diff --git a/src/mesh/PhoneAPI.cpp b/src/mesh/PhoneAPI.cpp
index cd59ad080..2d0b10c68 100644
--- a/src/mesh/PhoneAPI.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh/PhoneAPI.cpp
@@ -297,11 +297,10 @@ size_t PhoneAPI::getFromRadio(uint8_t *buf)
             fromRadioScratch.which_payload_variant = meshtastic_FromRadio_queueStatus_tag;
             fromRadioScratch.queueStatus = *queueStatusPacketForPhone;
             releaseQueueStatusPhonePacket();
-        } else if (xmodemPacketForPhone) {
+        } else if (xmodemPacketForPhone.control != meshtastic_XModem_Control_NUL) {
             fromRadioScratch.which_payload_variant = meshtastic_FromRadio_xmodemPacket_tag;
-            fromRadioScratch.xmodemPacket = *xmodemPacketForPhone;
-            free(xmodemPacketForPhone);
-            xmodemPacketForPhone = NULL;
+            fromRadioScratch.xmodemPacket = xmodemPacketForPhone;
+            xmodemPacketForPhone = meshtastic_XModem_init_zero;
         } else if (packetForPhone) {
             printPacket("phone downloaded packet", packetForPhone);
 
@@ -377,7 +376,7 @@ bool PhoneAPI::available()
         if (hasPacket)
             return true;
 
-        if (!xmodemPacketForPhone)
+        if (xmodemPacketForPhone.control != meshtastic_XModem_Control_NUL)
             xmodemPacketForPhone = xModem.getForPhone();
         hasPacket = !!packetForPhone;
         if (hasPacket)
diff --git a/src/mesh/PhoneAPI.h b/src/mesh/PhoneAPI.h
index 44af11ced..5a73f5874 100644
--- a/src/mesh/PhoneAPI.h
+++ b/src/mesh/PhoneAPI.h
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class PhoneAPI
     meshtastic_MeshPacket *packetForPhone = NULL;
 
     // file transfer packets destined for phone. Push it to the queue then free it.
-    meshtastic_XModem *xmodemPacketForPhone = NULL;
+    meshtastic_XModem xmodemPacketForPhone = meshtastic_XModem_init_zero;
 
     // Keep QueueStatus packet just as packetForPhone
     meshtastic_QueueStatus *queueStatusPacketForPhone = NULL;
diff --git a/src/xmodem.cpp b/src/xmodem.cpp
index dbc7bf4a7..5f30de253 100644
--- a/src/xmodem.cpp
+++ b/src/xmodem.cpp
@@ -34,10 +34,7 @@
 
 XModemAdapter xModem;
 
-XModemAdapter::XModemAdapter()
-{
-    xmodemStore = (meshtastic_XModem *)malloc(meshtastic_XModem_size);
-}
+XModemAdapter::XModemAdapter() {}
 
 unsigned short XModemAdapter::crc16_ccitt(const pb_byte_t *buffer, int length)
 {
@@ -66,19 +63,15 @@ int XModemAdapter::check(const pb_byte_t *buf, int sz, unsigned short tcrc)
 
 void XModemAdapter::sendControl(meshtastic_XModem_Control c)
 {
-    memset(xmodemStore, 0, meshtastic_XModem_size);
-    xmodemStore->control = c;
+    xmodemStore = meshtastic_XModem_init_zero;
+    xmodemStore.control = c;
     LOG_DEBUG("XModem: Notify Sending control %d.\n", c);
     packetReady.notifyObservers(packetno);
 }
 
-meshtastic_XModem *XModemAdapter::getForPhone()
+meshtastic_XModem XModemAdapter::getForPhone()
 {
-    if (xmodemStore) {
-        return xmodemStore;
-    } else {
-        return NULL;
-    }
+    return xmodemStore;
 }
 
 void XModemAdapter::handlePacket(meshtastic_XModem xmodemPacket)
@@ -106,13 +99,13 @@ void XModemAdapter::handlePacket(meshtastic_XModem xmodemPacket)
                 if (file) {
                     packetno = 1;
                     isTransmitting = true;
-                    memset(xmodemStore, 0, meshtastic_XModem_size);
-                    xmodemStore->control = meshtastic_XModem_Control_SOH;
-                    xmodemStore->seq = packetno;
-                    xmodemStore->buffer.size = file.read(xmodemStore->buffer.bytes, sizeof(meshtastic_XModem_buffer_t::bytes));
-                    xmodemStore->crc16 = crc16_ccitt(xmodemStore->buffer.bytes, xmodemStore->buffer.size);
-                    LOG_DEBUG("XModem: STX Notify Sending packet %d, %d Bytes.\n", packetno, xmodemStore->buffer.size);
-                    if (xmodemStore->buffer.size < sizeof(meshtastic_XModem_buffer_t::bytes)) {
+                    xmodemStore = meshtastic_XModem_init_zero;
+                    xmodemStore.control = meshtastic_XModem_Control_SOH;
+                    xmodemStore.seq = packetno;
+                    xmodemStore.buffer.size = file.read(xmodemStore.buffer.bytes, sizeof(meshtastic_XModem_buffer_t::bytes));
+                    xmodemStore.crc16 = crc16_ccitt(xmodemStore.buffer.bytes, xmodemStore.buffer.size);
+                    LOG_DEBUG("XModem: STX Notify Sending packet %d, %d Bytes.\n", packetno, xmodemStore.buffer.size);
+                    if (xmodemStore.buffer.size < sizeof(meshtastic_XModem_buffer_t::bytes)) {
                         isEOT = true;
                         // send EOT on next Ack
                     }
@@ -171,13 +164,13 @@ void XModemAdapter::handlePacket(meshtastic_XModem xmodemPacket)
             }
             retrans = MAXRETRANS; // reset retransmit counter
             packetno++;
-            memset(xmodemStore, 0, meshtastic_XModem_size);
-            xmodemStore->control = meshtastic_XModem_Control_SOH;
-            xmodemStore->seq = packetno;
-            xmodemStore->buffer.size = file.read(xmodemStore->buffer.bytes, sizeof(meshtastic_XModem_buffer_t::bytes));
-            xmodemStore->crc16 = crc16_ccitt(xmodemStore->buffer.bytes, xmodemStore->buffer.size);
-            LOG_DEBUG("XModem: ACK Notify Sending packet %d, %d Bytes.\n", packetno, xmodemStore->buffer.size);
-            if (xmodemStore->buffer.size < sizeof(meshtastic_XModem_buffer_t::bytes)) {
+            xmodemStore = meshtastic_XModem_init_zero;
+            xmodemStore.control = meshtastic_XModem_Control_SOH;
+            xmodemStore.seq = packetno;
+            xmodemStore.buffer.size = file.read(xmodemStore.buffer.bytes, sizeof(meshtastic_XModem_buffer_t::bytes));
+            xmodemStore.crc16 = crc16_ccitt(xmodemStore.buffer.bytes, xmodemStore.buffer.size);
+            LOG_DEBUG("XModem: ACK Notify Sending packet %d, %d Bytes.\n", packetno, xmodemStore.buffer.size);
+            if (xmodemStore.buffer.size < sizeof(meshtastic_XModem_buffer_t::bytes)) {
                 isEOT = true;
                 // send EOT on next Ack
             }
@@ -197,14 +190,14 @@ void XModemAdapter::handlePacket(meshtastic_XModem xmodemPacket)
                 isTransmitting = false;
                 break;
             }
-            memset(xmodemStore, 0, meshtastic_XModem_size);
-            xmodemStore->control = meshtastic_XModem_Control_SOH;
-            xmodemStore->seq = packetno;
+            xmodemStore = meshtastic_XModem_init_zero;
+            xmodemStore.control = meshtastic_XModem_Control_SOH;
+            xmodemStore.seq = packetno;
             file.seek((packetno - 1) * sizeof(meshtastic_XModem_buffer_t::bytes));
-            xmodemStore->buffer.size = file.read(xmodemStore->buffer.bytes, sizeof(meshtastic_XModem_buffer_t::bytes));
-            xmodemStore->crc16 = crc16_ccitt(xmodemStore->buffer.bytes, xmodemStore->buffer.size);
-            LOG_DEBUG("XModem: NAK Notify Sending packet %d, %d Bytes.\n", packetno, xmodemStore->buffer.size);
-            if (xmodemStore->buffer.size < sizeof(meshtastic_XModem_buffer_t::bytes)) {
+            xmodemStore.buffer.size = file.read(xmodemStore.buffer.bytes, sizeof(meshtastic_XModem_buffer_t::bytes));
+            xmodemStore.crc16 = crc16_ccitt(xmodemStore.buffer.bytes, xmodemStore.buffer.size);
+            LOG_DEBUG("XModem: NAK Notify Sending packet %d, %d Bytes.\n", packetno, xmodemStore.buffer.size);
+            if (xmodemStore.buffer.size < sizeof(meshtastic_XModem_buffer_t::bytes)) {
                 isEOT = true;
                 // send EOT on next Ack
             }
diff --git a/src/xmodem.h b/src/xmodem.h
index 7745b6012..894488c02 100644
--- a/src/xmodem.h
+++ b/src/xmodem.h
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class XModemAdapter
     XModemAdapter();
 
     void handlePacket(meshtastic_XModem xmodemPacket);
-    meshtastic_XModem *getForPhone();
+    meshtastic_XModem getForPhone();
 
   private:
     bool isReceiving = false;
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ class XModemAdapter
     char filename[sizeof(meshtastic_XModem_buffer_t::bytes)] = {0};
 
   protected:
-    meshtastic_XModem *xmodemStore = NULL;
+    meshtastic_XModem xmodemStore = meshtastic_XModem_init_zero;
     unsigned short crc16_ccitt(const pb_byte_t *buffer, int length);
     int check(const pb_byte_t *buf, int sz, unsigned short tcrc);
     void sendControl(meshtastic_XModem_Control c);