FWIW, another interface could be a class like : // untested class scope_guard { public: typedef boost::function<void()> func_type; explicit scope_guard() { } explicit scope_guard(const func_type& f) { add_function(f); } ~scope_guard() { for(int i = 0; i < m_functions.size(); ++i) m_functions[i](); } void add_function(const func_type& f) { m_functions.push_back(f); } // Could be used to cancel something void clear() { m_functions.clear(); } private: std::vector<func_type> m_functions; }; This, used along with boost::bind would make your example become smth like : glob_t result_glob; scope_guard guard(boost::bind(&globfree, &result_glob)); /* throw or return here */ And you could add more than one function call to do with the add_function() member... of course it's more limited than what your interface offers, but I think the idea is worth mentionning. Credits goes to Eelis (irc) for the idea. Philippe