diff --git a/src/handler.zig b/src/handler.zig
index 77b9f1e..05b5b0c 100644
--- a/src/handler.zig
+++ b/src/handler.zig
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ const Self = @This();
 pub fn task(io: std.Io, stream: std.Io.net.Stream) error{Canceled}!void {
     defer stream.close(io);
 
+    var arena: std.heap.ArenaAllocator = .init(maivi.allocator);
+    defer arena.deinit();
+    const allocator = arena.allocator();
+
     var recv_buffer: [0x1000]u8 = undefined;
     var send_buffer: [0x1000]u8 = undefined;
 
@@ -26,15 +30,22 @@ pub fn task(io: std.Io, stream: std.Io.net.Stream) error{Canceled}!void {
     var request = server.receiveHead() catch return;
 
     const ret = blk: {
-        const path = helpers.sanitize(maivi.allocator, request.head.target) catch |err| switch (err) {
-            error.TrailingSlash => return helpers.redirect(&request, request.head.target[0 .. request.head.target.len - 1], .temporary_redirect) catch |e| break :blk e,
+        const path = helpers.sanitize(allocator, request.head.target) catch |err| switch (err) {
+            error.TrailingSlash => return {
+                _ = helpers.redirect(
+                    allocator,
+                    &request,
+                    request.head.target[0 .. request.head.target.len - 1],
+                    .temporary_redirect,
+                ) catch |e| break :blk e;
+            },
             else => break :blk err,
         };
-        defer maivi.allocator.free(path);
         dispatch(.{
             .request = &request,
             .handle = stream.socket.handle,
             .path = path,
+            .arena = allocator,
         }) catch |err| break :blk err;
     };
     ret catch |e| {
@@ -47,6 +58,7 @@ pub const Connection = struct {
     request: *Request,
     handle: std.Io.net.Socket.Handle,
     path: []const u8,
+    arena: std.mem.Allocator,
 };
 
 pub fn dispatch(conn: Connection) !void {
diff --git a/src/helpers.zig b/src/helpers.zig
index 46489e4..d2d59cc 100644
--- a/src/helpers.zig
+++ b/src/helpers.zig
@@ -89,17 +89,19 @@ pub fn sendfile(conn: Handler.Connection, dir: std.Io.Dir, path: []const u8) !vo
     b.state = .end;
 }
 
-pub fn redirect(request: *Request, uri: []const u8, code: ?Status) !void {
-    const headers = try std.mem.concat(maivi.allocator, http.Header, &.{
+/// NOTE: returns allocated memory that can optionally be freed by the caller
+pub fn redirect(arena: std.mem.Allocator, request: *Request, uri: []const u8, code: ?Status) ![]http.Header {
+    const headers = try std.mem.concat(arena, http.Header, &.{
         &.{SERVER_HEADER},
         &.{.{ .name = "location", .value = uri }},
     });
-    defer maivi.allocator.free(headers);
 
     try request.respond(uri, .{
         .status = code orelse Status.found,
         .extra_headers = headers,
     });
+
+    return headers;
 }
 
 pub fn statusFromErr(err: anyerror) ?Status {
diff --git a/src/root.zig b/src/root.zig
index 40aa881..9d72f30 100644
--- a/src/root.zig
+++ b/src/root.zig
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ pub fn handle(conn: handler.Connection) !void {
         });
     }
 
-    try path.action(request);
+    try path.action(conn);
 
     // TODO: pre-register all static & build paths
     // if (dev)
@@ -211,7 +211,9 @@ pub fn handletxt(conn: handler.Connection) !void {
             .msg("redirecting to message path")
             .str("path", MESSAGE_PATH)
             .log();
-        return helpers.redirect(request, MESSAGE_PATH, null);
+        return {
+            _ = try helpers.redirect(conn.arena, request, MESSAGE_PATH, null);
+        };
     }
 
     const mdpath = try std.mem.concat(allocator, u8, &.{ request.head.target[0 .. request.head.target.len - 1], ".md" });
@@ -255,8 +257,10 @@ pub fn add_redirects() !void {
     }
 }
 
-fn handleredirect(request: *Request) !void {
+fn handleredirect(conn: handler.Connection) !void {
+    const request = conn.request;
+
     const redirect_url = redirects.get(request.head.target) orelse
         return error.FileNotFound;
-    try helpers.redirect(request, redirect_url, null);
+    _ = try helpers.redirect(conn.arena, request, redirect_url, null);
 }
diff --git a/src/router.zig b/src/router.zig
index 276b88e..a25afb1 100644
--- a/src/router.zig
+++ b/src/router.zig
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const zlua = @import("zlua");
 const Lua = zlua.Lua;
 
 const fragment = @import("fragment.zig");
+const handler = @import("handler.zig");
 const helpers = @import("helpers.zig");
 const maivi = @import("root.zig");
 
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ pub const Path = struct {
         return .{ .action = action, .config = cfg orelse .{} };
     }
 
-    pub const Action = *const fn (request: *Request) anyerror!void;
+    pub const Action = *const fn (conn: handler.Connection) anyerror!void;
     pub const Config = struct {
         allowed_methods: []const http.Method = &.{.GET},
     };
@@ -104,7 +105,9 @@ fn lua_add(l: *Lua) !i32 {
 // TODO:
 // - set content
 // - caching?
-pub fn handle_lua(request: *Request) !void {
+pub fn handle_lua(conn: handler.Connection) !void {
+    const request = conn.request;
+
     const content_type = helpers.content_type_for_file(request.head.target) orelse .html;
 
     var wbuf: [0x4000]u8 = undefined;