diff --git a/lib/prototypes.h b/lib/prototypes.h
index 4e997e32..bd832f49 100644
--- a/lib/prototypes.h
+++ b/lib/prototypes.h
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ extern int setutmpx (struct utmpx *utx);
 extern bool valid (const char *, const struct passwd *);
 
 /* xmalloc.c */
-extern /*@maynotreturn@*/ /*@only@*//*@out@*//*@notnull@*/char *xmalloc (size_t size)
+extern /*@maynotreturn@*/ /*@only@*//*@out@*//*@notnull@*/void *xmalloc (size_t size)
   /*@ensures MaxSet(result) == (size - 1); @*/;
 extern /*@maynotreturn@*/ /*@only@*//*@notnull@*/char *xstrdup (const char *);
 extern void xfree(void *ap);
diff --git a/libmisc/xmalloc.c b/libmisc/xmalloc.c
index 9329e674..25b136a4 100644
--- a/libmisc/xmalloc.c
+++ b/libmisc/xmalloc.c
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@
 #include "prototypes.h"
 #include "shadowlog.h"
 
-/*@maynotreturn@*/ /*@only@*//*@out@*//*@notnull@*/char *xmalloc (size_t size)
+/*@maynotreturn@*/ /*@only@*//*@out@*//*@notnull@*/void *xmalloc (size_t size)
 {
-	char *ptr;
+	void *ptr;
 
-	ptr = (char *) malloc (size);
+	ptr = malloc (size);
 	if (NULL == ptr) {
 		(void) fprintf (log_get_logfd(),
 		                _("%s: failed to allocate memory: %s\n"),