Index: qparse.c
===================================================================
--- qparse.c	(revision 28944)
+++ qparse.c	(revision 28945)
@@ -56,36 +56,52 @@
 	}
 
 #define qnext() \
-	{ \
-		if (argc >= allocated) { \
-			allocated += 8; \
-			argv = realloc(argv, sizeof(char *) * allocated); \
+	do { \
+		int ran_out = 0; \
+		if (argc >= *argv_allocated) { \
+			if (!(flg & QPARSE_NO_ARGV_REALLOC)) { \
+				*argv_allocated += 8; \
+				argv = realloc(argv, sizeof(char *) * (*argv_allocated)); \
+			} \
+			else \
+				ran_out = 1; \
 		} \
-		buff[buff_used] = '\0'; \
-		argv[argc] = qparse_strdup(buff); \
-		argc++; \
-		*buff = '\0'; \
-		buff_used = 0; \
-	}
+		if (!ran_out) { \
+			buff[buff_used] = '\0'; \
+			argv[argc] = qparse_strdup(buff); \
+			argc++; \
+			*buff = '\0'; \
+			buff_used = 0; \
+		} \
+	} while(0)
 
-int qparse3(const char *input, char **argv_ret[], flags_t flg, size_t *consumed_out)
+int qparse4(const char *input, char **argv_ret[], unsigned int *argv_allocated, flags_t flg, size_t *consumed_out, char **buffer, size_t *buffer_alloced)
 {
-	int argc;
-	int allocated;
+	int argc, allocated_;
 	qp_state_t state;
 	const char *s;
 	char *buff;
-	int buff_len, buff_used;
+	size_t buff_len, buff_used;
 	char **argv;
 
+	if (argv_allocated == NULL) {
+		argv           = NULL;
+		allocated_     = 0;
+		argv_allocated = &allocated_;
+	}
+
 	argc      = 0;
-	allocated = 0;
-	argv      = NULL;
 	state     = qp_normal;
 
-	buff_len  = 128;
-	buff_used = 0;
-	buff      = malloc(buff_len);
+	if (buffer == NULL) {
+		buff_len  = 128;
+		buff_used = 0;
+		buff      = malloc(buff_len);
+	}
+	else {
+		buff_len = *buffer_alloced;
+		buff     = *buffer;
+	}
 
 	for(s = input; *s != '\0'; s++) {
 		switch (state) {
@@ -207,8 +223,14 @@
 
 	qnext();
 
-	if (buff != NULL)
-		free(buff);
+	if (buffer == NULL) {
+		if (buff != NULL)
+			free(buff);
+	}
+	else {
+		*buffer = buff;
+		*buffer_alloced = buff_len;
+	}
 
 	if (consumed_out != NULL)
 		*consumed_out = s-input;
@@ -216,28 +238,55 @@
 	return argc;
 }
 
+int qparse3(const char *input, char **argv_ret[], flags_t flg, size_t *consumed_out)
+{
+	return qparse4(input, argv_ret, 0, flg, consumed_out, NULL, NULL);
+}
+
+
 int qparse2(const char *input, char **argv_ret[], flags_t flg)
 {
-	return qparse3(input, argv_ret, flg, NULL);
+	return qparse4(input, argv_ret, 0, flg, NULL, NULL, NULL);
 }
 
 int qparse(const char *input, char **argv_ret[])
 {
-	return qparse3(input, argv_ret, QPARSE_DOUBLE_QUOTE, NULL);
+	return qparse4(input, argv_ret, 0, QPARSE_DOUBLE_QUOTE, NULL, NULL, NULL);
 }
 
 
-void qparse_free(int argc, char **argv_ret[])
+void qparse_free_strs(int argc, char **argv_ret[])
 {
 	int n;
-
 	for (n = 0; n < argc; n++)
 		free((*argv_ret)[n]);
+}
 
+void qparse_free(int argc, char **argv_ret[])
+{
+	qparse_free_strs(argc, argv_ret);
+
 	free(*argv_ret);
 	*argv_ret = NULL;
 }
 
+void qparse4_free(int argc, char **argv_ret[], unsigned int *argv_allocated, flags_t flg, char **buffer, size_t *buffer_alloced)
+{
+	qparse_free_strs(argc, argv_ret);
+
+	if (!(flg & QPARSE_NO_ARGV_REALLOC)) {
+		free(*argv_ret);
+		*argv_ret = NULL;
+		*argv_allocated = 0;
+	}
+
+	if (*buffer != NULL) {
+		free(*buffer);
+		*buffer_alloced = 0;
+	}
+}
+
+
 char *qparse_strdup(const char *s)
 {
 	int l = strlen(s);
Index: qparse.h
===================================================================
--- qparse.h	(revision 28944)
+++ qparse.h	(revision 28945)
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@
 	QPARSE_TERM_NEWLINE = 16,   /* terminate parsing at newline */
 	QPARSE_TERM_SEMICOLON = 32, /* terminate parsing at semicolon */
 	QPARSE_SEP_COMMA = 64,      /* comma is a separator, like whitespace */
-	QPARSE_COLON_LAST = 128     /* if an argument starts with a colon, it's the last argument until the end of the message or line (IRC) */
+	QPARSE_COLON_LAST = 128,    /* if an argument starts with a colon, it's the last argument until the end of the message or line (IRC) */
+
+	QPARSE_NO_ARGV_REALLOC = 256 /* in qparse4: do not realloc() argv_ret (caller uses a static variant); if argc == *allocated, extra arguments are concatenated */
 } flags_t;
 
 int qparse2(const char *input, char **argv_ret[], flags_t flg);
@@ -29,3 +31,14 @@
 /* This variant returns the number of characters consumed from the input
    so it can be used for multi-command parsing */
 int qparse3(const char *input, char **argv_ret[], flags_t flg, size_t *consumed_out);
+
+/* This variant keeps track of argv_ret[] size in user supplied 'argv_allocated' so
+   it can be persistent across calls, can save mallocs and frees. If buffer
+   and buffer_alloced are not NULL, temporary field buffer is persistent
+   across calls. Call qparse_free_strs() after the call to get rid of the
+   strings (this won't free argv[] itself). After the last parse, call to
+   free everything */
+int qparse4(const char *input, char **argv_ret[], unsigned int *argv_allocated, flags_t flg, size_t *consumed_out, char **buffer, size_t *buffer_alloced);
+void qparse_free_strs(int argc, char **argv_ret[]);
+void qparse4_free(int argc, char **argv_ret[], unsigned int *argv_allocated, flags_t flg, char **buffer, size_t *buffer_alloced);
+