diff --git a/src/gb/gprs_ns2.c b/src/gb/gprs_ns2.c
index d4d215c..4f3bc5e 100644
--- a/src/gb/gprs_ns2.c
+++ b/src/gb/gprs_ns2.c
@@ -1353,4 +1353,36 @@
 	return transfer_cap;
 }
 
+/*! common allocation + low-level initialization of a bind. Called by vc-drivers */
+int ns2_bind_alloc(struct gprs_ns2_inst *nsi, const char *name,
+		   struct gprs_ns2_vc_bind **result)
+{
+	struct gprs_ns2_vc_bind *bind;
+
+	if (!name)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	if (gprs_ns2_bind_by_name(nsi, name))
+		return -EALREADY;
+
+	bind = talloc_zero(nsi, struct gprs_ns2_vc_bind);
+	if (!bind)
+		return -ENOSPC;
+
+	bind->name = talloc_strdup(bind, name);
+	if (!bind->name) {
+		talloc_free(bind);
+		return -ENOSPC;
+	}
+
+	bind->nsi = nsi;
+	INIT_LLIST_HEAD(&bind->nsvc);
+	llist_add(&bind->list, &nsi->binding);
+
+	if (result)
+		*result = bind;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /*! @} */
diff --git a/src/gb/gprs_ns2_fr.c b/src/gb/gprs_ns2_fr.c
index 9de2b06..953f4ca 100644
--- a/src/gb/gprs_ns2_fr.c
+++ b/src/gb/gprs_ns2_fr.c
@@ -719,21 +719,15 @@
 	struct osmo_fr_link *fr_link;
 	int rc = 0;
 
-	if (!name)
+	if (strlen(netif) > IFNAMSIZ)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	if (gprs_ns2_bind_by_name(nsi, name))
 		return -EALREADY;
 
-	bind = talloc_zero(nsi, struct gprs_ns2_vc_bind);
-	if (!bind)
-		return -ENOSPC;
-
-	bind->name = talloc_strdup(bind, name);
-	if (!bind->name) {
-		rc = -ENOSPC;
-		goto err_bind;
-	}
+	rc = ns2_bind_alloc(nsi, name, &bind);
+	if (rc < 0)
+		return rc;
 
 	bind->driver = &vc_driver_fr;
 	bind->ll = GPRS_NS2_LL_FR;
@@ -742,27 +736,19 @@
 	bind->send_vc = fr_vc_sendmsg;
 	bind->free_vc = free_vc;
 	bind->dump_vty = dump_vty;
-	bind->nsi = nsi;
 	priv = bind->priv = talloc_zero(bind, struct priv_bind);
 	if (!priv) {
 		rc = -ENOSPC;
-		goto err_name;
+		goto err_bind;
 	}
 
-	if (strlen(netif) > IFNAMSIZ) {
-		rc = -EINVAL;
-		goto err_priv;
-	}
 	OSMO_STRLCPY_ARRAY(priv->netif, netif);
 
-	if (result)
-		*result = bind;
-
 	/* FIXME: move fd handling into socket.c */
 	fr_link = osmo_fr_link_alloc(fr_network, fr_role, netif);
 	if (!fr_link) {
 		rc = -EINVAL;
-		goto err_priv;
+		goto err_bind;
 	}
 
 	fr_link->tx_cb = fr_tx_cb;
@@ -793,9 +779,6 @@
 	if (rc < 0)
 		goto err_fd;
 
-	INIT_LLIST_HEAD(&bind->nsvc);
-	llist_add(&bind->list, &nsi->binding);
-
 #ifdef ENABLE_LIBMNL
 	if (!nsi->linkmon_mnl)
 		nsi->linkmon_mnl = osmo_mnl_init(nsi, NETLINK_ROUTE, RTMGRP_LINK, linkmon_mnl_cb, nsi);
@@ -806,18 +789,17 @@
 		linkmon_initial_dump(nsi->linkmon_mnl);
 #endif
 
+	if (result)
+		*result = bind;
+
 	return rc;
 
 err_fd:
 	close(priv->backlog.ofd.fd);
 err_fr:
 	osmo_fr_link_free(fr_link);
-err_priv:
-	talloc_free(priv);
-err_name:
-	talloc_free((char *)bind->name);
 err_bind:
-	talloc_free(bind);
+	gprs_ns2_free_bind(bind);
 
 	return rc;
 }
diff --git a/src/gb/gprs_ns2_frgre.c b/src/gb/gprs_ns2_frgre.c
index 5047af0..863f8f2 100644
--- a/src/gb/gprs_ns2_frgre.c
+++ b/src/gb/gprs_ns2_frgre.c
@@ -537,29 +537,22 @@
 			int dscp,
 			struct gprs_ns2_vc_bind **result)
 {
-	struct gprs_ns2_vc_bind *bind = talloc_zero(nsi, struct gprs_ns2_vc_bind);
+	struct gprs_ns2_vc_bind *bind;
 	struct priv_bind *priv;
 	int rc;
 
-	if (!name)
-		return -ENOSPC;
-
-	if (gprs_ns2_bind_by_name(nsi, name))
-		return -EALREADY;
-
-	if (!bind)
-		return -ENOSPC;
-
-	if (local->u.sa.sa_family != AF_INET && local->u.sa.sa_family != AF_INET6) {
-		talloc_free(bind);
+	if (local->u.sa.sa_family != AF_INET && local->u.sa.sa_family != AF_INET6)
 		return -EINVAL;
+
+	bind = gprs_ns2_bind_by_name(nsi, name);
+	if (bind) {
+		*result = bind;
+		return -EALREADY;
 	}
 
-	bind->name = talloc_strdup(bind, name);
-	if (!bind->name) {
-		talloc_free(bind);
-		return -ENOSPC;
-	}
+	rc = ns2_bind_alloc(nsi, name, &bind);
+	if (rc < 0)
+		return rc;
 
 	bind->driver = &vc_driver_frgre;
 	bind->ll = GPRS_NS2_LL_FR_GRE;
@@ -571,7 +564,7 @@
 
 	priv = bind->priv = talloc_zero(bind, struct priv_bind);
 	if (!priv) {
-		talloc_free(bind);
+		gprs_ns2_free_bind(bind);
 		return -ENOSPC;
 	}
 	priv->fd.cb = frgre_fd_cb;
@@ -579,14 +572,11 @@
 	priv->addr = *local;
 	INIT_LLIST_HEAD(&bind->nsvc);
 
-	llist_add(&bind->list, &nsi->binding);
-
 	rc = osmo_sock_init_osa_ofd(&priv->fd, SOCK_RAW, IPPROTO_GRE,
 				 local, NULL,
 				 OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND);
 	if (rc < 0) {
-		talloc_free(priv);
-		talloc_free(bind);
+		gprs_ns2_free_bind(bind);
 		return rc;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/gb/gprs_ns2_internal.h b/src/gb/gprs_ns2_internal.h
index e149767..4a899ed 100644
--- a/src/gb/gprs_ns2_internal.h
+++ b/src/gb/gprs_ns2_internal.h
@@ -274,6 +274,9 @@
 				 enum gprs_ns2_vc_mode vc_mode,
 				 const char *id);
 
+int ns2_bind_alloc(struct gprs_ns2_inst *nsi, const char *name,
+		   struct gprs_ns2_vc_bind **result);
+
 struct msgb *ns2_msgb_alloc(void);
 
 void ns2_sns_write_vty(struct vty *vty, const struct gprs_ns2_nse *nse);
diff --git a/src/gb/gprs_ns2_udp.c b/src/gb/gprs_ns2_udp.c
index 43ece13..b4bcd01 100644
--- a/src/gb/gprs_ns2_udp.c
+++ b/src/gb/gprs_ns2_udp.c
@@ -315,32 +315,18 @@
 	struct priv_bind *priv;
 	int rc;
 
-	if (!name)
+	if (local->u.sa.sa_family != AF_INET && local->u.sa.sa_family != AF_INET6)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	if (gprs_ns2_bind_by_name(nsi, name))
-		return -EALREADY;
-
 	bind = gprs_ns2_ip_bind_by_sockaddr(nsi, local);
 	if (bind) {
 		*result = bind;
 		return -EBUSY;
 	}
 
-	bind = talloc_zero(nsi, struct gprs_ns2_vc_bind);
-	if (!bind)
-		return -ENOSPC;
-
-	bind->name = talloc_strdup(bind, name);
-	if (!bind->name) {
-		talloc_free(bind);
-		return -ENOSPC;
-	}
-
-	if (local->u.sa.sa_family != AF_INET && local->u.sa.sa_family != AF_INET6) {
-		talloc_free(bind);
-		return -EINVAL;
-	}
+	rc = ns2_bind_alloc(nsi, name, &bind);
+	if (rc < 0)
+		return rc;
 
 	bind->driver = &vc_driver_ip;
 	bind->ll = GPRS_NS2_LL_UDP;
@@ -351,24 +337,21 @@
 	bind->send_vc = nsip_vc_sendmsg;
 	bind->free_vc = free_vc;
 	bind->dump_vty = dump_vty;
-	bind->nsi = nsi;
 
 	priv = bind->priv = talloc_zero(bind, struct priv_bind);
 	if (!priv) {
-		talloc_free(bind);
+		gprs_ns2_free_bind(bind);
 		return -ENOSPC;
 	}
 	priv->fd.cb = nsip_fd_cb;
 	priv->fd.data = bind;
 	priv->addr = *local;
-	INIT_LLIST_HEAD(&bind->nsvc);
 
 	rc = osmo_sock_init_osa_ofd(&priv->fd, SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_UDP,
 				 local, NULL,
 				 OSMO_SOCK_F_BIND);
 	if (rc < 0) {
-		talloc_free(priv);
-		talloc_free(bind);
+		gprs_ns2_free_bind(bind);
 		return rc;
 	}
 
@@ -382,7 +365,6 @@
 				dscp, rc, errno);
 	}
 
-	llist_add(&bind->list, &nsi->binding);
 	if (result)
 		*result = bind;