diff --git a/stk500.c b/stk500.c
index 167121d5..eff597e6 100644
--- a/stk500.c
+++ b/stk500.c
@@ -754,10 +754,16 @@ static int stk500_loadaddr(PROGRAMMER * pgm, AVRMEM * mem, unsigned int addr)
   return -1;
 }
 
-static int stk500_paged_write2(PROGRAMMER * pgm, AVRPART * p, AVRMEM * m,
-                              unsigned char* buf, unsigned int page_size,
+
+static int stk500_paged_write(PROGRAMMER * pgm, AVRPART * p, AVRMEM * m,
+                              unsigned int page_size,
                               unsigned int addr, unsigned int n_bytes)
 {
+#ifdef _MSC_VER
+  unsigned char* buf = _alloca(page_size + 16);
+#else
+  unsigned char buf[page_size + 16];
+#endif
   int memtype;
   int a_div;
   int block_size;
@@ -848,16 +854,6 @@ static int stk500_paged_write2(PROGRAMMER * pgm, AVRPART * p, AVRMEM * m,
   return n_bytes;
 }
 
-static int stk500_paged_write(PROGRAMMER * pgm, AVRPART * p, AVRMEM * m,
-                              unsigned int page_size,
-                              unsigned int addr, unsigned int n_bytes)
-{
-  unsigned char* buf = malloc(page_size + 16);
-  int result = stk500_paged_write2(pgm, p, m, buf, page_size, addr, n_bytes);
-  free(buf);
-  return result;
-}
-
 static int stk500_paged_load(PROGRAMMER * pgm, AVRPART * p, AVRMEM * m,
                              unsigned int page_size,
                              unsigned int addr, unsigned int n_bytes)