diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index ded142f..25b9ef6 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@ libxkbcommon_sources = [
     'src/text.h',
     'src/utf8.c',
     'src/utf8.h',
+    'src/util-mem.h',
     'src/utils.c',
     'src/utils.h',
 ]
diff --git a/src/xkbcomp/compat.c b/src/xkbcomp/compat.c
index 1df9e03..bb45c69 100644
--- a/src/xkbcomp/compat.c
+++ b/src/xkbcomp/compat.c
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
 #include "action.h"
 #include "vmod.h"
 #include "include.h"
+#include "util-mem.h"
 
 enum si_field {
     SI_FIELD_VIRTUAL_MOD = (1 << 0),
@@ -393,8 +394,7 @@ MergeIncludedCompatMaps(CompatInfo *into, CompatInfo *from,
     into->mods = from->mods;
 
     if (into->name == NULL) {
-        into->name = from->name;
-        from->name = NULL;
+        into->name = steal(&from->name);
     }
 
     if (darray_empty(into->interps)) {
@@ -440,8 +440,7 @@ HandleIncludeCompatMap(CompatInfo *info, IncludeStmt *include)
 
     InitCompatInfo(&included, info->ctx, 0 /* unused */,
                    info->actions, &info->mods);
-    included.name = include->stmt;
-    include->stmt = NULL;
+    included.name = steal(&include->stmt);
 
     for (IncludeStmt *stmt = include; stmt; stmt = stmt->next_incl) {
         CompatInfo next_incl;
diff --git a/src/xkbcomp/keycodes.c b/src/xkbcomp/keycodes.c
index 700cd1c..3e3254d 100644
--- a/src/xkbcomp/keycodes.c
+++ b/src/xkbcomp/keycodes.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "text.h"
 #include "expr.h"
 #include "include.h"
+#include "util-mem.h"
 
 typedef struct {
     enum merge_mode merge;
@@ -268,8 +269,7 @@ MergeIncludedKeycodes(KeyNamesInfo *into, KeyNamesInfo *from,
     }
 
     if (into->name == NULL) {
-        into->name = from->name;
-        from->name = NULL;
+        into->name = steal(&from->name);
     }
 
     /* Merge key names. */
@@ -348,8 +348,7 @@ HandleIncludeKeycodes(KeyNamesInfo *info, IncludeStmt *include)
     }
 
     InitKeyNamesInfo(&included, info->ctx, 0 /* unused */);
-    included.name = include->stmt;
-    include->stmt = NULL;
+    included.name = steal(&include->stmt);
 
     for (IncludeStmt *stmt = include; stmt; stmt = stmt->next_incl) {
         KeyNamesInfo next_incl;
diff --git a/src/xkbcomp/symbols.c b/src/xkbcomp/symbols.c
index 0c4fbeb..4492a73 100644
--- a/src/xkbcomp/symbols.c
+++ b/src/xkbcomp/symbols.c
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
 #include "vmod.h"
 #include "include.h"
 #include "keysym.h"
+#include "util-mem.h"
 
 
 enum key_repeat {
@@ -518,8 +519,7 @@ MergeIncludedSymbols(SymbolsInfo *into, SymbolsInfo *from,
     into->mods = from->mods;
 
     if (into->name == NULL) {
-        into->name = from->name;
-        from->name = NULL;
+        into->name = steal(&from->name);
     }
 
     group_names_in_both = MIN(darray_size(into->group_names),
@@ -579,8 +579,7 @@ HandleIncludeSymbols(SymbolsInfo *info, IncludeStmt *include)
 
     InitSymbolsInfo(&included, info->keymap, 0 /* unused */,
                     info->actions, &info->mods);
-    included.name = include->stmt;
-    include->stmt = NULL;
+    included.name = steal(&include->stmt);
 
     for (IncludeStmt *stmt = include; stmt; stmt = stmt->next_incl) {
         SymbolsInfo next_incl;
diff --git a/src/xkbcomp/types.c b/src/xkbcomp/types.c
index f22c9ef..404bfea 100644
--- a/src/xkbcomp/types.c
+++ b/src/xkbcomp/types.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include "vmod.h"
 #include "expr.h"
 #include "include.h"
+#include "util-mem.h"
 
 enum type_field {
     TYPE_FIELD_MASK = (1 << 0),
@@ -192,8 +193,7 @@ MergeIncludedKeyTypes(KeyTypesInfo *into, KeyTypesInfo *from,
     into->mods = from->mods;
 
     if (into->name == NULL) {
-        into->name = from->name;
-        from->name = NULL;
+        into->name = steal(&from->name);
     }
 
     if (darray_empty(into->types)) {
@@ -228,8 +228,7 @@ HandleIncludeKeyTypes(KeyTypesInfo *info, IncludeStmt *include)
     }
 
     InitKeyTypesInfo(&included, info->ctx, 0 /* unused */, &info->mods);
-    included.name = include->stmt;
-    include->stmt = NULL;
+    included.name = steal(&include->stmt);
 
     for (IncludeStmt *stmt = include; stmt; stmt = stmt->next_incl) {
         KeyTypesInfo next_incl;