
@@ -486,6 +495,8 @@ struct _FcConfig {
     int		rescanInterval;	    /* interval between scans */
 
     int		ref;                /* reference count */
+
+    FcExprPage *expr_pool;	    /* pool of FcExpr's */
 };
  
 extern FcPrivate FcConfig	*_fcConfig;
@@ -534,6 +545,9 @@ FcStat (const char *file, struct stat *statb)
 
 /* fccfg.c */
 
+FcPrivate FcExpr *
+FcConfigAllocExpr (FcConfig *config);
+
 FcPrivate FcBool
 FcConfigAddConfigDir (FcConfig	    *config,
 		      const FcChar8 *d);
diff --git a/src/fcxml.c b/src/fcxml.c
index 32b8be1..f74f4ef 100644
--- a/src/fcxml.c
+++ b/src/fcxml.c
@@ -72,20 +72,9 @@ FcTestDestroy (FcTest *test)
 }
 
 static FcExpr *
-FcExprAlloc (void)
+FcExprCreateInteger (FcConfig *config, int i)
 {
-    FcExpr *e = (FcExpr *) malloc (sizeof (FcExpr));
-
-    if (e)
-      FcMemAlloc (FC_MEM_EXPR, sizeof (FcExpr));
-
-    return e;
-}
-
-static FcExpr *
-FcExprCreateInteger (int i)
-{
-    FcExpr *e = FcExprAlloc ();
+    FcExpr *e = FcConfigAllocExpr (config);
     if (e)
     {
 	e->op = FcOpInteger;
@@ -95,9 +84,9 @@ FcExprCreateInteger (int i)
 }
 
 static FcExpr *
-FcExprCreateDouble (double d)
+FcExprCreateDouble (FcConfig *config, double d)
 {
-    FcExpr *e = FcExprAlloc ();
+    FcExpr *e = FcConfigAllocExpr (config);
     if (e)
     {
 	e->op = FcOpDouble;
@@ -107,9 +96,9 @@ FcExprCreateDouble (double d)
 }
 
 static FcExpr *
-FcExprCreateString (const FcChar8 *s)
+FcExprCreateString (FcConfig *config, const FcChar8 *s)
 {
-    FcExpr *e = FcExprAlloc ();
+    FcExpr *e = FcConfigAllocExpr (config);
     if (e)
     {
 	e->op = FcOpString;
@@ -119,9 +108,9 @@ FcExprCreateString (const FcChar8 *s)
 }
 
 static FcExpr *
-FcExprCreateMatrix (const FcMatrix *m)
+FcExprCreateMatrix (FcConfig *config, const FcMatrix *m)
 {
-    FcExpr *e = FcExprAlloc ();
+    FcExpr *e = FcConfigAllocExpr (config);
     if (e)
     {
 	e->op = FcOpMatrix;
@@ -131,9 +120,9 @@ FcExprCreateMatrix (const FcMatrix *m)
 }
 
 static FcExpr *
-FcExprCreateBool (FcBool b)
+FcExprCreateBool (FcConfig *config, FcBool b)
 {
-    FcExpr *e = FcExprAlloc ();
+    FcExpr *e = FcConfigAllocExpr (config);
     if (e)
     {
 	e->op = FcOpBool;
@@ -143,9 +132,9 @@ FcExprCreateBool (FcBool b)
 }
 
 static FcExpr *
-FcExprCreateNil (void)
+FcExprCreateNil (FcConfig *config)
 {
-    FcExpr *e = FcExprAlloc ();
+    FcExpr *e = FcConfigAllocExpr (config);
     if (e)
     {
 	FcMemAlloc (FC_MEM_EXPR, sizeof (FcExpr));
@@ -155,9 +144,9 @@ FcExprCreateNil (void)
 }
 
 static FcExpr *
-FcExprCreateField (const char *field)
+FcExprCreateField (FcConfig *config, const char *field)
 {
-    FcExpr *e = FcExprAlloc ();
+    FcExpr *e = FcConfigAllocExpr (config);
     if (e)
     {
 	e->op = FcOpField;
@@ -167,9 +156,9 @@ FcExprCreateField (const char *field)
 }
 
 static FcExpr *
-FcExprCreateConst (const FcChar8 *constant)
+FcExprCreateConst (FcConfig *config, const FcChar8 *constant)
 {
-    FcExpr *e = FcExprAlloc ();
+    FcExpr *e = FcConfigAllocExpr (config);
     if (e)
     {
 	e->op = FcOpConst;
@@ -179,9 +168,9 @@ FcExprCreateConst (const FcChar8 *constant)
 }
 
 static FcExpr *
-FcExprCreateOp (FcExpr *left, FcOp op, FcExpr *right)
+FcExprCreateOp (FcConfig *config, FcExpr *left, FcOp op, FcExpr *right)
 {
-    FcExpr *e = FcExprAlloc ();
+    FcExpr *e = FcConfigAllocExpr (config);
     if (e)
     {
 	e->op = op;
@@ -254,8 +243,8 @@ FcExprDestroy (FcExpr *e)
     case FcOpInvalid:
 	break;
     }
-    FcMemFree (FC_MEM_EXPR, sizeof (FcExpr));
-    free (e);
+
+    e->op = FcOpNil;
 }
 
 void
@@ -1337,7 +1326,7 @@ FcParseFamilies (FcConfigParse *parse, FcVStackTag tag)
 	FcVStackPopAndDestroy (parse);
 	if (expr)
 	{
-	    new = FcExprCreateOp (left, FcOpComma, expr);
+	    new = FcExprCreateOp (parse->config, left, FcOpComma, expr);
 	    if (!new)
 	    {
 		FcConfigMessage (parse, FcSevereError, "out of memory");
@@ -1374,7 +1363,7 @@ FcParseFamily (FcConfigParse *parse)
 	FcConfigMessage (parse, FcSevereError, "out of memory");
 	return;
     }
-    expr = FcExprCreateString (s);
+    expr = FcExprCreateString (parse->config, s);
     FcStrBufDestroy (&parse->pstack->str);
     if (expr)
 	FcVStackPushExpr (parse, FcVStackFamily, expr);
@@ -1397,7 +1386,7 @@ FcParseAlias (FcConfigParse *parse)
 	case FcVStackFamily:
 	    if (family)
 	    {
-		new = FcExprCreateOp (vstack->u.expr, FcOpComma, family);
+		new = FcExprCreateOp (parse->config, vstack->u.expr, FcOpComma, family);
 		if (!new)
 		    FcConfigMessage (parse, FcSevereError, "out of memory");
 		else
@@ -1511,13 +1500,13 @@ FcPopExpr (FcConfigParse *parse)
 	break;
     case FcVStackString:
     case FcVStackFamily:
-	expr = FcExprCreateString (vstack->u.string);
+	expr = FcExprCreateString (parse->config, vstack->u.string);
 	break;
     case FcVStackField:
-	expr = FcExprCreateField ((char *) vstack->u.string);
+	expr = FcExprCreateField (parse->config, (char *) vstack->u.string);
 	break;
     case FcVStackConstant:
-	expr = FcExprCreateConst (vstack->u.string);
+	expr = FcExprCreateConst (parse->config, vstack->u.string);
 	break;
     case FcVStackGlob:
 	/* XXX: What's the correct action here? (CDW) */
@@ -1529,16 +1518,16 @@ FcPopExpr (FcConfigParse *parse)
 	vstack->tag = FcVStackNone;
 	break;
     case FcVStackInteger:
-	expr = FcExprCreateInteger (vstack->u.integer);
+	expr = FcExprCreateInteger (parse->config, vstack->u.integer);
 	break;
     case FcVStackDouble:
-	expr = FcExprCreateDouble (vstack->u._double);
+	expr = FcExprCreateDouble (parse->config, vstack->u._double);
 	break;
     case FcVStackMatrix:
-	expr = FcExprCreateMatrix (vstack->u.matrix);
+	expr = FcExprCreateMatrix (parse->config, vstack->u.matrix);
 	break;
     case FcVStackBool:
-	expr = FcExprCreateBool (vstack->u.bool_);
+	expr = FcExprCreateBool (parse->config, vstack->u.bool_);
 	break;
     case FcVStackTest:
 	break;
@@ -1573,7 +1562,7 @@ FcPopBinary (FcConfigParse *parse, FcOp op)
     {
 	if (expr)
 	{
-	    new = FcExprCreateOp (left, op, expr);
+	    new = FcExprCreateOp (parse->config, left, op, expr);
 	    if (!new)
 	    {
 		FcConfigMessage (parse, FcSevereError, "out of memory");
@@ -1609,7 +1598,7 @@ FcPopUnary (FcConfigParse *parse, FcOp op)
 
     if ((operand = FcPopExpr (parse)))
     {
-	new = FcExprCreateOp (operand, op, 0);
+	new = FcExprCreateOp (parse->config, operand, op, 0);
 	if (!new)
 	{
 	    FcExprDestroy (operand);