diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/acp/proplist.h b/spa/plugins/alsa/acp/proplist.h
index 23d03d0b1..2990c12af 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/acp/proplist.h
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/acp/proplist.h
@@ -180,8 +180,7 @@ static inline pa_proplist* pa_proplist_new_dict(const struct acp_dict *dict)
 
 static inline void pa_proplist_as_dict(const pa_proplist *p, struct acp_dict *dict)
 {
-	dict->n_items = pa_proplist_size(p);
-	dict->items = p->array.data;
+	*dict = ACP_DICT_INIT(p->array.data, pa_proplist_size(p));
 }
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/collect.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/collect.c
index 71fa98f10..a1d8cc25b 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/collect.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/collect.c
@@ -508,7 +508,8 @@ uint32_t find_port_index(struct pw_manager_object *card, uint32_t direction, con
 	return SPA_ID_INVALID;
 }
 
-struct spa_dict *collect_props(struct spa_pod *info, struct spa_dict *dict)
+struct spa_dict *collect_props(struct spa_pod *info, struct spa_dict *dict,
+			       struct spa_dict_item *items, size_t capacity)
 {
 	struct spa_pod_parser prs;
 	struct spa_pod_frame f[1];
@@ -519,15 +520,18 @@ struct spa_dict *collect_props(struct spa_pod *info, struct spa_dict *dict)
 	    spa_pod_parser_get_int(&prs, &n_items) < 0)
 		return NULL;
 
+	if (n_items < 0 || (size_t) n_items > capacity)
+		return NULL;
+
 	for (n = 0; n < n_items; n++) {
 		if (spa_pod_parser_get(&prs,
-				SPA_POD_String(&dict->items[n].key),
-				SPA_POD_String(&dict->items[n].value),
+				SPA_POD_String(&items[n].key),
+				SPA_POD_String(&items[n].value),
 				NULL) < 0)
 			break;
 	}
 	spa_pod_parser_pop(&prs, &f[0]);
-	dict->n_items = n;
+	*dict = SPA_DICT_INIT(items, n);
 	return dict;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/collect.h b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/collect.h
index d5cfe9537..0c42cc4ec 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/collect.h
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/collect.h
@@ -142,7 +142,8 @@ uint32_t collect_transport_codec_info(struct pw_manager_object *card,
 
 /* ========================================================================== */
 
-struct spa_dict *collect_props(struct spa_pod *info, struct spa_dict *dict);
+struct spa_dict *collect_props(struct spa_pod *info, struct spa_dict *dict,
+			       struct spa_dict_item *items, size_t capacity);
 uint32_t find_profile_index(struct pw_manager_object *card, const char *name);
 uint32_t find_port_index(struct pw_manager_object *card, uint32_t direction, const char *port_name);
 struct pw_manager_object *find_peer_for_link(struct pw_manager *m,
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c
index b6c6bf1f6..c439edab3 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c
@@ -3307,7 +3307,7 @@ static int do_update_proplist(struct client *client, uint32_t command, uint32_t
 static int do_remove_proplist(struct client *client, uint32_t command, uint32_t tag, struct message *m)
 {
 	uint32_t i, channel;
-	struct spa_dict dict;
+	struct spa_dict dict = SPA_DICT_INIT(NULL, 0);
 	struct spa_dict_item *items;
 
 	spa_autoptr(pw_properties) props = pw_properties_new(NULL, NULL);
@@ -3671,10 +3671,8 @@ static int fill_card_info(struct client *client, struct message *m,
 			pi = &port_info[n];
 
 			if (pi->info && pi->n_props > 0 &&
-			    (items = spa_alloca(pi->n_props, sizeof(*items), MAX_ALLOCA_SIZE)) != NULL) {
-				dict.items = items;
-				pdict = collect_props(pi->info, &dict);
-			}
+			    (items = spa_alloca(pi->n_props, sizeof(*items), MAX_ALLOCA_SIZE)) != NULL)
+				pdict = collect_props(pi->info, &dict, items, pi->n_props);
 
 			message_put(m,
 				TAG_STRING, pi->name,			/* port name */
@@ -4112,7 +4110,7 @@ static int fill_node_info_proplist(struct message *m, const struct spa_dict *nod
 {
 	struct pw_client_info *client_info = client ? client->info : NULL;
 	uint32_t n_items, n;
-	struct spa_dict dict, *client_props = NULL;
+	struct spa_dict dict = SPA_DICT_INIT(NULL, 0), *client_props = NULL;
 	const struct spa_dict_item *it;
 	struct spa_dict_item *items, *it2;