diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/client.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/client.c
index 167955c0e..59b3261ab 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/client.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/client.c
@@ -159,10 +159,10 @@ void client_free(struct client *client)
 		pending_sample_free(p);
 
 	if (client->message)
-		message_free(impl, client->message, false, false);
+		message_free(client->message, false, false);
 
 	spa_list_consume(msg, &client->out_messages, link)
-		message_free(impl, msg, true, false);
+		message_free(msg, true, false);
 
 	spa_list_consume(o, &client->operations, link)
 		operation_free(o);
@@ -220,14 +220,12 @@ int client_queue_message(struct client *client, struct message *msg)
 	return 0;
 
 error:
-	message_free(impl, msg, false, false);
+	message_free(msg, false, false);
 	return res;
 }
 
 static int client_try_flush_messages(struct client *client)
 {
-	struct impl *impl = client->impl;
-
 	pw_log_trace("client %p: flushing", client);
 
 	spa_assert(!client->disconnect);
@@ -254,7 +252,7 @@ static int client_try_flush_messages(struct client *client)
 		} else {
 			if (debug_messages && m->channel == SPA_ID_INVALID)
 				message_dump(SPA_LOG_LEVEL_INFO, m);
-			message_free(impl, m, true, false);
+			message_free(m, true, false);
 			client->out_index = 0;
 			continue;
 		}
@@ -307,7 +305,7 @@ static bool drop_from_out_queue(struct client *client, struct message *m)
 	if (m == first && client->out_index > 0)
 		return false;
 
-	message_free(client->impl, m, true, false);
+	message_free(m, true, false);
 
 	return true;
 }
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/message.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/message.c
index 43b7ba2a3..a362f28f5 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/message.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/message.c
@@ -397,12 +397,12 @@ static int ensure_size(struct message *m, uint32_t size)
 	diff = alloc - m->allocated;
 	if ((data = realloc(m->data, alloc)) == NULL) {
 		free(m->data);
-		m->stat->allocated -= m->allocated;
+		m->impl->stat.allocated -= m->allocated;
 		m->allocated = 0;
 		return -errno;
 	}
-	m->stat->allocated += diff;
-	m->stat->accumulated += diff;
+	m->impl->stat.allocated += diff;
+	m->impl->stat.accumulated += diff;
 	m->data = data;
 	m->allocated = alloc;
 	return size;
@@ -826,18 +826,20 @@ struct message *message_alloc(struct impl *impl, uint32_t channel, uint32_t size
 		msg = spa_list_first(&impl->free_messages, struct message, link);
 		spa_list_remove(&msg->link);
 		pw_log_trace("using recycled message %p size:%d", msg, size);
+
+		spa_assert(msg->impl == impl);
 	} else {
 		if ((msg = calloc(1, sizeof(*msg))) == NULL)
 			return NULL;
 
 		pw_log_trace("new message %p size:%d", msg, size);
-		msg->stat = &impl->stat;
-		msg->stat->n_allocated++;
-		msg->stat->n_accumulated++;
+		msg->impl = impl;
+		msg->impl->stat.n_allocated++;
+		msg->impl->stat.n_accumulated++;
 	}
 
 	if (ensure_size(msg, size) < 0) {
-		message_free(impl, msg, false, true);
+		message_free(msg, false, true);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
@@ -849,23 +851,23 @@ struct message *message_alloc(struct impl *impl, uint32_t channel, uint32_t size
 	return msg;
 }
 
-void message_free(struct impl *impl, struct message *msg, bool dequeue, bool destroy)
+void message_free(struct message *msg, bool dequeue, bool destroy)
 {
 	if (dequeue)
 		spa_list_remove(&msg->link);
 
-	if (msg->stat->allocated > MAX_ALLOCATED || msg->allocated > MAX_SIZE)
+	if (msg->impl->stat.allocated > MAX_ALLOCATED || msg->allocated > MAX_SIZE)
 		destroy = true;
 
 	if (destroy) {
 		pw_log_trace("destroy message %p size:%d", msg, msg->allocated);
-		msg->stat->n_allocated--;
-		msg->stat->allocated -= msg->allocated;
+		msg->impl->stat.n_allocated--;
+		msg->impl->stat.allocated -= msg->allocated;
 		free(msg->data);
 		free(msg);
 	} else {
 		pw_log_trace("recycle message %p size:%d/%d", msg, msg->length, msg->allocated);
-		spa_list_append(&impl->free_messages, &msg->link);
+		spa_list_append(&msg->impl->free_messages, &msg->link);
 		msg->length = 0;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/message.h b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/message.h
index b821380ac..ad952929b 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/message.h
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/message.h
@@ -32,11 +32,10 @@
 #include <spa/support/log.h>
 
 struct impl;
-struct stats;
 
 struct message {
 	struct spa_list link;
-	struct stats *stat;
+	struct impl *impl;
 	uint32_t extra[4];
 	uint32_t channel;
 	uint32_t allocated;
@@ -68,7 +67,7 @@ enum {
 };
 
 struct message *message_alloc(struct impl *impl, uint32_t channel, uint32_t size);
-void message_free(struct impl *impl, struct message *msg, bool dequeue, bool destroy);
+void message_free(struct message *msg, bool dequeue, bool destroy);
 int message_get(struct message *m, ...);
 int message_put(struct message *m, ...);
 int message_dump(enum spa_log_level level, struct message *m);
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c
index 85939229f..56e10d2ca 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c
@@ -4315,7 +4315,7 @@ error_invalid:
 	goto error;
 error:
 	if (reply)
-		message_free(impl, reply, false, false);
+		message_free(reply, false, false);
 	return res;
 }
 
@@ -4391,7 +4391,7 @@ static int do_get_sample_info(struct client *client, uint32_t command, uint32_t
 
 error:
 	if (reply)
-		message_free(impl, reply, false, false);
+		message_free(reply, false, false);
 	return res;
 }
 
@@ -5355,7 +5355,7 @@ static void impl_clear(struct impl *impl)
 		client_free(c);
 
 	spa_list_consume(msg, &impl->free_messages, link)
-		message_free(impl, msg, true, true);
+		message_free(msg, true, true);
 
 	pw_map_for_each(&impl->samples, impl_free_sample, impl);
 	pw_map_clear(&impl->samples);
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/server.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/server.c
index 31402e312..0d9e5a990 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/server.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/server.c
@@ -66,7 +66,6 @@
 
 static int handle_packet(struct client *client, struct message *msg)
 {
-	struct impl * const impl = client->impl;
 	uint32_t command, tag;
 	int res = 0;
 
@@ -110,7 +109,7 @@ static int handle_packet(struct client *client, struct message *msg)
 	res = cmd->run(client, command, tag, msg);
 
 finish:
-	message_free(impl, msg, false, false);
+	message_free(msg, false, false);
 	if (res < 0)
 		reply_error(client, command, tag, res);
 
@@ -119,7 +118,6 @@ finish:
 
 static int handle_memblock(struct client *client, struct message *msg)
 {
-	struct impl * const impl = client->impl;
 	struct stream *stream;
 	uint32_t channel, flags, index;
 	int64_t offset, diff;
@@ -190,7 +188,7 @@ static int handle_memblock(struct client *client, struct message *msg)
 	stream_send_request(stream);
 
 finish:
-	message_free(impl, msg, false, false);
+	message_free(msg, false, false);
 	return res;
 }
 
@@ -264,7 +262,7 @@ static int do_read(struct client *client)
 		}
 
 		if (client->message)
-			message_free(impl, client->message, false, false);
+			message_free(client->message, false, false);
 
 		client->message = message_alloc(impl, channel, length);
 	} else if (client->message &&