diff --git a/apps/system/components/DebugConsole/Cargo.lock b/apps/system/components/DebugConsole/Cargo.lock
deleted file mode 100644
index a631062..0000000
--- a/apps/system/components/DebugConsole/Cargo.lock
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,49 +0,0 @@
-# This file is automatically @generated by Cargo.
-# It is not intended for manual editing.
-[[package]]
-name = "cty"
-version = "0.2.1"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "7313c0d620d0cb4dbd9d019e461a4beb501071ff46ec0ab933efb4daa76d73e3"
-
-[[package]]
-name = "kata-debug-console"
-version = "0.1.0"
-dependencies = [
- "kata-shell",
- "kata-uart-client",
- "panic-halt",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "kata-io"
-version = "0.1.0"
-
-[[package]]
-name = "kata-line-reader"
-version = "0.1.0"
-dependencies = [
- "kata-io",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "kata-shell"
-version = "0.1.0"
-dependencies = [
- "kata-io",
- "kata-line-reader",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "kata-uart-client"
-version = "0.1.0"
-dependencies = [
- "cty",
- "kata-io",
-]
-
-[[package]]
-name = "panic-halt"
-version = "0.2.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "de96540e0ebde571dc55c73d60ef407c653844e6f9a1e2fdbd40c07b9252d812"
diff --git a/apps/system/components/DebugConsole/kata-debug-console/Cargo.toml b/apps/system/components/DebugConsole/kata-debug-console/Cargo.toml
index bfd510a..2207b15 100644
--- a/apps/system/components/DebugConsole/kata-debug-console/Cargo.toml
+++ b/apps/system/components/DebugConsole/kata-debug-console/Cargo.toml
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ description = "Kata OS DebugConsole"
 panic-halt = "0.2.0"
 kata-shell = { path = "../kata-shell" }
 kata-uart-client = { path = "../kata-uart-client" }
+linked_list_allocator = "0.9"
 
 [lib]
 name = "kata_debug_console"
diff --git a/apps/system/components/DebugConsole/kata-debug-console/src/run.rs b/apps/system/components/DebugConsole/kata-debug-console/src/run.rs
index 4892039..10a452a 100644
--- a/apps/system/components/DebugConsole/kata-debug-console/src/run.rs
+++ b/apps/system/components/DebugConsole/kata-debug-console/src/run.rs
@@ -12,11 +12,29 @@
 // std:: requires at least an allocator, which Kata does not have yet. For now
 // the CLI will be implemented with only core::.
 #![no_std]
+// NB: not really what we want but resolves undefineds for now
+#![feature(default_alloc_error_handler)]
 
 extern crate panic_halt;
 
 use kata_shell;
 use kata_uart_client;
+use linked_list_allocator::LockedHeap;
+
+#[global_allocator]
+static KATA_ALLOCATOR: LockedHeap = LockedHeap::empty();
+
+#[no_mangle]
+// NB: use post_init insted of pre_init so syslog interface is setup
+pub extern "C" fn post_init() {
+    // TODO(sleffler): temp until we integrate with seL4
+    static mut HEAP_MEMORY: [u8; 16 * 1024] = [0; 16 * 1024];
+    unsafe {
+        KATA_ALLOCATOR
+            .lock()
+            .init(HEAP_MEMORY.as_mut_ptr() as usize, HEAP_MEMORY.len());
+    }
+}
 
 /// Entry point for DebugConsole. Runs the shell with UART IO.
 #[no_mangle]
diff --git a/apps/system/components/DebugConsole/kata-shell/src/lib.rs b/apps/system/components/DebugConsole/kata-shell/src/lib.rs
index 767fab9..274dbd7 100644
--- a/apps/system/components/DebugConsole/kata-shell/src/lib.rs
+++ b/apps/system/components/DebugConsole/kata-shell/src/lib.rs
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ impl From<fmt::Error> for CommandError {
 
 /// Read-eval-print loop for the DebugConsole command line interface.
 pub fn repl(output: &mut dyn io::Write, input: &mut dyn io::Read) -> ! {
-  let _ = write!(output, "DebugConsole::repl()\n");
-  let mut line_reader = LineReader::new();
+    let _ = write!(output, "DebugConsole::repl()\n");
+    let mut line_reader = LineReader::new();
     loop {
         const PROMPT: &str = "KATA_PROMPT> ";
         let _ = output.write_str(PROMPT);
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ fn dispatch_command(cmdline: &str, output: &mut dyn io::Write) {
                 "add" => add_command(&mut args, output),
                 "clear" => clear_command(output),
                 "ps" => ps_command(),
+                "alloc_test" => alloc_test_command(output),
                 _ => Err(CommandError::UnknownCommand),
             };
             if let Err(e) = result {
@@ -103,8 +104,12 @@ fn echo_command(cmdline: &str, output: &mut dyn io::Write) -> Result<(), Command
 
 /// Implements a "ps" command that dumps seL4 scheduler state to the console.
 fn ps_command() -> Result<(), CommandError> {
-    extern "C" { fn sel4debug_dump_scheduler(); }
-    unsafe { sel4debug_dump_scheduler(); }
+    extern "C" {
+        fn sel4debug_dump_scheduler();
+    }
+    unsafe {
+        sel4debug_dump_scheduler();
+    }
     Ok(())
 }
 
@@ -133,3 +138,40 @@ fn add_command(
 fn clear_command(output: &mut dyn io::Write) -> Result<(), CommandError> {
     Ok(output.write_str("\x1b\x63")?)
 }
+
+/// Implements a command that tests facilities that use the global allocator.
+/// Shamelessly cribbed from https://os.phil-opp.com/heap-allocation/
+fn alloc_test_command(output: &mut dyn io::Write) -> Result<(), CommandError> {
+    extern crate alloc;
+    use alloc::{boxed::Box, rc::Rc, vec, vec::Vec};
+
+    // allocate a number on the heap
+    let heap_value = Box::new(41);
+    writeln!(output, "heap_value at {:p}", heap_value).expect("Box failed");
+
+    // create a dynamically sized vector
+    let mut vec = Vec::new();
+    for i in 0..500 {
+        vec.push(i);
+    }
+    writeln!(output, "vec at {:p}", vec.as_slice()).expect("Vec failed");
+
+    // create a reference counted vector -> will be freed when count reaches 0
+    let reference_counted = Rc::new(vec![1, 2, 3]);
+    let cloned_reference = reference_counted.clone();
+    writeln!(
+        output,
+        "current reference count is {}",
+        Rc::strong_count(&cloned_reference)
+    )
+    .expect("Rc 1 failed");
+    core::mem::drop(reference_counted);
+    writeln!(
+        output,
+        "reference count is {} now",
+        Rc::strong_count(&cloned_reference)
+    )
+    .expect("Rc 2 failed");
+
+    Ok(writeln!(output, "All tests passed!")?)
+}
diff --git a/apps/system/components/ProcessManager/kata-proc-manager/Cargo.toml b/apps/system/components/ProcessManager/kata-proc-manager/Cargo.toml
index ff33839..73954bc 100644
--- a/apps/system/components/ProcessManager/kata-proc-manager/Cargo.toml
+++ b/apps/system/components/ProcessManager/kata-proc-manager/Cargo.toml
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ edition = "2018"
 
 [dependencies]
 arrayvec = { version = "0.7", default-features = false }
-cstr_core = { version = "0.2.3", default-features = false }
 kata-proc-common = { path = "../kata-proc-common" }
+linked_list_allocator = "0.9"
 panic-halt = "0.2.0"
 
 [lib]
diff --git a/apps/system/components/ProcessManager/kata-proc-manager/src/run.rs b/apps/system/components/ProcessManager/kata-proc-manager/src/run.rs
index 4e78c3a..4ab8922 100644
--- a/apps/system/components/ProcessManager/kata-proc-manager/src/run.rs
+++ b/apps/system/components/ProcessManager/kata-proc-manager/src/run.rs
@@ -4,30 +4,38 @@
 
 #![cfg_attr(not(test), no_std)]
 #![feature(const_fn_trait_bound)] // NB: for ProcessManager::empty using manager: None
+#![feature(default_alloc_error_handler)]
 
 #[cfg(not(test))]
 extern crate panic_halt;
 
 use arrayvec::ArrayVec;
 use core::marker::Sync;
-use cstr_core::CStr;
+use linked_list_allocator::LockedHeap;
+
 use kata_proc_common as proc;
 use proc::*;
 
-// Prints/logs a message to the console.
-// Temporary workaround for LoggerInterface not working
-fn syslog(_level: i32, msg: &str) {
-    // Print |str| on the consule using the SeL4 debug syscall.
-    // NB: for now the message must be explicitly \0-terminated.
-    fn sel4_putstr(msg: &str) {
-        extern "C" {
-            fn sel4debug_put_string(msg: *const cstr_core::c_char);
-        }
-        unsafe {
-            sel4debug_put_string(CStr::from_bytes_with_nul(msg.as_bytes()).unwrap().as_ptr());
-        }
+#[global_allocator]
+static KATA_ALLOCATOR: LockedHeap = LockedHeap::empty();
+
+#[no_mangle]
+// NB: use post_init insted of pre_init so logger is setup
+pub extern "C" fn post_init() {
+    // TODO(sleffler): temp until we integrate with seL4
+    static mut HEAP_MEMORY: [u8; 16 * 1024] = [0; 16 * 1024];
+    unsafe {
+        KATA_ALLOCATOR
+            .lock()
+            .init(HEAP_MEMORY.as_mut_ptr() as usize, HEAP_MEMORY.len());
     }
-    sel4_putstr(msg); // NB:assumes caller includes \0
+}
+
+// TODO(sleffler): move to init or similar if a thread isn't needed
+#[no_mangle]
+pub extern "C" fn run() {
+    // Setup the userland address spaces, lifecycles, and system introspection
+    // for third-party applications.
 }
 
 // Bundle state tracks start/stop operations.
@@ -175,14 +183,6 @@ impl<'a> ProcessControlInterface for ProcessManager<'a> {
     }
 }
 
-// TODO(sleffler): move to init or similar if a thread isn't needed
-#[no_mangle]
-pub extern "C" fn run() {
-    // Setup the userland address spaces, lifecycles, and system introspection
-    // for third-party applications.
-    syslog(0, "ProcessManager::run\n\0");
-}
-
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;