diff --git a/builtin.cpp b/builtin.cpp
index 57cdde212..3c966860a 100644
--- a/builtin.cpp
+++ b/builtin.cpp
@@ -1456,8 +1456,7 @@ static int builtin_function( parser_t &parser, wchar_t **argv )
 	int argc = builtin_count_args( argv );
 	int res=STATUS_BUILTIN_OK;
 	wchar_t *desc=0;
-	array_list_t *events;
-	int i;
+	std::vector<event_t *> events;
 	array_list_t *named_arguments=0;
 	wchar_t *name = 0;
 	int shadows = 1;
@@ -1465,7 +1464,6 @@ static int builtin_function( parser_t &parser, wchar_t **argv )
 	woptind=0;
 
 	parser.push_block( FUNCTION_DEF );
-	events=al_halloc( parser.current_block );
 
 	static const struct woption
 		long_options[] =
@@ -1562,7 +1560,7 @@ static int builtin_function( parser_t &parser, wchar_t **argv )
 				e->type = EVENT_SIGNAL;
 				e->param1.signal = sig;
 				e->function_name=0;
-				al_push( events, e );
+                events.push_back(e);
 				break;
 			}
 
@@ -1585,7 +1583,7 @@ static int builtin_function( parser_t &parser, wchar_t **argv )
 				e->type = EVENT_VARIABLE;
 				e->param1.variable = halloc_wcsdup( parser.current_block, woptarg );
 				e->function_name=0;
-				al_push( events, e );
+                events.push_back(e);
 				break;
 			}
 
@@ -1599,7 +1597,7 @@ static int builtin_function( parser_t &parser, wchar_t **argv )
 				e->type = EVENT_GENERIC;
 				e->param1.param = halloc_wcsdup( parser.current_block, woptarg );
 				e->function_name=0;
-				al_push( events, e );
+                events.push_back(e);
 				break;
 			}
 
@@ -1675,7 +1673,7 @@ static int builtin_function( parser_t &parser, wchar_t **argv )
 				else
 				{
 					e->function_name=0;
-					al_push( events, e );
+                    events.push_back(e);
 				}
 				break;
 			}
@@ -1800,15 +1798,15 @@ static int builtin_function( parser_t &parser, wchar_t **argv )
 	{
 		function_data_t *d = new function_data_t();
 		
-		d->name=halloc_wcsdup( parser.current_block, name);
+        d->name=halloc_wcsdup( parser.current_block, name);
 		d->description=desc?halloc_wcsdup( parser.current_block, desc):0;
 		d->events = events;
 		d->named_arguments = named_arguments;
 		d->shadows = shadows;
 		
-		for( i=0; i<al_get_count( events ); i++ )
+		for( size_t i=0; i<events.size(); i++ )
 		{
-			event_t *e = (event_t *)al_get( events, i );
+			event_t *e = events.at(i);
 			e->function_name = d->name;
 		}
 
diff --git a/event.h b/event.h
index 766f37968..63009b744 100644
--- a/event.h
+++ b/event.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #define FISH_EVENT_H
 
 #include "common.h"
+#include "event.h"
 
 /**
    The signal number that is used to match any signal
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ enum
    - When used as a parameter to event_add, it represents a class of events, and function_name is the name of the function which will be called whenever an event matching the specified class occurs. This is also how events are stored internally.
    - When used as a parameter to event_get, event_remove and event_fire, it represents a class of events, and if the function_name field is non-zero, only events which call the specified function will be returned.
 */
-typedef struct 
+struct event_t
 {
 	/**
 	   Type of event
@@ -93,8 +94,7 @@ typedef struct
 	   is ignored.
 	*/
 	wcstring_list_t *arguments;
-}
-	event_t;
+};
 
 /**
    Add an event handler 
diff --git a/function.cpp b/function.cpp
index 65ddd6492..c7bd0a33e 100644
--- a/function.cpp
+++ b/function.cpp
@@ -160,8 +160,6 @@ void function_init()
 
 void function_add( function_data_t *data, const parser_t &parser )
 {
-	int i;
-	
 	CHECK( data->name, );
 	CHECK( data->definition, );
 	scoped_lock lock(functions_lock);
@@ -177,7 +175,7 @@ void function_add( function_data_t *data, const parser_t &parser )
 
 	if( data->named_arguments )
 	{
-		for( i=0; i<al_get_count( data->named_arguments ); i++ )
+		for( size_t i=0; i<al_get_count( data->named_arguments ); i++ )
 		{
             info->named_arguments.push_back((wchar_t *)al_get( data->named_arguments, i ));
 		}
@@ -191,9 +189,9 @@ void function_add( function_data_t *data, const parser_t &parser )
 	info->shadows = data->shadows;
 	
 	
-	for( i=0; i<al_get_count( data->events ); i++ )
+	for( size_t i=0; i< data->events.size(); i++ )
 	{
-		event_add_handler( (event_t *)al_get( data->events, i ) );
+		event_add_handler( data->events.at(i) );
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/function.h b/function.h
index 0e8ed8213..93f76b3c1 100644
--- a/function.h
+++ b/function.h
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 #include "util.h"
 #include "common.h"
+#include "event.h"
 
 #include <tr1/memory>
 using std::tr1::shared_ptr;
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ class env_vars;
    structure is used for that purpose. Parhaps these two should be
    merged.
   */
-typedef struct function_data
+struct function_data_t
 {
 	/**
 	   Name of function
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ typedef struct function_data
 	/**
 	   List of all event handlers for this function
 	 */
-	array_list_t *events;
+	std::vector<event_t *> events;
 	/**
 	   List of all named arguments for this function
 	 */
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ typedef struct function_data
 	   of the underlying function.
 	 */
 	int shadows;
-} function_data_t;
+};
 
 class function_info_t {
 public: