diff --git a/builtin.cpp b/builtin.cpp
index dbc301653..b9b05a794 100644
--- a/builtin.cpp
+++ b/builtin.cpp
@@ -797,26 +797,20 @@ static int builtin_block( parser_t &parser, wchar_t **argv )
 			sb_printf( sb_err, _( L"%ls: Can not specify scope when removing block\n" ), argv[0] );
 			return STATUS_BUILTIN_ERROR;
 		}
-
-        event_block_t *eb = parser.global_event_block;
-		if( ! eb )
+        
+        if (parser.global_event_blocks.empty())
 		{
 			sb_printf( sb_err, _( L"%ls: No blocks defined\n" ), argv[0] );
 			return STATUS_BUILTIN_ERROR;
 		}
-		parser.global_event_block = eb->next;
-		free( eb );
+		parser.global_event_blocks.pop_front();
 	}
 	else
 	{
 		block_t *block=parser.current_block;
 
-		event_block_t *eb = (event_block_t *)malloc( sizeof( event_block_t ) );
-
-		if( !eb )
-			DIE_MEM();
-
-		eb->type = type;
+        event_block_t eb = {};
+		eb.typemask = type;
 
 		switch( scope )
 		{
@@ -840,14 +834,11 @@ static int builtin_block( parser_t &parser, wchar_t **argv )
 		}
 		if( block )
 		{
-			eb->next = block->first_event_block;
-			block->first_event_block = eb;
-			halloc_register( block, eb );
+            block->event_blocks.push_front(eb);
 		}
 		else
 		{
-			eb->next = parser.global_event_block;
-			parser.global_event_block=eb;
+            parser.global_event_blocks.push_front(eb);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/event.cpp b/event.cpp
index 3734ef321..d8a1d1231 100644
--- a/event.cpp
+++ b/event.cpp
@@ -172,29 +172,13 @@ static event_t *event_copy( event_t *event, int copy_arguments )
 static int event_is_blocked( event_t *e )
 {
 	block_t *block;
-	event_block_t *eb;
 	parser_t &parser = parser_t::principal_parser();
 	for( block = parser.current_block; block; block = block->outer )
 	{
-		for( eb = block->first_event_block; eb; eb=eb->next )
-		{
-			if( eb->type & (1<<EVENT_ANY ) )
-				return 1;
-			if( eb->type & (1<<e->type) )
-				return 1;
-		}
+        if (event_block_list_blocks_type(block->event_blocks, e->type))
+            return true;
 	}
-	for( eb = parser.global_event_block; eb; eb=eb->next )
-	{
-		if( eb->type & (1<<EVENT_ANY ) )
-			return 1;
-		if( eb->type & (1<<e->type) )
-			return 1;
-		return 1;
-		
-	}
-	
-	return 0;
+    return event_block_list_blocks_type(parser.global_event_blocks, e->type);
 }
 
 const wchar_t *event_get_desc( event_t *e )
diff --git a/parser.cpp b/parser.cpp
index 82407bf0e..3db44d47f 100644
--- a/parser.cpp
+++ b/parser.cpp
@@ -368,7 +368,6 @@ parser_t::parser_t(enum parser_type_t type) :
     job_start_pos(0),
     eval_level(-1),
     current_block(NULL),
-    global_event_block(NULL),
     block_io(NULL)
 {
     
diff --git a/parser.h b/parser.h
index a08500db2..5b6b2f974 100644
--- a/parser.h
+++ b/parser.h
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "parser.h"
 #include "event.h"
 #include <vector>
+#include <deque>
 
 #define PARSER_TEST_ERROR 1
 #define PARSER_TEST_INCOMPLETE 2
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@
 /**
    event_block_t represents a block on events of the specified type
 */
-typedef struct event_block
+struct event_block_t
 {
 	/**
 	   The types of events to block. This is interpreted as a bitset
@@ -29,13 +30,20 @@ typedef struct event_block
 
 	   Note that EVENT_ANY can be used to specify any event.
 	*/
-	int type;
-	
-	/**
-	   The next event_block struct
-	*/
-	struct event_block *next;
-} event_block_t;
+	unsigned int typemask;
+};
+
+typedef std::deque<event_block_t> event_block_list_t;
+
+inline bool event_block_list_blocks_type(const event_block_list_t &ebls, int type) {
+    for (event_block_list_t::const_iterator iter = ebls.begin(); iter != ebls.end(); iter++) {
+        if( iter->typemask & (1<<EVENT_ANY ) )
+            return true;
+        if( iter->typemask & (1<<type) )
+            return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
 
 
 /** Block state template, to replace the discriminated union */
@@ -144,13 +152,11 @@ typedef struct block
 	*/
 	int src_lineno;
     
-    /** Whether we should pop the environment variable stack when we're popped */
+    /** Whether we should pop the environment variable stack when we're popped off of the block stack */
     bool wants_pop_env;
 	
-	/**
-	   Some naming confusion. This is a pointer to the first element in the list of all event blocks.
-	*/
-	event_block_t *first_event_block;
+	/** List of event blocks. */
+	event_block_list_t event_blocks;
 	
     /**
 	   Next outer block 
@@ -338,7 +344,7 @@ class parser_t {
     block_t *current_block;
     
     /** Global event blocks */
-    event_block_t *global_event_block;
+    event_block_list_t global_event_blocks;
     
     /** Current block level io redirections  */
     io_data_t *block_io;