diff --git a/kernel/Kconfig b/kernel/Kconfig
index 3bc01730..fc371f7f 100644
--- a/kernel/Kconfig
+++ b/kernel/Kconfig
@@ -134,13 +134,6 @@ config MARS_IPv4_TOS
 	In certain private networks, this can improve certain
 	network bottlenecks.
 
-config MARS_MEM_RETRY
-	bool "make MARS memory allocation more robust"
-	depends on MARS
-	default y
-	---help---
-	Normally ON. Switch only off for systems having very low memory.
-
 config MARS_LOGDIR
 	string "absolute path to the logging directory"
 	depends on MARS
diff --git a/kernel/brick_mem.c b/kernel/brick_mem.c
index 9f093c5f..cc64d7b4 100644
--- a/kernel/brick_mem.c
+++ b/kernel/brick_mem.c
@@ -125,7 +125,6 @@ void *__brick_mem_alloc(int len)
 #endif
 		res = _brick_block_alloc(0, len, 0);
 	} else {
-#ifdef CONFIG_MARS_MEM_RETRY
 		for (;;) {
 			res = kmalloc(len, GFP_BRICK);
 			if (likely(res))
@@ -134,13 +133,6 @@ void *__brick_mem_alloc(int len)
 		}
 #ifdef BRICK_DEBUG_MEM
 		atomic_inc(&phys_mem_alloc);
-#endif
-#else
-		res = kmalloc(len, GFP_BRICK);
-#ifdef BRICK_DEBUG_MEM
-		if (res)
-			atomic_inc(&phys_mem_alloc);
-#endif
 #endif
 	}
 	return res;
@@ -286,16 +278,12 @@ char *_brick_string_alloc(int len, int line)
 		len = BRICK_STRING_LEN;
 	}
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_MARS_MEM_RETRY
 	for (;;) {
-#endif
 		res = kzalloc(len + STRING_PLUS, GFP_BRICK);
-#ifdef CONFIG_MARS_MEM_RETRY
 		if (likely(res))
 			break;
 		msleep(1000);
 	}
-#endif
 
 #ifdef BRICK_DEBUG_MEM
 	if (likely(res)) {
@@ -498,20 +486,16 @@ static inline
 void *__brick_block_alloc(gfp_t gfp, int order, int cline)
 {
 	void *res;
-#ifdef CONFIG_MARS_MEM_RETRY
 	for (;;) {
-#endif
 #ifdef USE_KERNEL_PAGES
 		res = (void*)__get_free_pages(gfp, order);
 #else
 		res = __vmalloc(PAGE_SIZE << order, gfp, PAGE_KERNEL_IO);
 #endif
-#ifdef CONFIG_MARS_MEM_RETRY
 		if (likely(res))
 			break;
 		msleep(1000);
 	}
-#endif
 
 	if (likely(res)) {
 #ifdef CONFIG_MARS_DEBUG_MEM_STRONG
diff --git a/kernel/brick_mem.h b/kernel/brick_mem.h
index 7347e851..c964d5a3 100644
--- a/kernel/brick_mem.h
+++ b/kernel/brick_mem.h
@@ -96,18 +96,14 @@ void *__mark_ptr_nonnull(void *_ptr)
 	return ptr;
 }
 
-/* All the brick memory allocations are guaranteed to succeed when
- * CONFIG_MARS_MEM_RETRY is set. In case of low memory, they will just
- * retry (forever).
+/* All the brick memory allocations need to succeed.
+ * In case of low memory, they will retry (forever),
+ * but only after some pause.
  *
- * Allow checking code to be written which works for both cases:
- * CONFIG_MARS_MEM_RETRY is selected, or not.
+ * This allows OOM to catch in, and to (hopefully)
+ * improve the situation.
  */
-#ifdef CONFIG_MARS_MEM_RETRY
 #define brick_mark_nonnull __mark_ptr_nonnull
-#else
-#define brick_mark_nonnull(p) (p)
-#endif
 
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////