diff --git a/usr.bin/sort/mem.c b/usr.bin/sort/mem.c
index dea37bb3a11..18794666da5 100644
--- a/usr.bin/sort/mem.c
+++ b/usr.bin/sort/mem.c
@@ -36,6 +36,16 @@ __FBSDID("$FreeBSD$");
 
 #include "mem.h"
 
+void*
+sort_calloc(size_t nb, size_t size)
+{
+	void *ptr;
+
+	if ((ptr = calloc(nb, size)) == NULL)
+		err(2, NULL);
+	return (ptr);
+}
+
 /*
  * malloc() wrapper.
  */
diff --git a/usr.bin/sort/mem.h b/usr.bin/sort/mem.h
index cb21d6d4a22..6a4edcd5916 100644
--- a/usr.bin/sort/mem.h
+++ b/usr.bin/sort/mem.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 /*
  * mem.c
  */
+void *sort_calloc(size_t, size_t);
 void *sort_malloc(size_t);
 void sort_free(const void *ptr);
 void *sort_realloc(void *, size_t);