diff --git a/src/core.c b/src/core.c
index ca470f5a..d9d77491 100644
--- a/src/core.c
+++ b/src/core.c
@@ -1439,10 +1439,7 @@ void free_text_objects(struct text_object *root, int internal)
 				break;
 			case OBJ_head:
 			case OBJ_tail:
-				free(data.headtail.logfile);
-				if(data.headtail.buffer) {
-					free(data.headtail.buffer);
-				}
+				free_tailhead(obj);
 				break;
 			case OBJ_text:
 			case OBJ_font:
diff --git a/src/tailhead.c b/src/tailhead.c
index 81ec8e47..43478fff 100644
--- a/src/tailhead.c
+++ b/src/tailhead.c
@@ -37,7 +37,16 @@
 #define MAX_HEADTAIL_LINES 30
 #define DEFAULT_MAX_HEADTAIL_USES 2
 
-void tailstring(char *string, int endofstring, int wantedlines) {
+struct headtail {
+	int wantedlines;
+	char *logfile;
+	char *buffer;
+	int current_use;
+	int max_uses;
+	int reported;
+};
+
+static void tailstring(char *string, int endofstring, int wantedlines) {
 	int i, linescounted = 0;
 
 	string[endofstring] = 0;
@@ -56,53 +65,77 @@ void tailstring(char *string, int endofstring, int wantedlines) {
 	}
 }
 
+void free_tailhead(struct text_object *obj)
+{
+	struct headtail *ht = obj->data.opaque;
+	if (!ht)
+		return;
+	if (ht->logfile)
+		free(ht->logfile);
+	if (ht->buffer)
+		free(ht->buffer);
+	free(obj->data.opaque);
+	obj->data.opaque = NULL;
+}
+
 void init_tailhead(const char* type, const char* arg, struct text_object *obj, void* free_at_crash) {
 	unsigned int args;
+	struct headtail *ht;
 
-	obj->data.headtail.logfile=malloc(DEFAULT_TEXT_BUFFER_SIZE);
-	obj->data.headtail.max_uses = DEFAULT_MAX_HEADTAIL_USES;
-	args = sscanf(arg, "%s %d %d", obj->data.headtail.logfile, &obj->data.headtail.wantedlines, &obj->data.headtail.max_uses);
-	if(args == 2 || args == 3) {
-		if(obj->data.headtail.max_uses < 1) {
-			free(obj->data.headtail.logfile);
-			CRIT_ERR(obj, free_at_crash, "invalid arg for %s, next_check must be larger than 0", type);
-		}
-		if (obj->data.headtail.wantedlines > 0 && obj->data.headtail.wantedlines <= MAX_HEADTAIL_LINES) {
-			to_real_path(obj->data.headtail.logfile, obj->data.headtail.logfile);
-			obj->data.headtail.buffer = NULL;
-			obj->data.headtail.current_use = 0;
-		}else{
-			free(obj->data.headtail.logfile);
-			CRIT_ERR(obj, free_at_crash, "invalid arg for %s, number of lines must be between 1 and %d", type, MAX_HEADTAIL_LINES);
-		}
-	} else {
-		free(obj->data.headtail.logfile);
+	ht = malloc(sizeof(struct headtail));
+	memset(ht, 0, sizeof(struct headtail));
+
+	ht->logfile = malloc(DEFAULT_TEXT_BUFFER_SIZE);
+	memset(ht->logfile, 0, DEFAULT_TEXT_BUFFER_SIZE);
+
+	ht->max_uses = DEFAULT_MAX_HEADTAIL_USES;
+
+	args = sscanf(arg, "%s %d %d", ht->logfile, &ht->wantedlines, &ht->max_uses);
+	if (args < 2 || args > 3) {
+		free_tailhead(obj);
 		CRIT_ERR(obj, free_at_crash, "%s needs a file as 1st and a number of lines as 2nd argument", type);
 	}
+	if (ht->max_uses < 1) {
+		free_tailhead(obj);
+		CRIT_ERR(obj, free_at_crash, "invalid arg for %s, next_check must be larger than 0", type);
+	}
+	if (ht->wantedlines > 0 && ht->wantedlines <= MAX_HEADTAIL_LINES) {
+		to_real_path(ht->logfile, ht->logfile);
+		ht->buffer = NULL;
+		ht->current_use = 0;
+	} else {
+		free_tailhead(obj);
+		CRIT_ERR(obj, free_at_crash, "invalid arg for %s, number of lines must be between 1 and %d", type, MAX_HEADTAIL_LINES);
+	}
+	obj->data.opaque = ht;
 }
 
 void print_tailhead(const char* type, struct text_object *obj, char *p, int p_max_size) {
 	int fd, i, endofstring = 0, linescounted = 0;
 	FILE *fp;
 	struct stat st;
+	struct headtail *ht = obj->data.opaque;
+
+	if (!ht)
+		return;
 
 	//empty the buffer and reset the counter if we used it the max number of times
-	if(obj->data.headtail.buffer && obj->data.headtail.current_use >= obj->data.headtail.max_uses - 1) {
-		free(obj->data.headtail.buffer);
-		obj->data.headtail.buffer = NULL;
-		obj->data.headtail.current_use = 0;
+	if(ht->buffer && ht->current_use >= ht->max_uses - 1) {
+		free(ht->buffer);
+		ht->buffer = NULL;
+		ht->current_use = 0;
 	}
 	//use the buffer if possible
-	if(obj->data.headtail.buffer) {
-		strcpy(p, obj->data.headtail.buffer);
-		obj->data.headtail.current_use++;
+	if(ht->buffer) {
+		strcpy(p, ht->buffer);
+		ht->current_use++;
 	}else{	//otherwise find the needed data
-		if(stat(obj->data.headtail.logfile, &st) == 0) {
+		if(stat(ht->logfile, &st) == 0) {
 			if (S_ISFIFO(st.st_mode)) {
-				fd = open_fifo(obj->data.headtail.logfile, &obj->a);
+				fd = open_fifo(ht->logfile, &ht->reported);
 				if(fd != -1) {
 					if(strcmp(type, "head") == 0) {
-						for(i = 0; linescounted < obj->data.headtail.wantedlines; i++) {
+						for(i = 0; linescounted < ht->wantedlines; i++) {
 							read(fd, p + i, 1);
 							if(p[i] == '\n') {
 								linescounted++;
@@ -111,33 +144,33 @@ void print_tailhead(const char* type, struct text_object *obj, char *p, int p_ma
 						p[i] = 0;
 					} else if(strcmp(type, "tail") == 0) {
 						i = read(fd, p, p_max_size - 1);
-						tailstring(p, i, obj->data.headtail.wantedlines);
+						tailstring(p, i, ht->wantedlines);
 					} else {
 						CRIT_ERR(NULL, NULL, "If you are seeing this then there is a bug in the code, report it !");
 					}
 				}
 				close(fd);
 			} else {
-				fp = open_file(obj->data.headtail.logfile, &obj->a);
+				fp = open_file(ht->logfile, &ht->reported);
 				if(fp != NULL) {
 					if(strcmp(type, "head") == 0) {
-						for(i = 0; i < obj->data.headtail.wantedlines; i++) {
+						for(i = 0; i < ht->wantedlines; i++) {
 							fgets(p + endofstring, p_max_size - endofstring, fp);
 							endofstring = strlen(p);
 						}
 					} else if(strcmp(type, "tail") == 0) {
 						fseek(fp, - p_max_size, SEEK_END);
 						i = fread(p, 1, p_max_size - 1, fp);
-						tailstring(p, i, obj->data.headtail.wantedlines);
+						tailstring(p, i, ht->wantedlines);
 					} else {
 						CRIT_ERR(NULL, NULL, "If you are seeing this then there is a bug in the code, report it !");
 					}
 					fclose(fp);
 				}
 			}
-			obj->data.headtail.buffer = strdup(p);
+			ht->buffer = strdup(p);
 		} else {
-			CRIT_ERR(NULL, NULL, "$%s can't find information about %s", type, obj->data.headtail.logfile);
+			CRIT_ERR(NULL, NULL, "$%s can't find information about %s", type, ht->logfile);
 		}
 	}
 	return;
diff --git a/src/tailhead.h b/src/tailhead.h
index d3ef45f8..ded4f1c8 100644
--- a/src/tailhead.h
+++ b/src/tailhead.h
@@ -27,5 +27,11 @@
  *
  */
 
-void init_tailhead(const char* type, const char* arg, struct text_object *obj, void* free_at_crash);
-void print_tailhead(const char* type, struct text_object *obj, char *p, int p_max_size);
+#ifndef _TAILHEAD_H
+#define _TAILHEAD_H
+
+void free_tailhead(struct text_object *);
+void init_tailhead(const char *, const char *, struct text_object *, void *);
+void print_tailhead(const char *, struct text_object *, char *, int);
+
+#endif /* _TAILHEAD_H */
diff --git a/src/text_object.h b/src/text_object.h
index 3555980f..8bcea1b9 100644
--- a/src/text_object.h
+++ b/src/text_object.h
@@ -489,14 +489,6 @@ struct text_object {
 			char *s;
 		} top;
 
-		struct {
-			int wantedlines;
-			char *logfile;
-			char *buffer;
-			int current_use;
-			int max_uses;
-		} headtail;
-
 		struct {
 			double last_update;
 			float interval;