diff --git a/apps/debug_menu.c b/apps/debug_menu.c
index 65b660813f..070c08f4f6 100644
--- a/apps/debug_menu.c
+++ b/apps/debug_menu.c
@@ -496,6 +496,7 @@ static bool dbg_buffering_thread(void)
 #undef STR_DATAREM
 }
 
+#ifdef BUFLIB_DEBUG_PRINT
 static const char* bf_getname(int selected_item, void *data,
                                    char *buffer, size_t buffer_len)
 {
@@ -536,6 +537,7 @@ static bool dbg_buflib_allocs(void)
     info.timeout = HZ;
     return simplelist_show_list(&info);
 }
+#endif /* BUFLIB_DEBUG_PRINT */
 
 #if (CONFIG_PLATFORM & PLATFORM_NATIVE)
 static const char* dbg_partitions_getname(int selected_item, void *data,
@@ -2619,7 +2621,9 @@ static const struct {
 #ifdef PM_DEBUG
         { "pm histogram", peak_meter_histogram},
 #endif /* PM_DEBUG */
+#ifdef BUFLIB_DEBUG_PRINT
         { "View buflib allocs", dbg_buflib_allocs },
+#endif
 #ifndef SIMULATOR
 #if CONFIG_TUNER
         { "FM Radio", dbg_fm_radio },
diff --git a/firmware/buflib.c b/firmware/buflib.c
index be1ff01af7..0f8836b3b7 100644
--- a/firmware/buflib.c
+++ b/firmware/buflib.c
@@ -991,8 +991,7 @@ unsigned buflib_pin_count(struct buflib_context *ctx, int handle)
     return data[idx_PIN].pincount;
 }
 
-#ifdef DEBUG
-
+#ifdef BUFLIB_DEBUG_GET_DATA
 void *buflib_get_data(struct buflib_context *ctx, int handle)
 {
     if (handle <= 0)
@@ -1000,7 +999,9 @@ void *buflib_get_data(struct buflib_context *ctx, int handle)
 
     return (void*)(ctx->handle_table[-handle].alloc);
 }
+#endif
 
+#ifdef BUFLIB_DEBUG_CHECK_VALID
 void buflib_check_valid(struct buflib_context *ctx)
 {
     for(union buflib_data *block = ctx->buf_start;
@@ -1016,10 +1017,11 @@ void buflib_check_valid(struct buflib_context *ctx)
 }
 #endif
 
-#ifdef BUFLIB_DEBUG_BLOCK_SINGLE
+#ifdef BUFLIB_DEBUG_PRINT
 int buflib_get_num_blocks(struct buflib_context *ctx)
 {
     int i = 0;
+
     for(union buflib_data *block = ctx->buf_start;
         block < ctx->alloc_end;
         block += abs(block->val))
@@ -1027,11 +1029,12 @@ int buflib_get_num_blocks(struct buflib_context *ctx)
         check_block_length(ctx, block);
         ++i;
     }
+
     return i;
 }
 
-void buflib_print_block_at(struct buflib_context *ctx, int block_num,
-                           char* buf, size_t bufsize)
+bool buflib_print_block_at(struct buflib_context *ctx, int block_num,
+                           char *buf, size_t bufsize)
 {
     for(union buflib_data *block = ctx->buf_start;
         block < ctx->alloc_end;
@@ -1044,8 +1047,13 @@ void buflib_print_block_at(struct buflib_context *ctx, int block_num,
             snprintf(buf, bufsize, "%8p: val: %4ld (%sallocated)",
                      block, (long)block->val,
                      block->val > 0 ? "" : "un");
+            return true;
         }
     }
+
+    if (bufsize > 0)
+        *buf = '\0';
+    return false;
 }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/firmware/core_alloc.c b/firmware/core_alloc.c
index f5cc7f3189..948911b973 100644
--- a/firmware/core_alloc.c
+++ b/firmware/core_alloc.c
@@ -35,8 +35,11 @@ unsigned char *audiobufend = audiobuffer + sizeof(audiobuffer);
 extern unsigned char *audiobufend;
 #endif
 
+#ifdef BUFLIB_DEBUG_PRINT
 /* debug test alloc */
 static int test_alloc;
+#endif
+
 void core_allocator_init(void)
 {
     unsigned char *start = ALIGN_UP(audiobuffer, sizeof(intptr_t));
@@ -51,16 +54,9 @@ void core_allocator_init(void)
 
     buflib_init(&core_ctx, start, audiobufend - start);
 
+#ifdef BUFLIB_DEBUG_PRINT
     test_alloc = core_alloc(112);
-}
-
-bool core_test_free(void)
-{
-    bool ret = test_alloc > 0;
-    if (ret)
-        test_alloc = core_free(test_alloc);
-
-    return ret;
+#endif
 }
 
 /* Allocate memory in the "core" context. See documentation
@@ -119,17 +115,28 @@ unsigned core_pin_count(int handle)
     return buflib_pin_count(&core_ctx, handle);
 }
 
+#ifdef BUFLIB_DEBUG_PRINT
 int core_get_num_blocks(void)
 {
     return buflib_get_num_blocks(&core_ctx);
 }
 
-void core_print_block_at(int block_num, char* buf, size_t bufsize)
+bool core_print_block_at(int block_num, char* buf, size_t bufsize)
 {
-    buflib_print_block_at(&core_ctx, block_num, buf, bufsize);
+    return buflib_print_block_at(&core_ctx, block_num, buf, bufsize);
 }
 
-#ifdef DEBUG
+bool core_test_free(void)
+{
+    bool ret = test_alloc > 0;
+    if (ret)
+        test_alloc = core_free(test_alloc);
+
+    return ret;
+}
+#endif
+
+#ifdef BUFLIB_DEBUG_CHECK_VALID
 void core_check_valid(void)
 {
     buflib_check_valid(&core_ctx);
diff --git a/firmware/include/buflib.h b/firmware/include/buflib.h
index 349e4a3e7a..49e4db11c0 100644
--- a/firmware/include/buflib.h
+++ b/firmware/include/buflib.h
@@ -23,15 +23,21 @@
 * KIND, either express or implied.
 *
 ****************************************************************************/
-
 #ifndef _BUFLIB_H_
 #define _BUFLIB_H_
+
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
-/* enable single block debugging */
-#define BUFLIB_DEBUG_BLOCK_SINGLE
+/* add extra checks to buflib_get_data to catch bad handles */
+//#define BUFLIB_DEBUG_GET_DATA
+
+/* support integrity check */
+//#define BUFLIB_DEBUG_CHECK_VALID
+
+/* support debug printing of memory blocks */
+//#define BUFLIB_DEBUG_PRINT
 
 union buflib_data
 {
@@ -260,12 +266,12 @@ int buflib_alloc_maximum(struct buflib_context* ctx,
  *
  * Returns: The start pointer of the allocation
  */
-#ifdef DEBUG
-void* buflib_get_data(struct buflib_context *ctx, int handle);
+#ifdef BUFLIB_DEBUG_GET_DATA
+void *buflib_get_data(struct buflib_context *ctx, int handle);
 #else
-static inline void* buflib_get_data(struct buflib_context *ctx, int handle)
+static inline void *buflib_get_data(struct buflib_context *ctx, int handle)
 {
-    return (void*)(ctx->handle_table[-handle].alloc);
+    return (void *)ctx->handle_table[-handle].alloc;
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -342,29 +348,34 @@ void* buflib_buffer_out(struct buflib_context *ctx, size_t *size);
  */
 void buflib_buffer_in(struct buflib_context *ctx, int size);
 
-/* debugging */
-
+#ifdef BUFLIB_DEBUG_PRINT
 /**
- * Gets the number of blocks in the entire buffer, allocated or unallocated
+ * Return the number of blocks in the buffer, allocated or unallocated.
  *
- * Only available if BUFLIB_DEBUG_BLOCK_SIGNLE is defined
+ * Only available if BUFLIB_DEBUG_PRINT is defined.
  */
 int buflib_get_num_blocks(struct buflib_context *ctx);
 
 /**
- * Print information about a single block as indicated by block_num
- * into buf
+ * Write a string describing the block at index block_num to the
+ * provided buffer. The buffer will always be null terminated and
+ * there is no provision to detect truncation. (A 40-byte buffer
+ * is enough to contain any returned string.)
  *
- * buflib_get_num_blocks() beforehand to get the total number of blocks,
- * as passing an block_num higher than that is undefined
+ * Returns false if the block index is out of bounds, and writes
+ * an empty string.
  *
- * Only available if BUFLIB_DEBUG_BLOCK_SIGNLE is defined
+ * Only available if BUFLIB_DEBUG_PRINT is defined.
  */
-void buflib_print_block_at(struct buflib_context *ctx, int block_num,
-                            char* buf, size_t bufsize);
+bool buflib_print_block_at(struct buflib_context *ctx, int block_num,
+                           char *buf, size_t bufsize);
+#endif
 
+#ifdef BUFLIB_DEBUG_CHECK_VALID
 /**
  * Check integrity of given buflib context
  */
 void buflib_check_valid(struct buflib_context *ctx);
 #endif
+
+#endif /* _BUFLIB_H_ */
diff --git a/firmware/include/core_alloc.h b/firmware/include/core_alloc.h
index 8011c227b1..22cc1988da 100644
--- a/firmware/include/core_alloc.h
+++ b/firmware/include/core_alloc.h
@@ -21,21 +21,23 @@ unsigned core_pin_count(int handle);
 int core_free(int handle);
 size_t core_available(void);
 size_t core_allocatable(void);
-#ifdef DEBUG
+
+#ifdef BUFLIB_DEBUG_CHECK_VALID
 void core_check_valid(void);
 #endif
 
 /* DO NOT ADD wrappers for buflib_buffer_out/in. They do not call
  * the move callbacks and are therefore unsafe in the core */
 
-#ifdef BUFLIB_DEBUG_BLOCK_SINGLE
-int  core_get_num_blocks(void);
-void core_print_block_at(int block_num, char* buf, size_t bufsize);
-#endif
+#ifdef BUFLIB_DEBUG_PRINT
+int core_get_num_blocks(void);
+bool core_print_block_at(int block_num, char* buf, size_t bufsize);
 
 /* frees the debug test alloc created at initialization,
- * since this is the first any further alloc should force a compaction run */
+ * since this is the first any further alloc should force a compaction run
+ * only used if debug print is active */
 bool core_test_free(void);
+#endif
 
 static inline void* core_get_data(int handle)
 {
diff --git a/firmware/kernel/thread.c b/firmware/kernel/thread.c
index a422624df7..25677c79f9 100644
--- a/firmware/kernel/thread.c
+++ b/firmware/kernel/thread.c
@@ -1019,7 +1019,7 @@ void switch_thread(void)
 #ifdef RB_PROFILE
         profile_thread_stopped(THREAD_ID_SLOT(thread->id));
 #endif
-#ifdef DEBUG
+#ifdef BUFLIB_DEBUG_CHECK_VALID
         /* Check core_ctx buflib integrity */
         core_check_valid();
 #endif
diff --git a/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/thread-sdl.c b/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/thread-sdl.c
index a76941f103..17a0f847b5 100644
--- a/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/thread-sdl.c
+++ b/firmware/target/hosted/sdl/thread-sdl.c
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ void switch_thread(void)
         } /* STATE_SLEEPING: */
     }
 
-#ifdef DEBUG
+#ifdef BUFLIB_DEBUG_CHECK_VALID
     core_check_valid();
 #endif
     __running_self_entry() = current;