diff --git a/include/asm/section.hpp b/include/asm/section.hpp
index b841e194..8b7d7d4f 100644
--- a/include/asm/section.hpp
+++ b/include/asm/section.hpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #ifndef RGBDS_SECTION_H
 #define RGBDS_SECTION_H
 
+#include <deque>
 #include <stdint.h>
 
 #include "linkdefs.hpp"
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ struct Section {
 	uint32_t bank;
 	uint8_t align; // Exactly as specified in `ALIGN[]`
 	uint16_t alignOfs;
-	struct Patch *patches;
+	std::deque<struct Patch *> *patches;
 	uint8_t *data;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/asm/output.cpp b/src/asm/output.cpp
index 35ac193f..0340b0b9 100644
--- a/src/asm/output.cpp
+++ b/src/asm/output.cpp
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ struct Patch {
 	uint8_t type;
 	uint32_t rpnSize;
 	uint8_t *rpn;
-	struct Patch *next;
 };
 
 struct Assertion {
@@ -55,18 +54,6 @@ static std::deque<struct Assertion *> assertions;
 
 static struct FileStackNode *fileStackNodes = NULL;
 
-// Count the number of patches used in this object
-static uint32_t countPatches(struct Section const *sect)
-{
-	uint32_t r = 0;
-
-	for (struct Patch const *patch = sect->patches; patch != NULL;
-	     patch = patch->next)
-		r++;
-
-	return r;
-}
-
 // Write a long to a file (little-endian)
 static void putlong(uint32_t i, FILE *f)
 {
@@ -176,10 +163,9 @@ static void writesection(struct Section const *sect, FILE *f)
 
 	if (sect_HasData(sect->type)) {
 		fwrite(sect->data, 1, sect->size, f);
-		putlong(countPatches(sect), f);
+		putlong(sect->patches->size(), f);
 
-		for (struct Patch const *patch = sect->patches; patch != NULL;
-		     patch = patch->next)
+		for (struct Patch const *patch : *sect->patches)
 			writepatch(patch, f);
 	}
 }
@@ -187,15 +173,11 @@ static void writesection(struct Section const *sect, FILE *f)
 static void freesection(struct Section const *sect)
 {
 	if (sect_HasData(sect->type)) {
-		struct Patch *patch = sect->patches;
-
-		while (patch != NULL) {
-			struct Patch *next = patch->next;
-
+		for (struct Patch *patch : *sect->patches) {
 			free(patch->rpn);
 			free(patch);
-			patch = next;
 		}
+		delete sect->patches;
 	}
 }
 
@@ -328,8 +310,6 @@ static void writerpn(uint8_t *rpnexpr, uint32_t *rpnptr, const uint8_t *rpn,
 	}
 }
 
-// Allocate a new patch structure and link it into the list
-// WARNING: all patches are assumed to eventually be written, so the file stack node is registered
 static struct Patch *allocpatch(uint32_t type, struct Expression const *expr, uint32_t ofs)
 {
 	struct Patch *patch = (struct Patch *)malloc(sizeof(*patch));
@@ -345,6 +325,7 @@ static struct Patch *allocpatch(uint32_t type, struct Expression const *expr, ui
 
 	patch->type = type;
 	patch->src = node;
+	// All patches are assumed to eventually be written, so the file stack node is registered
 	out_RegisterNode(node);
 	patch->lineNo = lexer_GetLineNo();
 	patch->offset = ofs;
@@ -379,8 +360,8 @@ void out_CreatePatch(uint32_t type, struct Expression const *expr, uint32_t ofs,
 	// before those bytes.
 	patch->pcOffset -= pcShift;
 
-	patch->next = currentSection->patches;
-	currentSection->patches = patch;
+	// Add the patch to the list
+	currentSection->patches->push_front(patch);
 }
 
 // Creates an assert that will be written to the object file
diff --git a/src/asm/section.cpp b/src/asm/section.cpp
index 6858021d..7ecb61d5 100644
--- a/src/asm/section.cpp
+++ b/src/asm/section.cpp
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@
 
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <assert.h>
+#include <deque>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
+#include <new>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string>
@@ -283,7 +285,9 @@ static struct Section *createSection(char const *name, enum SectionType type,
 	sect->bank = bank;
 	sect->align = alignment;
 	sect->alignOfs = alignOffset;
-	sect->patches = NULL;
+	sect->patches = new(std::nothrow) std::deque<struct Patch *>();
+	if (sect->patches == NULL)
+		fatalerror("Not enough memory for section patches: %s\n", strerror(errno));
 
 	// It is only needed to allocate memory for ROM sections.
 	if (sect_HasData(type)) {