diff --git a/exec.cpp b/exec.cpp
index 1dfad6f7c..fd4bedc14 100644
--- a/exec.cpp
+++ b/exec.cpp
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@
 static std::vector<bool> open_fds;
 
 // Called in a forked child
-static void exec_write_and_exit( int fd, char *buff, size_t count, int status )
+static void exec_write_and_exit( int fd, const char *buff, size_t count, int status )
 {
 	if( write_loop(fd, buff, count) == -1 ) 
 	{
@@ -1039,7 +1039,7 @@ void exec( parser_t &parser, job_t *j )
 				
 				io_buffer_read( io_buffer );
 				
-				if( io_buffer->param2.out_buffer->used != 0 )
+				if( io_buffer->out_buffer->used != 0 )
 				{
                     /* We don't have to drain threads here because our child process is simple */
 					pid = execute_fork(false);
@@ -1053,8 +1053,8 @@ void exec( parser_t &parser, job_t *j )
 						setup_child_process( j, p );
 
 						exec_write_and_exit(io_buffer->fd, 
-											io_buffer->param2.out_buffer->buff,
-											io_buffer->param2.out_buffer->used,
+											io_buffer->out_buffer->buff,
+											io_buffer->out_buffer->used,
 											status);
 					}
 					else
@@ -1102,8 +1102,8 @@ void exec( parser_t &parser, job_t *j )
 					setup_child_process( j, p );
 					
 					exec_write_and_exit( 1,
-										 input_redirect->param2.out_buffer->buff, 
-										 input_redirect->param2.out_buffer->used,
+										 input_redirect->out_buffer->buff, 
+										 input_redirect->out_buffer->used,
 										 0);
 				}
 				else
@@ -1157,7 +1157,7 @@ void exec( parser_t &parser, job_t *j )
 					( buffer_stdout ) )
 				{
 					std::string res = wcs2string( get_stdout_buffer() );
-					b_append( io->param2.out_buffer, res.c_str(), res.size() );
+					b_append( io->out_buffer, res.c_str(), res.size() );
 					skip_fork = 1;
 				}
 
@@ -1378,9 +1378,9 @@ static int exec_subshell_internal( const wcstring &cmd, wcstring_list_t *lst )
 	
 	is_subshell = prev_subshell;
 	
-	b_append( io_buffer->param2.out_buffer, &z, 1 );
+	b_append( io_buffer->out_buffer, &z, 1 );
 	
-	begin=end=io_buffer->param2.out_buffer->buff;	
+	begin=end=io_buffer->out_buffer->buff;	
 
 	if( lst )
 	{
diff --git a/io.cpp b/io.cpp
index 75d6c2538..91f3f8c3b 100644
--- a/io.cpp
+++ b/io.cpp
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ void io_buffer_read( io_data_t *d )
 			}
 			else
 			{				
-				b_append( d->param2.out_buffer, b, l );				
+				b_append( d->out_buffer, b, l );				
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -100,21 +100,20 @@ void io_buffer_read( io_data_t *d )
 
 io_data_t *io_buffer_create( int is_input )
 {
-	io_data_t *buffer_redirect = new io_data_t();
+	std::auto_ptr<io_data_t> buffer_redirect(new io_data_t());
 	
 	buffer_redirect->io_mode=IO_BUFFER;
 	buffer_redirect->next=0;
-	buffer_redirect->param2.out_buffer= (buffer_t *)malloc( sizeof(buffer_t));
+	buffer_redirect->out_buffer= (buffer_t *)malloc( sizeof(buffer_t));
 	buffer_redirect->is_input = is_input;
-	b_init( buffer_redirect->param2.out_buffer );
+	b_init( buffer_redirect->out_buffer );
 	buffer_redirect->fd=is_input?0:1;
 	
 	if( exec_pipe( buffer_redirect->param1.pipe_fd ) == -1 )
 	{
 		debug( 1, PIPE_ERROR );
 		wperror (L"pipe");
-		free(  buffer_redirect->param2.out_buffer );
-		free( buffer_redirect );
+		free(  buffer_redirect->out_buffer );
 		return 0;
 	}
 	else if( fcntl( buffer_redirect->param1.pipe_fd[0],
@@ -123,11 +122,10 @@ io_data_t *io_buffer_create( int is_input )
 	{
 		debug( 1, PIPE_ERROR );
 		wperror( L"fcntl" );
-		free(  buffer_redirect->param2.out_buffer );
-		free( buffer_redirect );
+		free(  buffer_redirect->out_buffer );
 		return 0;
 	}
-	return buffer_redirect;
+	return buffer_redirect.release();
 }
 
 void io_buffer_destroy( io_data_t *io_buffer )
@@ -149,9 +147,9 @@ void io_buffer_destroy( io_data_t *io_buffer )
 	  calling exec_read_io_buffer on the buffer
 	*/
 	
-	b_destroy( io_buffer->param2.out_buffer );
+	b_destroy( io_buffer->out_buffer );
 	
-	free( io_buffer->param2.out_buffer );
+	free( io_buffer->out_buffer );
 	delete io_buffer;
 }
 
diff --git a/io.h b/io.h
index ee9e2242f..4ef3acc97 100644
--- a/io.h
+++ b/io.h
@@ -38,15 +38,14 @@ struct io_data_t
 	{
 		/** file creation flags to send to open for IO_FILE */
 		int flags;
-		/** buffer to save output in for IO_BUFFER */
-		buffer_t *out_buffer;		
 		/** Whether to close old_fd for IO_FD */
 		int close_old;
 	} param2;
+    
+    /** buffer to save output in for IO_BUFFER */
+    buffer_t *out_buffer;		
 
-	/**
-	  Set to true if this is an input io redirection
-	 */
+	/** Set to true if this is an input io redirection */
 	int is_input;
 	
 	/** Pointer to the next IO redirection */
diff --git a/proc.cpp b/proc.cpp
index 02b42172d..109a46220 100644
--- a/proc.cpp
+++ b/proc.cpp
@@ -881,7 +881,7 @@ static void read_try( job_t *j )
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				b_append( buff->param2.out_buffer, b, l );
+				b_append( buff->out_buffer, b, l );
 			}			
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/reader.cpp b/reader.cpp
index fc0b4a02b..261b82f08 100644
--- a/reader.cpp
+++ b/reader.cpp
@@ -1174,7 +1174,7 @@ static void run_pager( wchar_t *prefix, int is_quoted, const std::vector<complet
 	free( escaped_separator );		
 	
 	foo = wcs2str(msg.c_str());
-	b_append( in->param2.out_buffer, foo, strlen(foo) );
+	b_append( in->out_buffer, foo, strlen(foo) );
 	free( foo );
 	
 	term_donate();
@@ -1190,10 +1190,10 @@ static void run_pager( wchar_t *prefix, int is_quoted, const std::vector<complet
 	io_buffer_read( out );
 
 	int nil=0;
-	b_append( out->param2.out_buffer, &nil, 1 );
+	b_append( out->out_buffer, &nil, 1 );
 
 	wchar_t *tmp;
-	wchar_t *str = str2wcs((char *)out->param2.out_buffer->buff);
+	wchar_t *str = str2wcs((char *)out->out_buffer->buff);
 
 	if( str )
 	{