diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/message.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/message.c
index 6c897465d..48327e181 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/message.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/message.c
@@ -364,9 +364,22 @@ static int message_get(struct message *m, ...)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int ensure_size(struct message *m, uint32_t size)
+{
+	uint32_t alloc;
+	if (m->length + size <= m->allocated)
+		return size;
+
+	alloc = SPA_ROUND_UP_N(SPA_MAX(m->allocated + size, 4096u), 4096u);
+	if ((m->data = realloc(m->data, alloc)) == NULL)
+		return -errno;
+	m->allocated = alloc;
+	return size;
+}
+
 static void write_8(struct message *m, uint8_t val)
 {
-	if (m->length < m->allocated)
+	if (ensure_size(m, 1) > 0)
 		m->data[m->length] = val;
 	m->length++;
 }
@@ -374,7 +387,7 @@ static void write_8(struct message *m, uint8_t val)
 static void write_32(struct message *m, uint32_t val)
 {
 	val = htonl(val);
-	if (m->length + 4 <= m->allocated)
+	if (ensure_size(m, 4) > 0)
 		memcpy(m->data + m->length, &val, 4);
 	m->length += 4;
 }
@@ -384,7 +397,7 @@ static void write_string(struct message *m, const char *s)
 	write_8(m, s ? TAG_STRING : TAG_STRING_NULL);
 	if (s != NULL) {
 		int len = strlen(s) + 1;
-		if (m->length + len <= m->allocated)
+		if (ensure_size(m, len) > 0)
 			strcpy(&m->data[m->length], s);
 		m->length += len;
 	}
@@ -420,7 +433,7 @@ static void write_arbitrary(struct message *m, const void *p, size_t length)
 {
 	write_8(m, TAG_ARBITRARY);
 	write_32(m, length);
-	if (length > 0 && m->length + length <= m->allocated)
+	if (ensure_size(m, length) > 0)
 		memcpy(m->data + m->length, p, length);
 	m->length += length;
 }
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c
index f4ed9c3f7..fe4e2830c 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c
@@ -169,13 +169,14 @@ static const struct command commands[COMMAND_MAX];
 static void message_free(struct client *client, struct message *msg, bool destroy)
 {
 	spa_list_remove(&msg->link);
-	if (destroy)
+	if (destroy) {
+		free(msg->data);
 		free(msg);
-	else
+	} else
 		spa_list_append(&client->free_messages, &msg->link);
 }
 
-static struct message *message_alloc(struct client *client, uint32_t size, uint32_t channel)
+static struct message *message_alloc(struct client *client, uint32_t channel, uint32_t size)
 {
 	struct message *msg = NULL;
 
@@ -183,12 +184,11 @@ static struct message *message_alloc(struct client *client, uint32_t size, uint3
 		msg = spa_list_first(&client->free_messages, struct message, link);
 		spa_list_remove(&msg->link);
 	}
-	if (msg == NULL || msg->allocated < size) {
-		uint32_t alloc = SPA_ROUND_UP_N(SPA_MAX(size, 4096u), 4096u);
-		msg = realloc(msg, sizeof(struct message) + alloc);
-		msg->allocated = alloc;
-		msg->data = SPA_MEMBER(msg, sizeof(struct message), void);
-	}
+	if (msg == NULL)
+		msg = calloc(1, sizeof(struct message));
+	if (msg == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+	ensure_size(msg, size);
 	msg->channel = channel;
 	msg->offset = 0;
 	msg->length = size;
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ static int send_message(struct client *client, struct message *m)
 static struct message *reply_new(struct client *client, uint32_t tag)
 {
 	struct message *reply;
-	reply = message_alloc(client, 0, -1);
+	reply = message_alloc(client, -1, 0);
 	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: REPLY tag:%u", client, tag);
 	message_put(reply,
 		TAG_U32, COMMAND_REPLY,
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ static int reply_error(struct client *client, uint32_t tag, uint32_t error)
 
 	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: ERROR tag:%u error:%u", client, tag, error);
 
-	reply = message_alloc(client, 0, -1);
+	reply = message_alloc(client, -1, 0);
 	message_put(reply,
 		TAG_U32, COMMAND_ERROR,
 		TAG_U32, tag,
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ static int send_command_request(struct stream *stream)
 
 	pw_log_trace(NAME" %p: REQUEST channel:%d %u", stream, stream->channel, size);
 
-	msg = message_alloc(client, 0, -1);
+	msg = message_alloc(client, -1, 0);
 	message_put(msg,
 		TAG_U32, COMMAND_REQUEST,
 		TAG_U32, -1,
@@ -722,7 +722,7 @@ static void stream_process_record(struct stream *stream)
 
 	size = buf->datas[0].chunk->size;
 
-	msg = message_alloc(client, size, stream->channel);
+	msg = message_alloc(client, stream->channel, size);
 	if (msg != NULL) {
 		memcpy(msg->data,
 			SPA_MEMBER(p, buf->datas[0].chunk->offset, void),
@@ -2367,7 +2367,7 @@ static int do_read(struct client *client)
 		}
 		if (client->message)
 			message_free(client, client->message, false);
-		client->message = message_alloc(client, length, channel);
+		client->message = message_alloc(client, channel, length);
 	} else if (client->message &&
 	    client->in_index >= client->message->length + sizeof(client->desc)) {
 		struct message *msg = client->message;