diff --git a/include/nft.h b/include/nft.h
index 967eb7bcea09..9384054c11c8 100644
--- a/include/nft.h
+++ b/include/nft.h
@@ -6,5 +6,6 @@
 
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
 
 #endif /* NFTABLES_NFT_H */
diff --git a/include/utils.h b/include/utils.h
index 5b8b181c1e99..36a28f893667 100644
--- a/include/utils.h
+++ b/include/utils.h
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 
 #include <asm/byteorder.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <assert.h>
diff --git a/src/cli.c b/src/cli.c
index bfae90e67554..e6971c109cb1 100644
--- a/src/cli.c
+++ b/src/cli.c
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 
 #include <nft.h>
 
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
diff --git a/src/cmd.c b/src/cmd.c
index 98859674d24b..5e90fdcbd99a 100644
--- a/src/cmd.c
+++ b/src/cmd.c
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 #include <utils.h>
 #include <iface.h>
 #include <errno.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <cache.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
diff --git a/src/ct.c b/src/ct.c
index ca35087ad7b7..6760b08570de 100644
--- a/src/ct.c
+++ b/src/ct.c
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 #include <nft.h>
 
 #include <stddef.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <string.h>
diff --git a/src/datatype.c b/src/datatype.c
index ba1192c83595..eff9fa53e354 100644
--- a/src/datatype.c
+++ b/src/datatype.c
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 
 #include <nft.h>
 
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <ctype.h> /* isdigit */
diff --git a/src/erec.c b/src/erec.c
index d26dee602e8a..8cadaa8069d1 100644
--- a/src/erec.c
+++ b/src/erec.c
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 
 #include <netlink.h>
 #include <gmputil.h>
diff --git a/src/evaluate.c b/src/evaluate.c
index 7e0c8260e72e..8d53994a8f18 100644
--- a/src/evaluate.c
+++ b/src/evaluate.c
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 #include <nft.h>
 
 #include <stddef.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
diff --git a/src/expression.c b/src/expression.c
index 147320f08937..cb222a2b08b9 100644
--- a/src/expression.c
+++ b/src/expression.c
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 #include <nft.h>
 
 #include <stddef.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <limits.h>
diff --git a/src/exthdr.c b/src/exthdr.c
index 8aba7da1fa69..545370bd57a6 100644
--- a/src/exthdr.c
+++ b/src/exthdr.c
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 #include <nft.h>
 
 #include <stddef.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <netinet/in.h>
diff --git a/src/gmputil.c b/src/gmputil.c
index 9cda18534d0a..7f65630db59c 100644
--- a/src/gmputil.c
+++ b/src/gmputil.c
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 #include <nft.h>
 
 #include <stddef.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
diff --git a/src/iface.c b/src/iface.c
index ec7f5c7f4cd9..e61ea2db1f4c 100644
--- a/src/iface.c
+++ b/src/iface.c
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 #include <nft.h>
 
 #include <stdio.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <net/if.h>
 #include <time.h>
 #include <string.h>
diff --git a/src/libnftables.c b/src/libnftables.c
index 9c802ec95f27..c5f5729409d1 100644
--- a/src/libnftables.c
+++ b/src/libnftables.c
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 #include <iface.h>
 #include <cmd.h>
 #include <errno.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
 static int nft_netlink(struct nft_ctx *nft,
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 260338d320ab..d796189435d8 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 
 #include <nft.h>
 
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
diff --git a/src/meta.c b/src/meta.c
index ea00f2396b99..d8fc5f585e74 100644
--- a/src/meta.c
+++ b/src/meta.c
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <net/if.h>
diff --git a/src/mini-gmp.c b/src/mini-gmp.c
index 6217f7454651..5d54df08eaa8 100644
--- a/src/mini-gmp.c
+++ b/src/mini-gmp.c
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/.  */
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include "mini-gmp.h"
diff --git a/src/misspell.c b/src/misspell.c
index 18da4386ea5b..b48ab9cd3342 100644
--- a/src/misspell.c
+++ b/src/misspell.c
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 
 #include <nft.h>
 
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <utils.h>
diff --git a/src/mnl.c b/src/mnl.c
index d583177d5490..67bb44a6eb0d 100644
--- a/src/mnl.c
+++ b/src/mnl.c
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <errno.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <utils.h>
 #include <nftables.h>
 #include <linux/netfilter.h>
diff --git a/src/monitor.c b/src/monitor.c
index 0554089b74ac..e6f4e15faec8 100644
--- a/src/monitor.c
+++ b/src/monitor.c
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 #include <libmnl/libmnl.h>
 #include <netinet/in.h>
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
 
 #include <libnftnl/table.h>
diff --git a/src/netlink.c b/src/netlink.c
index af6fd427bd57..59cde9a48313 100644
--- a/src/netlink.c
+++ b/src/netlink.c
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 #include <libmnl/libmnl.h>
 #include <netinet/in.h>
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
 
 #include <libnftnl/table.h>
diff --git a/src/netlink_delinearize.c b/src/netlink_delinearize.c
index bde783bdf4ad..19c3f0bd0b26 100644
--- a/src/netlink_delinearize.c
+++ b/src/netlink_delinearize.c
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 
 #include <nft.h>
 
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <linux/netfilter/nf_tables.h>
diff --git a/src/nfnl_osf.c b/src/nfnl_osf.c
index 48e83ea8a549..38a27a3683e2 100644
--- a/src/nfnl_osf.c
+++ b/src/nfnl_osf.c
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <errno.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <time.h>
 
diff --git a/src/owner.c b/src/owner.c
index be1756a68c75..65eaad3e46d3 100644
--- a/src/owner.c
+++ b/src/owner.c
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <sys/time.h>
 #include <time.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
diff --git a/src/payload.c b/src/payload.c
index 0afffb2338ef..c8faea99eb07 100644
--- a/src/payload.c
+++ b/src/payload.c
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 #include <nft.h>
 
 #include <stddef.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <net/if_arp.h>
diff --git a/src/proto.c b/src/proto.c
index d3bcb0c4bd0b..b5cb0106dd7b 100644
--- a/src/proto.c
+++ b/src/proto.c
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 #include <nft.h>
 
 #include <stddef.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <net/if_arp.h>
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
diff --git a/src/rt.c b/src/rt.c
index c8d75b369f8b..9ddcb210eaad 100644
--- a/src/rt.c
+++ b/src/rt.c
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
diff --git a/src/rule.c b/src/rule.c
index bce728ab9b46..1e9e6c1a92c2 100644
--- a/src/rule.c
+++ b/src/rule.c
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 #include <nft.h>
 
 #include <stddef.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
diff --git a/src/segtree.c b/src/segtree.c
index bf207402c945..0a12a0cd5151 100644
--- a/src/segtree.c
+++ b/src/segtree.c
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 
 #include <nft.h>
 
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
diff --git a/src/statement.c b/src/statement.c
index 7b8e68f19117..721739498e2e 100644
--- a/src/statement.c
+++ b/src/statement.c
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 #include <nft.h>
 
 #include <stddef.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <string.h>
diff --git a/src/tcpopt.c b/src/tcpopt.c
index 7b95a0113403..8a52d8722091 100644
--- a/src/tcpopt.c
+++ b/src/tcpopt.c
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #include <nft.h>
 
 #include <stddef.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <netinet/in.h>
diff --git a/src/utils.c b/src/utils.c
index d2841f3469b5..caedebda183b 100644
--- a/src/utils.c
+++ b/src/utils.c
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 #include <nft.h>
 
 #include <stddef.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
diff --git a/src/xt.c b/src/xt.c
index a217cc7b6bd0..d774e07395a6 100644
--- a/src/xt.c
+++ b/src/xt.c
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 
 #include <nft.h>
 
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <time.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <net/if.h>
