diff --git a/src/concurrent/msgq.c b/src/concurrent/msgq.c
index 25e5d88..e90c2b7 100644
--- a/src/concurrent/msgq.c
+++ b/src/concurrent/msgq.c
@@ -6,12 +6,11 @@ static void msgq_cleanup(struct msgq* mq);
 struct msgq* msgq_new(struct rgn* init_rgn)
 {
     struct msgq* mq = ralloc_typed(init_rgn, struct msgq, 1);
-    rgn_pin(init_rgn, mq, (void*) msgq_cleanup);
-
-    rgn_init(&mq->rgn, SMALL);
+    mq->rgn = rgn_new(init_rgn, MEDIUM);
     mq->head = mq->tail = NULL;
     pthread_mutex_init(&mq->mx, NULL);
     pthread_cond_init(&mq->cv, NULL);
+    rgn_pin(init_rgn, mq, (void*) msgq_cleanup);
     return mq;
 }
 
@@ -22,13 +21,12 @@ static void msgq_cleanup(struct msgq* mq)
 
     pthread_cond_destroy(&mq->cv);
     pthread_mutex_destroy(&mq->mx);
-    rgn_cleanup(&mq->rgn);
 }
 
 void* msgq_begin_send(struct msgq* mq, int type, size_t payload_size)
 {
     pthread_mutex_lock(&mq->mx);
-    struct msgq_msg_list* msg = ralloc(&mq->rgn, sizeof(struct msgq_msg_list) + payload_size);
+    struct msgq_msg_list* msg = ralloc(mq->rgn, sizeof(struct msgq_msg_list) + payload_size);
     msg->next = NULL;
     msg->type = type;
     if (mq->head == NULL) {
@@ -78,6 +76,6 @@ void* msgq_recv1(struct msgq* mq, int* out_type)
 void msgq_end_recv(struct msgq* mq)
 {
     mq->head = mq->tail = NULL;
-    rgn_clear(&mq->rgn);
+    rgn_clear(mq->rgn);
     pthread_mutex_unlock(&mq->mx);
 }
diff --git a/src/concurrent/msgq.h b/src/concurrent/msgq.h
index 6226a29..907acae 100644
--- a/src/concurrent/msgq.h
+++ b/src/concurrent/msgq.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 struct msgq_msg_list;
 
 struct msgq {
-    struct rgn rgn;
+    struct rgn* rgn;
     struct msgq_msg_list* head;
     struct msgq_msg_list* tail;
     pthread_mutex_t mx;
diff --git a/src/ctxt.h b/src/ctxt.h
index 33eea5b..702461e 100644
--- a/src/ctxt.h
+++ b/src/ctxt.h
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ struct ax_ctxt {
     bool log_auto_close;
 
     // errors
-    struct rgn err_rgn;
+    struct rgn* err_rgn;
     const char* err;
 
     // backend
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ struct ax_ctxt {
     struct ax_backend* bac;
 
     // theme
-    struct rgn thmb_rgn;
+    struct rgn* thmb_rgn;
     struct ax_theme_builder* thmb;
     struct ax_theme* sel_theme;
 };
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ void ax__ctxt_cleanup(struct ax_ctxt* ax);
 
 static inline char* ax__make_error_buf(struct ax_ctxt* ax, size_t n)
 {
-    rgn_clear(&ax->err_rgn);
-    char* buf = ralloc_typed(&ax->err_rgn, char, n);
+    rgn_clear(ax->err_rgn);
+    char* buf = ralloc_typed(ax->err_rgn, char, n);
     ax->err = buf;
     return buf;
 }
diff --git a/src/ctxt/ctxt.c b/src/ctxt/ctxt.c
index 2519f24..4a697dc 100644
--- a/src/ctxt/ctxt.c
+++ b/src/ctxt/ctxt.c
@@ -54,12 +54,10 @@ void ax__ctxt_init(struct ax_ctxt* ax, struct rgn* init_rgn)
     ax->log_out = NULL;
     ax->log_auto_close = false;
 
-    rgn_init(&ax->err_rgn, SMALL);
-    rgn_pin(init_rgn, &ax->err_rgn, (void*) rgn_cleanup);
+    ax->err_rgn = rgn_new(init_rgn, SMALL);
     ax->err = "";
 
-    rgn_init(&ax->thmb_rgn, THEME_BUILDER_DESIRED_REGION_SIZE);
-    rgn_pin(init_rgn, &ax->thmb_rgn, (void*) rgn_cleanup);
+    ax->thmb_rgn = rgn_new(init_rgn, THEME_BUILDER_DESIRED_REGION_SIZE);
     ax->thmb = NULL;
     ax->sel_theme = NULL;
 
@@ -105,9 +103,8 @@ void ax_log(struct ax_ctxt* ax, const char* string)
 
 void ax_begin_theme(struct ax_ctxt* ax)
 {
-    rgn_clear(&ax->thmb_rgn);
-    ax->thmb = ralloc_typed(&ax->thmb_rgn, struct ax_theme_builder, 1);
-    ax__theme_builder_init(ax->thmb, &ax->thmb_rgn);
+    rgn_clear(ax->thmb_rgn);
+    ax->thmb = ax__theme_builder_new(ax->thmb_rgn);
 }
 
 void ax_end_theme(struct ax_ctxt* ax, struct ax_theme** out_thm)
@@ -115,7 +112,8 @@ void ax_end_theme(struct ax_ctxt* ax, struct ax_theme** out_thm)
     ASSERT(ax->thmb != NULL, "`ax_end_theme' called while not building a theme");
 
     struct ax_theme* thm = ax__theme_builder_finish(ax->thmb, ax->init_rgn);
-    rgn_clear(&ax->thmb_rgn);
+    ax->thmb = NULL;
+    rgn_clear(ax->thmb_rgn);
 
     if (out_thm != NULL) {
         *out_thm = thm;
@@ -136,7 +134,7 @@ void ax_set_theme_color(
     enum ax_color_cat cat;
     if (ax__string_to_color_cat(cat_name, &cat) != 0) {
         ax->thmb->err =
-            rsprintf(&ax->thmb_rgn, "invalid color category `%s'", cat_name);
+            rsprintf(ax->thmb_rgn, "invalid color category `%s'", cat_name);
     } else {
         ax__theme_set_color(ax->thmb, cat, rgb);
     }
@@ -149,7 +147,7 @@ void ax_set_theme_font(
     enum ax_font_cat cat;
     if (ax__string_to_font_cat(cat_name, &cat) != 0) {
         ax->thmb->err =
-            rsprintf(&ax->thmb_rgn, "invalid font category `%s'", cat_name);
+            rsprintf(ax->thmb_rgn, "invalid font category `%s'", cat_name);
     } else {
         ax__theme_set_font(ax->thmb, cat, fnt_path, fnt_size);
     }
diff --git a/src/ctxt/theme.c b/src/ctxt/theme.c
index 56743a7..d631f68 100644
--- a/src/ctxt/theme.c
+++ b/src/ctxt/theme.c
@@ -16,8 +16,10 @@ static const char* default_font_path(struct rgn* rgn)
  * Theme builder functions
  * -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
-void ax__theme_builder_init(struct ax_theme_builder* thmb, struct rgn* rgn)
+struct ax_theme_builder* ax__theme_builder_new(struct rgn* rgn)
 {
+    struct ax_theme_builder* thmb =
+        ralloc_typed(rgn, struct ax_theme_builder, 1);
     thmb->rgn = rgn;
     thmb->err = NULL;
     thmb->dflt_font_path = NULL;
@@ -43,6 +45,8 @@ void ax__theme_builder_init(struct ax_theme_builder* thmb, struct rgn* rgn)
     for (size_t i = 0; i < AX_FONT__COUNT; i++) {
         thmb->font_path[i] = NULL;
     }
+
+    return thmb;
 }
 
 void ax__theme_set_color(
diff --git a/src/ctxt/theme.h b/src/ctxt/theme.h
index 629380e..b69348d 100644
--- a/src/ctxt/theme.h
+++ b/src/ctxt/theme.h
@@ -58,8 +58,7 @@ struct ax_theme_builder {
 int ax__string_to_color_cat(const char* str, enum ax_color_cat* out_cat);
 int ax__string_to_font_cat(const char* str, enum ax_font_cat* out_cat);
 
-void ax__theme_builder_init(
-    struct ax_theme_builder* thmb, struct rgn* rgn);
+struct ax_theme_builder* ax__theme_builder_new(struct rgn* rgn);
 
 void ax__theme_set_color(
     struct ax_theme_builder* thmb,
diff --git a/src/util/region.h b/src/util/region.h
index 381c08c..7beba85 100644
--- a/src/util/region.h
+++ b/src/util/region.h
@@ -49,6 +49,12 @@ void rgn_pin(struct rgn* rgn, void* obj, void (*dtor)(void*));
  * Derived utilities
  * -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+#define ralloc_typed(_rgn, T, _n)               \
+    ((T*) ralloc(_rgn, sizeof(T) * (_n)))
+
+#define rmemdup_typed(_rgn, T, _p, _n)          \
+    ((T*) rmemdup(_rgn, _p, sizeof(T) * (_n)))
+
 static inline void* rmemdup(struct rgn* rgn, const void* ptr, size_t siz)
 {
     void* new = ralloc(rgn, siz);
@@ -61,11 +67,13 @@ static inline char* rstrdup(struct rgn* rgn, const char* str)
     return rmemdup(rgn, str, strlen(str) + 1);
 }
 
-#define ralloc_typed(_rgn, T, _n)               \
-    ((T*) ralloc(_rgn, sizeof(T) * (_n)))
-
-#define rmemdup_typed(_rgn, T, _p, _n)          \
-    ((T*) rmemdup(_rgn, _p, sizeof(T) * (_n)))
+static inline struct rgn* rgn_new(struct rgn* parent_rgn, size_t pgsize)
+{
+    struct rgn* rgn = ralloc_typed(parent_rgn, struct rgn, 1);
+    rgn_init(rgn, pgsize);
+    rgn_pin(parent_rgn, rgn, (void*) rgn_cleanup);
+    return rgn;
+}
 
 #define rsprintf(_rgn, ...) ({                              \
             size_t sprintf__len =                           \