diff --git a/render.c b/render.c
index f1eaa9fa..0c559ce0 100644
--- a/render.c
+++ b/render.c
@@ -374,6 +374,7 @@ render_worker_thread(void *_ctx)
     struct render_worker_context *ctx = _ctx;
     struct terminal *term = ctx->term;
     const int my_id = ctx->my_id;
+    free(ctx);
 
     char proc_title[16];
     snprintf(proc_title, sizeof(proc_title), "foot:render:%d", my_id);
diff --git a/terminal.c b/terminal.c
index cd8d0ed9..5c9c7b37 100644
--- a/terminal.c
+++ b/terminal.c
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ term_init(const struct config *conf, struct fdm *fdm, struct wayland *wayl,
     int delay_upper_fd = -1;
 
     struct terminal *term = NULL;
-    struct render_worker_context worker_context[conf->render_worker_count];
+    struct render_worker_context *worker_context[conf->render_worker_count];
 
     if ((ptmx = posix_openpt(O_RDWR | O_NOCTTY)) == -1) {
         LOG_ERRNO("failed to open PTY");
@@ -343,9 +343,10 @@ term_init(const struct config *conf, struct fdm *fdm, struct wayland *wayl,
 
     term->render.workers.threads = calloc(term->render.workers.count, sizeof(term->render.workers.threads[0]));
     for (size_t i = 0; i < term->render.workers.count; i++) {
-        worker_context[i].term = term;
-        worker_context[i].my_id = 1 + i;
-        thrd_create(&term->render.workers.threads[i], &render_worker_thread, &worker_context[i]);
+        worker_context[i] = malloc(sizeof(*worker_context[i]));
+        worker_context[i]->term = term;
+        worker_context[i]->my_id = 1 + i;
+        thrd_create(&term->render.workers.threads[i], &render_worker_thread, worker_context[i]);
     }
 
     font_list_t font_names = tll_init();