diff --git a/src/lib/internal.h b/src/lib/internal.h
index ff104ad87..d70d38e73 100644
--- a/src/lib/internal.h
+++ b/src/lib/internal.h
@@ -755,7 +755,7 @@ void sprixel_free(sprixel* s);
 void sprixel_invalidate(sprixel* s);
 void sprixel_hide(sprixel* s);
 // dimy and dimx are cell geometry, not pixel
-sprixel* sprixel_create(ncplane* n, const char* s, int bytes, int placey, int placex,
+sprixel* sprixel_create(ncplane* n, char* s, int bytes, int placey, int placex,
                         int sprixelid, int dimy, int dimx, int pixy, int pixx,
                         int parse_start, int* tacache);
 API int sprite_wipe_cell(const notcurses* nc, sprixel* s, int y, int x);
@@ -1160,7 +1160,7 @@ egc_rtl(const char* egc, int* bytes){
 // a reference to the context-wide sprixel cache. this ought be an entirely
 // new, purpose-specific plane.
 static inline int
-plane_blit_sixel(ncplane* n, const char* s, int bytes, int placey, int placex,
+plane_blit_sixel(ncplane* n, char* s, int bytes, int placey, int placex,
                  int leny, int lenx, int sprixelid, int dimy, int dimx,
                  int parse_start, int* tacache){
   sprixel* spx = sprixel_create(n, s, bytes, placey, placex, sprixelid,
diff --git a/src/lib/kitty.c b/src/lib/kitty.c
index b19e19978..b82b8e1df 100644
--- a/src/lib/kitty.c
+++ b/src/lib/kitty.c
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ int kitty_blit(ncplane* nc, int linesize, const void* data,
     free(buf);
     return -1;
   }
+  // takes ownership of |buf| on success
   if(plane_blit_sixel(nc, buf, size, bargs->placey, bargs->placex,
                       rows, cols, bargs->u.pixel.sprixelid, leny, lenx,
                       parse_start, tacache) < 0){
@@ -310,7 +311,6 @@ int kitty_blit(ncplane* nc, int linesize, const void* data,
     free(buf);
     return -1;
   }
-  free(buf);
   return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/sixel.c b/src/lib/sixel.c
index 7aeeaa194..8ee4704cf 100644
--- a/src/lib/sixel.c
+++ b/src/lib/sixel.c
@@ -507,6 +507,7 @@ int sixel_blit_inner(ncplane* nc, int leny, int lenx, sixeltable* stab,
     free(buf);
     return -1;
   }
+  // takes ownership of |buf| on success
   if(plane_blit_sixel(nc, buf, size, bargs->placey, bargs->placex,
                       rows, cols, bargs->u.pixel.sprixelid, leny, lenx,
                       parse_start, tacache) < 0){
@@ -514,7 +515,6 @@ int sixel_blit_inner(ncplane* nc, int leny, int lenx, sixeltable* stab,
     free(buf);
     return -1;
   }
-  free(buf);
   return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/sprite.c b/src/lib/sprite.c
index 1da12574d..84637fedc 100644
--- a/src/lib/sprite.c
+++ b/src/lib/sprite.c
@@ -30,15 +30,12 @@ sprixel* sprixel_by_id(notcurses* nc, uint32_t id){
 }
 
 // y and x are the cell geometry, not the pixel geometry
-sprixel* sprixel_create(ncplane* n, const char* s, int bytes, int placey, int placex,
+sprixel* sprixel_create(ncplane* n, char* s, int bytes, int placey, int placex,
                         int sprixelid, int dimy, int dimx, int pixy, int pixx,
                         int parse_start, int* tacache){
   sprixel* ret = malloc(sizeof(sprixel));
   if(ret){
-    if((ret->glyph = memdup(s, bytes + 1)) == NULL){
-      free(ret);
-      return NULL;
-    }
+    ret->glyph = s;
     ret->glyphlen = bytes;
     ret->tacache = tacache;
     ret->invalidated = SPRIXEL_INVALIDATED;