diff --git a/Makefile.mac b/Makefile.mac
index e603ebd9..ee6e8c70 100644
--- a/Makefile.mac
+++ b/Makefile.mac
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 CXXFLAGS += -std=c++11 -march=native -DMAC
 CXXFLAGS += -W -Wall -Wextra -pedantic
-CXXFLAGS += -Wno-format-pedantic -Wno-unused-parameter -Wno-missing-field-initializers -Wno-vla-extension
+CXXFLAGS += -Wno-format-pedantic -Wno-unused-parameter -Wno-missing-field-initializers
 CXXFLAGS += -I/usr/local/include
 CXXFLAGS += ${EXTRA_CXXFLAGS}
 
diff --git a/basegraph.cpp b/basegraph.cpp
index 22bbcbe7..fe1ba25a 100644
--- a/basegraph.cpp
+++ b/basegraph.cpp
@@ -360,9 +360,9 @@ void sdltogl(SDL_Surface *txt, glfont_t& f, int ch) {
   int theight = next_p2( otheight );
 
 #if CAP_TABFONT
-  int expanded_data[twidth * theight];
+  std::vector<int> expanded_data(twidth * theight);
 #else
-  Uint16 expanded_data[twidth * theight];
+  std::vector<Uint16> expanded_data(twidth * theight);
 #endif
 
   for(int j=0; j <theight;j++) for(int i=0; i < twidth; i++) {
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ void sdltogl(SDL_Surface *txt, glfont_t& f, int ch) {
 #else
     GL_LUMINANCE_ALPHA, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, 
 #endif
-    expanded_data );
+    expanded_data.data() );
  
   float x=(float)otwidth / (float)twidth;
   float y=(float)otheight / (float)theight;
diff --git a/bigstuff.cpp b/bigstuff.cpp
index cc881460..2b199e4a 100644
--- a/bigstuff.cpp
+++ b/bigstuff.cpp
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ heptagon *createAlternateMap(cell *c, int rad, hstate firststate, int special) {
 
   // okay, let's go then!
   cellwalker bf(c, gdir);
-  cell *cx[rad+1];
+  std::vector<cell *> cx(rad+1);
   for(int i=0; i<rad; i++) {
     cx[i] = bf.c;
     bf += revstep;
@@ -1347,4 +1347,4 @@ void moreBigStuff(cell *c) {
     }      
   }
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/compileunits.h b/compileunits.h
index 7ec79b2d..ce198bab 100644
--- a/compileunits.h
+++ b/compileunits.h
@@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ namespace hr { namespace inv { bool on, activating; } }
 #if CAP_TOUR
 #include "tour.cpp"
 #endif
-#if ISMOBILE==0
-#include <unistd.h>
-#endif
 #include "commandline.cpp"
 #include "bigstuff.cpp"
 
diff --git a/complex.cpp b/complex.cpp
index 655d6d00..5de9475f 100644
--- a/complex.cpp
+++ b/complex.cpp
@@ -2046,7 +2046,7 @@ void livecaves() {
   vector<cell*> bringlife;
   int gr = gamerange();
   
-  int heatvals[dcs];
+  std::vector<int> heatvals(dcs);
   
   for(int i=0; i<dcs; i++) {
     cell *c = allcells[i];
@@ -2991,7 +2991,7 @@ namespace ca {
     if(cwt.c->land != laCA) return;
     vector<cell*>& allcells = currentmap->allcells();
     int dcs = isize(allcells);
-    bool willlive[dcs];
+    std::vector<bool> willlive(dcs);
     for(int i=0; i<dcs; i++) {
       cell *c = allcells[i];
       if(c->land != laCA) return;
@@ -3126,9 +3126,9 @@ namespace windmap {
 
     for(int i=0; i<N; i++) windcodes[i] = hrand(256);
     
-    bool inqueue[N];
+    vector<bool> inqueue(N, true);
     vector<int> tocheck;
-    for(int i=0; i<N; i++) tocheck.push_back(i), inqueue[i] = true;
+    for(int i=0; i<N; i++) tocheck.push_back(i);
     hrandom_shuffle(&tocheck[0], isize(tocheck));
     
     for(int a=0; a<isize(tocheck); a++) {
diff --git a/fieldpattern.cpp b/fieldpattern.cpp
index 28e44359..0c3198a6 100644
--- a/fieldpattern.cpp
+++ b/fieldpattern.cpp
@@ -219,12 +219,11 @@ struct fpattern {
         } else wsquare = 0;
   
   #ifdef EASY        
-      int sqrts[Prime];
-      for(int k=0; k<Prime; k++) sqrts[k] = 0;
+      std::vector<int> sqrts(Prime, 0);
       for(int k=1-Prime; k<Prime; k++) sqrts[sqr(k)] = k;
       int fmax = Prime;
   #else
-      int sqrts[Field];
+      std::vector<int> sqrts(Field);
       for(int k=0; k<Field; k++) sqrts[sqr(k)] = k;
       int fmax = Field;
   #endif
diff --git a/game.cpp b/game.cpp
index 6adf18ff..da7c13ad 100644
--- a/game.cpp
+++ b/game.cpp
@@ -4732,7 +4732,7 @@ void movehex(bool mounted, int colorpair) {
     for(int t=0; t<c->type; t++) if(c->mov[t] && inpair(c->mov[t], colorpair))
       dirtable[qdirtable++] = t;
       
-    random_shuffle(dirtable, dirtable+qdirtable);
+    hrandom_shuffle(dirtable, qdirtable);
     while(qdirtable--) {
       int t = dirtable[qdirtable];
       hexvisit(c->mov[t], c, t, mounted, colorpair);
diff --git a/hyper.h b/hyper.h
index 78f35ccc..71063b99 100644
--- a/hyper.h
+++ b/hyper.h
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ using std::imag;
 using std::stable_sort;
 using std::out_of_range;
 using std::get;
-using std::random_shuffle;
 using std::move;
 using std::make_tuple;
 
diff --git a/polygons.cpp b/polygons.cpp
index eebd90e9..f463f36a 100644
--- a/polygons.cpp
+++ b/polygons.cpp
@@ -201,9 +201,9 @@ void polylineColor(SDL_Surface *s, int *x, int *y, int polyi, int col) {
   }
 
 void filledPolygonColorI(SDL_Surface *s, int* px, int *py, int polyi, int col) {
-  Sint16 spx[polyi], spy[polyi];
-  for(int i=0; i<polyi; i++) spx[i] = px[i], spy[i] = py[i];
-  filledPolygonColor(s, spx, spy, polyi, col);
+  std::vector<Sint16> spx(px, px + polyi);
+  std::vector<Sint16> spy(py, py + polyi);
+  filledPolygonColor(s, spx.data(), spy.data(), polyi, col);
   }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/rogueviz-kohonen.cpp b/rogueviz-kohonen.cpp
index 0a2eefb1..dd90f369 100644
--- a/rogueviz-kohonen.cpp
+++ b/rogueviz-kohonen.cpp
@@ -691,7 +691,7 @@ void describe(cell *c) {
   help += "\n";
   vector<pair<double, int>> v;
   for(int s=0; s<samples; s++) if(whowon[s] == n) v.emplace_back(vnorm(n->net, data[s].val), s);
-  random_shuffle(v.begin(), v.end());
+  hrandom_shuffle(&v[0], isize(v));
   sort(v.begin(), v.end(), [] (pair<double,int> a, pair<double,int> b) { return a.first < b.first; });
   
   for(int i=0; i<isize(v) && i<20; i++) {
diff --git a/shaders.cpp b/shaders.cpp
index 2c995f42..cc68dec4 100644
--- a/shaders.cpp
+++ b/shaders.cpp
@@ -172,10 +172,10 @@ int compileShader(int type, const string& s) {
   GLint logLength;
   glGetShaderiv(shader, GL_INFO_LOG_LENGTH, &logLength);
   if (logLength > 0) {
-    char log[logLength];
-    glGetShaderInfoLog(shader, logLength, &logLength, log);
+    std::vector<char> log(logLength);
+    glGetShaderInfoLog(shader, logLength, &logLength, log.data());
     if(logLength > 0)
-      printf("compiler log (%d): '%s'\n", logLength, log);
+      printf("compiler log (%d): '%s'\n", logLength, log.data());
     }
   
   glGetShaderiv(shader, GL_COMPILE_STATUS, &status);
@@ -232,10 +232,10 @@ struct GLprogram {
     GLint logLength;
     glGetProgramiv(_program, GL_INFO_LOG_LENGTH, &logLength);
     if (logLength > 0) {
-      char log[logLength];
-      glGetProgramInfoLog(_program, logLength, &logLength, log);
+      std::vector<char> log(logLength);
+      glGetProgramInfoLog(_program, logLength, &logLength, log.data());
       if(logLength > 0)
-        printf("linking log (%d): %s\n", logLength, log);
+        printf("linking log (%d): %s\n", logLength, log.data());
       }
      
     glGetProgramiv(_program, GL_LINK_STATUS, &status);