diff --git a/src/direction.c b/src/direction.c
index 0b9bb8206..5e2333bbe 100644
--- a/src/direction.c
+++ b/src/direction.c
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ void init_direction(const struct locale *lang, direction_t dir, const char *str)
     void **tokens = get_translations(lang, UT_DIRECTIONS);
     variant token;
     token.i = dir;
-    addtoken(tokens, str, token);
+    addtoken((struct tnode **)tokens, str, token);
 }
 
 void init_directions(struct locale *lang) {
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ void init_directions(struct locale *lang) {
         if (str) {
             variant token;
             token.i = dirs[i].direction;
-            addtoken(tokens, str, token);
+            addtoken((struct tnode **)tokens, str, token);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/kernel/building.c b/src/kernel/building.c
index 11ab70bb1..e4ae8f991 100644
--- a/src/kernel/building.c
+++ b/src/kernel/building.c
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ const building_type *findbuildingtype(const char *name,
 
             const char *n = LOC(lang, btype->_name);
             type.v = (void *)btype;
-            addtoken(&bn->names, n, type);
+            addtoken((struct tnode **)&bn->names, n, type);
         }
         bnames = bn;
     }
diff --git a/src/kernel/command.c b/src/kernel/command.c
index 0642be060..a667edabc 100644
--- a/src/kernel/command.c
+++ b/src/kernel/command.c
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ const char *str, parser fun)
     cmd->fun = fun;
     cmd->nodes = tnext;
     var.v = cmd;
-    addtoken(keys, str, var);
+    addtoken((struct tnode **)keys, str, var);
 }
 
 static int do_command_i(const void *keys, struct unit *u, struct order *ord)
diff --git a/src/kernel/config.c b/src/kernel/config.c
index e3918557e..4758b36c8 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.c
+++ b/src/kernel/config.c
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ void init_terrains_translation(const struct locale *lang) {
         var.v = (void *)terrain;
         name = locale_string(lang, terrain->_name, false);
         if (name) {
-            addtoken(tokens, name, var);
+            addtoken((struct tnode **)tokens, name, var);
         }
         else {
             log_debug("no translation for terrain %s in locale %s", terrain->_name, locale_name(lang));
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ void init_options_translation(const struct locale * lang) {
         if (options[i]) {
             const char *name = locale_string(lang, options[i], false);
             if (name) {
-                addtoken(tokens, name, var);
+                addtoken((struct tnode **)tokens, name, var);
             }
             else {
                 log_debug("no translation for OPTION %s in locale %s", options[i], locale_name(lang));
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ void init_locale(struct locale *lang)
             var.i = i;
             name = LOC(lang, mkname("school", tok));
             if (name) {
-                addtoken(tokens, name, var);
+                addtoken((struct tnode **)tokens, name, var);
             }
             else {
                 log_warning("no translation for magic school %s in locale %s", tok, locale_name(lang));
@@ -544,9 +544,9 @@ void init_locale(struct locale *lang)
         const char *name;
         var.v = (void *)rc;
         name = locale_string(lang, rc_name_s(rc, NAME_PLURAL), false);
-        if (name) addtoken(tokens, name, var);
+        if (name) addtoken((struct tnode **)tokens, name, var);
         name = locale_string(lang, rc_name_s(rc, NAME_SINGULAR), false);
-        if (name) addtoken(tokens, name, var);
+        if (name) addtoken((struct tnode **)tokens, name, var);
     }
 
     init_parameters(lang);
diff --git a/src/kernel/ship.c b/src/kernel/ship.c
index fb2fb3906..02a980b68 100644
--- a/src/kernel/ship.c
+++ b/src/kernel/ship.c
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ const ship_type *findshiptype(const char *name, const struct locale *lang)
             variant var2;
             const char *n = LOC(lang, stype->_name);
             var2.v = (void *)stype;
-            addtoken(&sn->names, n, var2);
+            addtoken((struct tnode **)&sn->names, n, var2);
         }
         snames = sn;
     }
diff --git a/src/laws.c b/src/laws.c
index e41bafbec..197433bfa 100755
--- a/src/laws.c
+++ b/src/laws.c
@@ -1438,8 +1438,8 @@ static void init_prefixnames(void)
                     LOC(lang, mkname("prefix", race_prefixes[key]));
                 if (findtoken(in->names, pname, &var) == E_TOK_NOMATCH || var.i != key) {
                     var.i = key;
-                    addtoken(&in->names, pname, var);
-                    addtoken(&in->names, LOC(lang, mkname("prefix",
+                    addtoken((struct tnode **)&in->names, pname, var);
+                    addtoken((struct tnode **)&in->names, LOC(lang, mkname("prefix",
                         race_prefixes[key])), var);
                 }
             }
diff --git a/src/magic.c b/src/magic.c
index d24612e06..6ff2ac8e5 100644
--- a/src/magic.c
+++ b/src/magic.c
@@ -2954,7 +2954,7 @@ static void select_spellbook(void **tokens, spellbook *sb, const struct locale *
         else {
             variant token;
             token.v = sp;
-            addtoken(tokens, n, token);
+            addtoken((struct tnode **)tokens, n, token);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/util/umlaut.c b/src/util/umlaut.c
index 9c37b852c..6be0bdde5 100644
--- a/src/util/umlaut.c
+++ b/src/util/umlaut.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 typedef struct tref {
     struct tref *nexthash;
     ucs4_t ucs;
-    void *node;
+    struct tnode *node;
 } tref;
 
 #define LEAF 1                  /* leaf node for a word. always matches */
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ typedef struct tnode {
     struct tref *next[NODEHASHSIZE];
     unsigned char flags;
     variant id;
+    int refcount;
 } tnode;
 
 char * transliterate(char * out, size_t size, const char * in)
@@ -114,7 +115,13 @@ char * transliterate(char * out, size_t size, const char * in)
     return *src ? 0 : out;
 }
 
-void addtoken(void ** root, const char *str, variant id)
+tnode * mknode(void) {
+    tnode * node = calloc(1, sizeof(tnode));
+    node->refcount = 1;
+    return node;
+}
+
+void addtoken(tnode ** root, const char *str, variant id)
 {
     tnode * tk;
     static const struct replace {
@@ -128,7 +135,7 @@ void addtoken(void ** root, const char *str, variant id)
 
     assert(root && str);
     if (!*root) {
-        tk = *root = calloc(1, sizeof(tnode));
+        tk = *root = mknode();
     }
     else {
         tk = *root;
@@ -161,7 +168,7 @@ void addtoken(void ** root, const char *str, variant id)
             next = next->nexthash;
         if (!next) {
             tref *ref;
-            tnode *node = (tnode *)calloc(1, sizeof(tnode)); // TODO: what is the reason for this empty node to exist?
+            tnode *node = mknode(); // TODO: what is the reason for this empty node to exist?
 
             if (ucs < 'a' || ucs > 'z') {
                 lcs = towlower((wint_t)ucs);
@@ -187,6 +194,7 @@ void addtoken(void ** root, const char *str, variant id)
                 assert_alloc(ref);
                 ref->ucs = lcs;
                 ref->node = node;
+                ++node->refcount;
                 ref->nexthash = tk->next[index];
                 tk->next[index] = ref;
             }
@@ -212,23 +220,25 @@ void addtoken(void ** root, const char *str, variant id)
     }
 }
 
-void freetokens(void * root)
+void freetokens(tnode * root)
 {
-    tnode * node = (tnode *)root;
+    tnode * node = root;
     int i;
     for (i = 0; node && i != NODEHASHSIZE; ++i) {
         if (node->next[i]) {
-            tref ** refs = &node->next[i];
-            freetokens(node->next[i]->node);
-            while (*refs) {
-                tref * ref = *refs;
-                *refs = ref->nexthash;
-//                free(ref->node);
+            tref * ref = node->next[i];
+            while (ref) {
+                tref * next = ref->nexthash;
+                freetokens(ref->node);
                 free(ref);
+                ref = next;
             }
+            node->next[i] = 0;
         }
     }
-    free(node);
+    if (--node->refcount == 0) {
+        free(node);
+    }
 }
 
 int findtoken(const void * root, const char *key, variant * result)
diff --git a/src/util/umlaut.h b/src/util/umlaut.h
index 1e6baecb4..d64df7609 100644
--- a/src/util/umlaut.h
+++ b/src/util/umlaut.h
@@ -29,10 +29,11 @@ extern "C" {
 #define E_TOK_NOMATCH (-1)
 #define E_TOK_SUCCESS 0
 #define NODEHASHSIZE 8
+    struct tnode;
 
     int findtoken(const void *tk, const char *str, variant * result);
-    void addtoken(void **root, const char *str, variant id);
-    void freetokens(void *root);
+    void addtoken(struct tnode **root, const char *str, variant id);
+    void freetokens(struct tnode *root);
 
     char * transliterate(char * out, size_t size, const char * in);
 
diff --git a/src/util/umlaut.test.c b/src/util/umlaut.test.c
index 1bb93ac4b..959960509 100644
--- a/src/util/umlaut.test.c
+++ b/src/util/umlaut.test.c
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include "umlaut.h"
 
-#ifdef LEAK_FREE
 static void test_transliterate(CuTest * tc)
 {
     char buffer[32];
@@ -29,7 +28,7 @@ static void test_transliterate(CuTest * tc)
 
 static void test_transliterations(CuTest *tc) {
     const char * umlauts = "\xc3\xa4\xc3\xb6\xc3\xbc\xc3\x9f"; /* auml ouml uuml szlig nul */
-    void * tokens = 0;
+    struct tnode * tokens = 0;
     variant id;
     int result;
 
@@ -49,7 +48,7 @@ static void test_transliterations(CuTest *tc) {
 
 static void test_directions(CuTest * tc)
 {
-    void * tokens = 0;
+    struct tnode * tokens = 0;
     variant id;
     int result;
 
@@ -65,7 +64,7 @@ static void test_directions(CuTest * tc)
 
 static void test_umlaut(CuTest * tc)
 {
-    void * tokens = 0;
+    struct tnode *tokens = 0;
     variant id;
     int result;
 
@@ -97,14 +96,13 @@ static void test_umlaut(CuTest * tc)
 
     freetokens(tokens);
 }
-#endif
 
 static void test_leak(CuTest *tc) {
-    void *tokens = NULL;
+    struct tnode *tokens = NULL;
     variant token;
     
     token.i = 42;
-    addtoken(&tokens, "No", token);
+    addtoken(&tokens, "NO", token);
     addtoken(&tokens, "nw", token);
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, E_TOK_SUCCESS, findtoken(tokens, "n", &token));
     freetokens(tokens);
@@ -113,12 +111,10 @@ static void test_leak(CuTest *tc) {
 CuSuite *get_umlaut_suite(void)
 {
     CuSuite *suite = CuSuiteNew();
-#ifdef LEAK_FREE
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_umlaut);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_directions);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_transliterate);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_transliterations);
-#endif
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_leak);
     return suite;
 }
diff --git a/src/vortex.c b/src/vortex.c
index 8aac12aec..4b512476b 100644
--- a/src/vortex.c
+++ b/src/vortex.c
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ void register_special_direction(struct locale *lang, const char *name)
         char *str = _strdup(name);
 
         var.v = str;
-        addtoken(tokens, token, var);
+        addtoken((struct tnode **)tokens, token, var);
 
         if (lang == locales) {
             dir_lookup *dl = malloc(sizeof(dir_lookup));