diff --git a/builtins/printf.def b/builtins/printf.def
index 9eca2152..71a7c00e 100644
--- a/builtins/printf.def
+++ b/builtins/printf.def
@@ -255,6 +255,8 @@ printf_builtin (list)
 #endif
 	    {
 	      vflag = 1;
+	      if (vbsize == 0)
+		vbuf = xmalloc (vbsize = 16);
 	      vblen = 0;
 	      if (vbuf)
 		vbuf[0] = 0;
diff --git a/patchlevel.h b/patchlevel.h
index 3ef48b5a..4f922469 100644
--- a/patchlevel.h
+++ b/patchlevel.h
@@ -25,6 +25,6 @@
    regexp `^#define[ 	]*PATCHLEVEL', since that's what support/mkversion.sh
    looks for to find the patch level (for the sccs version string). */
 
-#define PATCHLEVEL 23
+#define PATCHLEVEL 24
 
 #endif /* _PATCHLEVEL_H_ */