diff --git a/autoload.cpp b/autoload.cpp
index 2cbce79b3..9617ec35c 100644
--- a/autoload.cpp
+++ b/autoload.cpp
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ int autoload_t::load( const wcstring &cmd, bool reload )
     
     /* Get the list of paths from which we will try to load */
     std::vector<wcstring> path_list;
-	tokenize_variable_array2( path_var, path_list );
+	tokenize_variable_array( path_var, path_list );
 
 	/* Try loading it */
 	res = this->locate_file_and_maybe_load_it( cmd, true, reload, path_list );
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ bool autoload_t::can_load( const wcstring &cmd, const env_vars &vars )
     
     const wcstring path_var(path_var_ptr);        
     std::vector<wcstring> path_list;
-	tokenize_variable_array2( path_var, path_list );
+	tokenize_variable_array( path_var, path_list );
     return this->locate_file_and_maybe_load_it( cmd, false, false, path_list );
 }
 
diff --git a/builtin_set.cpp b/builtin_set.cpp
index 4ac6e92ec..f316ce4a0 100644
--- a/builtin_set.cpp
+++ b/builtin_set.cpp
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ static int update_values( wcstring_list_t &list,
 	{
 		/*
 		  The '- 1' below is because the indices in fish are
-		  one-based, but the array_list_t uses zero-based indices
+		  one-based, but the vector uses zero-based indices
 		*/
 		long ind = indexes[i] - 1;
 		const wcstring newv = values[ i ];
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ static int builtin_set( parser_t &parser, wchar_t **argv )
 //				al_init( &indexes );
                 env_var_t dest_str = env_get_string(dest);
                 if (! dest_str.missing())
-                    tokenize_variable_array2( dest_str, result );
+                    tokenize_variable_array( dest_str, result );
 								
 				if( !parse_index( indexes, arg, dest, result.size() ) )
 				{
@@ -706,7 +706,7 @@ static int builtin_set( parser_t &parser, wchar_t **argv )
 		
         const env_var_t dest_str = env_get_string(dest);
         if (! dest_str.missing())
-            tokenize_variable_array2( dest_str, result );
+            tokenize_variable_array( dest_str, result );
 		
 		for( ; woptind<argc; woptind++ )
 		{			
diff --git a/common.cpp b/common.cpp
index 777b39087..47118cf03 100644
--- a/common.cpp
+++ b/common.cpp
@@ -132,23 +132,6 @@ void show_stackframe()
 	}
 }
 
-
-wchar_t **list_to_char_arr( array_list_t *l )
-{
-	wchar_t ** res = (wchar_t **)malloc( sizeof(wchar_t *)*(al_get_count( l )+1) );
-	int i;
-	if( res == 0 )
-	{
-		DIE_MEM();
-	}
-	for( i=0; i<al_get_count( l ); i++ )
-	{		
-		res[i] = (wchar_t *)al_get(l,i);
-	}
-	res[i]='\0';
-	return res;	
-}
-
 wcstring_list_t completions_to_wcstring_list( const std::vector<completion_t> &list )
 {
     wcstring_list_t strings;
@@ -219,24 +202,6 @@ int fgetws2( wchar_t **b, int *len, FILE *f )
 }
 
 
-/**
-   Wrapper for wcsfilecmp
-*/
-static int str_cmp( const void *a, const void *b )
-{
-	wchar_t *c= *((wchar_t **)a);
-	wchar_t *d= *((wchar_t **)b);
-	return wcsfilecmp( c, d );
-}
-
-void sort_list( array_list_t *comp )
-{
-	qsort( comp->arr, 
-		   al_get_count( comp ),
-		   sizeof( void*),
-		   &str_cmp );
-}
-
 static bool string_sort_predicate(const wcstring& d1, const wcstring& d2)
 {
     return wcsfilecmp(d1.c_str(), d2.c_str()) < 0;
@@ -1799,7 +1764,7 @@ int common_get_height()
 	return termsize.ws_row;
 }
 
-void tokenize_variable_array2( const wcstring &val, std::vector<wcstring> &out)
+void tokenize_variable_array( const wcstring &val, std::vector<wcstring> &out)
 {
     size_t pos = 0, end = val.size();
     while (pos < end) {
@@ -1811,39 +1776,6 @@ void tokenize_variable_array2( const wcstring &val, std::vector<wcstring> &out)
     out.push_back(val.substr(pos, end - pos));
 }
 
-void tokenize_variable_array( const wchar_t *val, array_list_t *out )
-{
-	if( val )
-	{
-		wchar_t *cpy = wcsdup( val );
-		wchar_t *pos, *start;
-		wchar_t *next;
-
-		if( !cpy )
-		{
-			DIE_MEM();
-		}
-
-		for( start=pos=cpy; *pos; pos++ )
-		{
-			if( *pos == ARRAY_SEP )
-			{
-				
-				*pos=0;
-				next = start==cpy?cpy:wcsdup(start);
-				if( !next )
-					DIE_MEM();
-				al_push( out, next );
-				start=pos+1;
-			}
-		}
-		next = start==cpy?cpy:wcsdup(start);
-		if( !next )
-			DIE_MEM();
-		al_push( out, next );
-	}
-}
-
 bool string_prefixes_string(const wcstring &proposed_prefix, const wcstring &value) {
     size_t prefix_size = proposed_prefix.size();
     return prefix_size <= value.size() && value.compare(0, prefix_size, proposed_prefix) == 0;
diff --git a/common.h b/common.h
index 50d033a03..970f8acd7 100644
--- a/common.h
+++ b/common.h
@@ -188,12 +188,6 @@ extern const wchar_t *program_name;
 */
 void show_stackframe();
 
-/**
-   Take an array_list_t containing wide strings and converts them to a
-   single null-terminated wchar_t **. The array is allocated using
-   malloc, and needs to be fred's by the caller.
-*/
-wchar_t **list_to_char_arr( array_list_t *l );
 
 wcstring_list_t completions_to_wcstring_list( const std::vector<completion_t> &completions );
 
@@ -210,12 +204,6 @@ wcstring_list_t completions_to_wcstring_list( const std::vector<completion_t> &c
 */
 int fgetws2( wchar_t **buff, int *len, FILE *f );
 
-/**
-   Sorts an array_list of wide strings according to the
-   wcsfilecmp-function from the util library
-*/
-void sort_list( array_list_t *comp );
-
 void sort_strings( std::vector<wcstring> &strings);
 
 void sort_completions( std::vector<completion_t> &strings);
@@ -566,8 +554,7 @@ void write_screen( const wchar_t *msg, string_buffer_t *buff );
    \param val the input string. The contents of this string is not changed.
    \param out the list in which to place the elements. 
 */
-void tokenize_variable_array( const wchar_t *val, array_list_t *out );
-void tokenize_variable_array2( const wcstring &val, wcstring_list_t &out);
+void tokenize_variable_array( const wcstring &val, wcstring_list_t &out);
 
 /**
    Make sure the specified direcotry exists. If needed, try to create
diff --git a/env.cpp b/env.cpp
index 5a794c939..d540ea0af 100644
--- a/env.cpp
+++ b/env.cpp
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ static void setup_path()
 	
 	if( !path.missing() )
 	{
-		tokenize_variable_array2( path, lst );
+		tokenize_variable_array( path, lst );
 	}
 	
 	for( j=0; path_el[j]; j++ )
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ static void setup_path()
             
 			path = env_get_string( L"PATH" );
             lst.resize(0);
-			tokenize_variable_array2( path, lst );			
+			tokenize_variable_array( path, lst );			
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/expand.cpp b/expand.cpp
index 49a186d67..e16ea5f0b 100644
--- a/expand.cpp
+++ b/expand.cpp
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ wcstring expand_escape_variable( const wcstring &in )
 	wcstring_list_t lst;
 	wcstring buff;
 
-	tokenize_variable_array2( in, lst );
+	tokenize_variable_array( in, lst );
 
 	switch( lst.size() )
 	{
@@ -882,7 +882,7 @@ static int expand_variables_internal( parser_t &parser, wchar_t * const in, std:
                 
 				if( is_ok )
 				{
-					tokenize_variable_array2( var_val, var_item_list );                    
+					tokenize_variable_array( var_val, var_item_list );                    
                     
 					if( !all_vars )
 					{
diff --git a/function.cpp b/function.cpp
index 0a6553cad..926865e5a 100644
--- a/function.cpp
+++ b/function.cpp
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ static void autoload_names( std::set<wcstring> &names, int get_hidden )
 	
     wcstring_list_t path_list;
 
-	tokenize_variable_array2( path_var, path_list );
+	tokenize_variable_array( path_var, path_list );
 	for( i=0; i<path_list.size(); i++ )
 	{
         const wcstring &ndir_str = path_list.at(i);
diff --git a/mimedb.cpp b/mimedb.cpp
index dcc1aa8a2..cc02d3a0a 100644
--- a/mimedb.cpp
+++ b/mimedb.cpp
@@ -1197,25 +1197,6 @@ static void launch( char *filter, const string_list_t &files, int fileno )
 	
 }
 
-/**
-   Clean up one entry from the hash table of launch files
-*/
-static void clear_entry( void *key, void *val )
-{
-	/*
-	  The key is a mime value, either from the libraries internal hash
-	  table of mime types or from the command line. Either way, it
-	  should not be freed.
-
-	  The value is an array_list_t of filenames. The filenames com from
-	  the argument list and should not be freed. The arraylist,
-	  however, should be destroyed and freed.
-	*/
-	array_list_t *l = (array_list_t *)val;
-	al_destroy( l );
-	free( l );
-}
-
 /**
    Do locale specific init
 */
diff --git a/output.cpp b/output.cpp
index 64983e6ea..18b0552e5 100644
--- a/output.cpp
+++ b/output.cpp
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ int output_color_code( const wcstring &val, bool is_background ) {
 		return FISH_COLOR_NORMAL;
 	
     wcstring_list_t el;
-	tokenize_variable_array2( val, el );
+	tokenize_variable_array( val, el );
 	
 	for(size_t j=0; j < el.size(); j++ ) {
         const wcstring &next = el.at(j);
diff --git a/util.cpp b/util.cpp
index ee6445137..a7eaa2e3d 100644
--- a/util.cpp
+++ b/util.cpp
@@ -581,16 +581,6 @@ int hash_ptr_cmp( void *a,
 	return a == b;
 }
 
-void al_init( array_list_t *l )
-{
-	memset( l, 0, sizeof( array_list_t ) );
-}
-
-void al_destroy( array_list_t *l )
-{
-	free( l->arr );
-}
-
 /**
    Real implementation of all al_push_* versions. Pushes arbitrary
    element to end of list.
diff --git a/util.h b/util.h
index 2ca5431d1..ae3771dd9 100644
--- a/util.h
+++ b/util.h
@@ -315,16 +315,6 @@ int hash_ptr_cmp( void *a,
                   void *b );
 
 
-/** 
-	Initialize the list. 
-*/
-void al_init( array_list_t *l );
-
-/** 
-	Destroy the list and free memory used by it.
-*/
-void al_destroy( array_list_t *l );
-
 /**
    Append element to list