diff --git a/src/emu/emupal.c b/src/emu/emupal.c
index 4b338f3e629..d05220e9b5d 100644
--- a/src/emu/emupal.c
+++ b/src/emu/emupal.c
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ static void allocate_palette(running_machine &machine, palette_private *palette)
 	assert_always(machine.total_colors() * numgroups <= 65536, "Error: palette has more than 65536 colors.");
 
 	/* allocate a palette object containing all the colors and groups */
-	machine.palette = new palette_t(machine.total_colors(), numgroups);
+	machine.palette = palette_t::alloc(machine.total_colors(), numgroups);
 
 	/* configure the groups */
 	if (palette->shadow_group != 0)
diff --git a/src/emu/machine/laserdsc.c b/src/emu/machine/laserdsc.c
index 8e5261da957..dfc3c066515 100644
--- a/src/emu/machine/laserdsc.c
+++ b/src/emu/machine/laserdsc.c
@@ -769,7 +769,7 @@ void laserdisc_device::init_video()
 	m_screen->register_vblank_callback(vblank_state_delegate(FUNC(laserdisc_device::vblank_state_changed), this));
 
 	// allocate palette for applying brightness/contrast/gamma
-	m_videopalette = new palette_t(256);
+	m_videopalette = palette_t::alloc(256);
 	if (m_videopalette == NULL)
 		throw emu_fatalerror("Out of memory allocating video palette");
 	for (int index = 0; index < 256; index++)
diff --git a/src/lib/util/palette.c b/src/lib/util/palette.c
index 719a832c088..a912b7f5672 100644
--- a/src/lib/util/palette.c
+++ b/src/lib/util/palette.c
@@ -188,6 +188,16 @@ const UINT32 *palette_client::dirty_list(UINT32 &mindirty, UINT32 &maxdirty)
 //  PALETTE_T
 //**************************************************************************
 
+//-------------------------------------------------
+//  alloc - static allocator
+//-------------------------------------------------
+
+palette_t *palette_t::alloc(UINT32 numcolors, UINT32 numgroups)
+{
+	return new palette_t(numcolors, numgroups);
+}
+
+
 //-------------------------------------------------
 //  palette_t - constructor
 //-------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/lib/util/palette.h b/src/lib/util/palette.h
index 06370118d05..db29477a8e7 100644
--- a/src/lib/util/palette.h
+++ b/src/lib/util/palette.h
@@ -106,8 +106,8 @@ class palette_t
 	friend class palette_client;
 
 public:
-	// construction/destruction
-	palette_t(UINT32 numcolors, UINT32 numgroups = 1);
+	// static constructor: used to ensure same new/delete is used
+	static palette_t *alloc(UINT32 numcolors, UINT32 numgroups = 1);
 	
 	// reference counting
 	void ref() { m_refcount++; }
@@ -147,7 +147,8 @@ public:
 	void normalize_range(UINT32 start, UINT32 end, int lum_min = 0, int lum_max = 255);
 	
 private:
-	// destructor -- can only destruct via 
+	// construction/destruction
+	palette_t(UINT32 numcolors, UINT32 numgroups = 1);
 	~palette_t();
 
 	// internal helpers