diff --git a/gtkedit/edit.c b/gtkedit/edit.c
index 7eea24271..80ccad103 100644
--- a/gtkedit/edit.c
+++ b/gtkedit/edit.c
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ WEdit *edit_init (WEdit * edit, int lines, int columns, const char *filename, co
 #endif
     if (!edit) {
 	edit = malloc (sizeof (WEdit));
+	memset (edit, 0, sizeof (sizeof (WEdit)));
 	to_free = 1;
     }
     if (!edit) {
diff --git a/gtkedit/edit.h b/gtkedit/edit.h
index 6da1ee0a7..474e949f7 100644
--- a/gtkedit/edit.h
+++ b/gtkedit/edit.h
@@ -661,7 +661,7 @@ extern int gtk_edit_fixed_font;
 
 #    else
 
-#        define WIN_MESSAGES edit->widget->mainid, 20, 20
+#        define WIN_MESSAGES edit->widget ? edit->widget->mainid : CRoot, 20, 20
 
 #    endif
 
diff --git a/gtkedit/editwidget.c b/gtkedit/editwidget.c
index 58eddb856..8e43eedc9 100644
--- a/gtkedit/editwidget.c
+++ b/gtkedit/editwidget.c
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ CWidget *CDrawEditor (const char *identifier, Window parent, int x, int y,
 	mkdir (catstrs (home_dir, EDIT_DIR, 0), 0700);
 	made_directory = 1;
     }
-    e = w->editor = edit_init (0, height / FONT_PIX_PER_LINE, width / FONT_MEAN_WIDTH, filename, text, starting_directory, text_size);
+    e = w->editor = CMalloc (sizeof (WEdit));
     w->funcs = mouse_funcs_new (w->editor, &edit_mouse_funcs);
 
     if (!w->editor) {
@@ -326,8 +326,10 @@ CWidget *CDrawEditor (const char *identifier, Window parent, int x, int y,
 	return 0;
     }
     w->editor->widget = w;
+    w->editor = edit_init (e, height / FONT_PIX_PER_LINE, width / FONT_MEAN_WIDTH, filename, text, starting_directory, text_size);
     w->funcs->data = (void *) w->editor;
-    if (!e) {
+    if (!w->editor) {
+	free (e);
 	CDestroyWidget (w->ident);
 	return 0;
     }