diff --git a/src/packages/game/IZ_app.c b/src/packages/game/IZ_app.c
index 5104537..070d72e 100644
--- a/src/packages/game/IZ_app.c
+++ b/src/packages/game/IZ_app.c
@@ -41,8 +41,15 @@ void IZ_AppHandleNetworkingOutboundEvents(IZ_App* app) {
 		lws_get_protocol(wsi)
 	);
 
-	IZ_WebsocketMessage* amsg = IZ_WSClientCreateMessage(wsi, false, "hello", 5);
-	lws_ring_insert(vhd->ring, amsg, 1);
+	IZ_WebsocketMessage amsg;
+	i32 result;
+	result = IZ_WebsocketCreateTextMessage(wsi, &amsg, "hello", 5);
+
+	if (result < 0) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	lws_ring_insert(vhd->ring, &amsg, 1);
 	lws_callback_on_writable(wsi);
 }
 
@@ -384,23 +391,6 @@ IZ_ProcedureResult IZ_WSClientWritable(struct lws* wsi) {
 	return 0;
 }
 
-IZ_WebsocketMessage* IZ_WSClientCreateMessage(struct lws* wsi, bool binary, void* in, size_t len) {
-	static IZ_WebsocketMessage amsg;
-	amsg.first = (char)lws_is_first_fragment(wsi);
-	amsg.final = (char)lws_is_final_fragment(wsi);
-	amsg.binary = binary;
-
-	amsg.len = len;
-	/* notice we over-allocate by LWS_PRE */
-	amsg.payload = malloc(LWS_PRE + len);
-	if (!amsg.payload) {
-		return NULL;
-	}
-
-	memcpy((char*) amsg.payload + LWS_PRE, in, len);
-	return &amsg;
-}
-
 void IZ_WSClientOnReceive(struct lws* wsi, IZ_WSClientSessionData* pss, void* in, size_t len) {
 	i32 n = (i32) lws_ring_get_count_free_elements(pss->ring);
 	if (!n) {
@@ -416,8 +406,13 @@ void IZ_WSClientOnReceive(struct lws* wsi, IZ_WSClientSessionData* pss, void* in
 
 	// lwsl_hexdump_notice(in, len);
 
-	IZ_WebsocketMessage* amsg = IZ_WSClientCreateMessage(wsi, (bool) lws_frame_is_binary(wsi), in, len);
-	if (!amsg) {
+	IZ_WebsocketMessage amsg;
+	i32 result = (
+		lws_frame_is_binary(wsi)
+			? IZ_WebsocketCreateBinaryMessage(wsi, &amsg, in, len)
+			: IZ_WebsocketCreateTextMessage(wsi, &amsg, in, len)
+	);
+	if (result < 0) {
 		lwsl_user("OOM: dropping\n");
 		return;
 	}
@@ -428,14 +423,14 @@ void IZ_WSClientOnReceive(struct lws* wsi, IZ_WSClientSessionData* pss, void* in
 	);
 
 	IZ_App* app = (IZ_App*) vhd->app;
-	if (amsg->binary) {
+	if (amsg.binary) {
 		IZ_AppHandleNetworkingInboundBinaryEvents(app, in, len);
 	} else {
 		IZ_AppHandleNetworkingInboundTextEvents(app, in, len);
 	}
 
-	if (!lws_ring_insert(pss->ring, amsg, 1)) {
-		IZ_WebsocketDestroyMessage(amsg);
+	if (!lws_ring_insert(pss->ring, &amsg, 1)) {
+		IZ_WebsocketDestroyMessage(&amsg);
 		lwsl_user("dropping!\n");
 		return;
 	}
diff --git a/src/packages/game/net/core/IZ_websocket.c b/src/packages/game/net/core/IZ_websocket.c
index 1a863ba..cecc301 100644
--- a/src/packages/game/net/core/IZ_websocket.c
+++ b/src/packages/game/net/core/IZ_websocket.c
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ void IZ_WebsocketTeardown(IZ_Websocket* ws) {
 	ws->context = NULL;
 }
 
-void IZ_WebsocketDestroyMessage(IZ_WebsocketMessage* msg) {
+void IZ_WebsocketDestroyMessage(void* msg_raw) {
+	IZ_WebsocketMessage* msg = msg_raw;
 	free(msg->payload);
 	msg->payload = NULL;
 	msg->len = 0;
diff --git a/src/packages/game/net/core/IZ_websocket.h b/src/packages/game/net/core/IZ_websocket.h
index a535a75..f458c97 100644
--- a/src/packages/game/net/core/IZ_websocket.h
+++ b/src/packages/game/net/core/IZ_websocket.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ IZ_ProcedureResult IZ_WebsocketCreateBinaryMessage(struct lws*, IZ_WebsocketMess
 
 IZ_ProcedureResult IZ_WebsocketCreateTextMessage(struct lws*, IZ_WebsocketMessage*, void*, size_t);
 
-void IZ_WebsocketDestroyMessage(IZ_WebsocketMessage*);
+void IZ_WebsocketDestroyMessage(void*);
 
 void IZ_WebsocketCancelService(IZ_Websocket*);
 
diff --git a/src/packages/game/net/svc/IZ_wsclient.h b/src/packages/game/net/svc/IZ_wsclient.h
index 35310c8..9064aaf 100644
--- a/src/packages/game/net/svc/IZ_wsclient.h
+++ b/src/packages/game/net/svc/IZ_wsclient.h
@@ -64,6 +64,4 @@ IZ_ProcedureResult IZ_WSClientWritable(struct lws*);
 
 void IZ_WSClientOnReceive(struct lws*, IZ_WSClientSessionData*, void*, size_t);
 
-IZ_WebsocketMessage* IZ_WSClientCreateMessage(struct lws*, bool, void*, size_t);
-
 #endif