diff --git a/include/tim.h b/include/tim.h
index 60ddba0..104a834 100644
--- a/include/tim.h
+++ b/include/tim.h
@@ -301,14 +301,10 @@ bool tim_radiobutton(cstr txt, i32* state, i32 v, i32 x, i32 y, i32 w, TimStyle
 TimKey tim_edit(TimEditState* e, i32 x, i32 y, i32 w, TimStyle style);
 
 /// @param e uninitialized state
-/// @param capacity in bytes
+/// @param buffer an array
+/// @param capacity buffer size in bytes
 /// @param initial_content may be NULL
-void TimEditState_construct(TimEditState* e, i32 capacity, cstr initial_content);
-
-static inline void TimEditState_destroy(TimEditState* e) {
-    if(!e) return;
-    free(e->s);
-}
+void TimEditState_construct(TimEditState* e, char* buffer, i32 capacity, cstr initial_content);
 
 void TimEditState_insert(TimEditState* e, cstr s);
 void TimEditState_delete(TimEditState* e);
diff --git a/src/edit.c b/src/edit.c
index 555ec35..e80e303 100755
--- a/src/edit.c
+++ b/src/edit.c
@@ -1,13 +1,16 @@
 #include "tim.h"
 
-void TimEditState_construct(TimEditState* e, i32 capacity, cstr initial_content){
+void TimEditState_construct(TimEditState* e, char* buf, i32 capacity, cstr initial_content){
     e->masked = false;
     e->length = initial_content ? tim_utf8_len(initial_content) : 0;
     e->cursor = e->length;
     e->capacity = capacity;
-    e->s = (char*)malloc(capacity + 1);
-    i32 byte_len = strlen(initial_content);
-    memcpy(e->s, initial_content, byte_len);
+    e->s = buf;
+    i32 byte_len = 0;
+    if(e->length > 0){
+        byte_len = strlen(initial_content);
+        memcpy(e->s, initial_content, byte_len);
+    }
     e->s[byte_len] = 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/test.c b/test/test.c
index d6a8887..0737c71 100644
--- a/test/test.c
+++ b/test/test.c
@@ -126,8 +126,10 @@ static inline void test_screen(TimEvent* e) {
 }
 
 i32 main(void) {
-    TimEditState_construct(&ed1, 32, "Edit 1");
-    TimEditState_construct(&ed2, 32, "");
+    char ed1_buf[32];
+    char ed2_buf[32];
+    TimEditState_construct(&ed1, ed1_buf, ARRAY_SIZE(ed1_buf), "Edit 1");
+    TimEditState_construct(&ed2, ed2_buf, ARRAY_SIZE(ed2_buf), NULL);
     
     while (tim_run(1.5)) {
         test_screen(&tim->event);
@@ -135,9 +137,6 @@ i32 main(void) {
             break;
         }
     }
-    
-    TimEditState_destroy(&ed1);
-    TimEditState_destroy(&ed2);
 
     return 0;
 }