diff --git a/base/include/base/heap.h b/base/include/base/heap.h
index 14e4efb4b..f18a2c0d4 100644
--- a/base/include/base/heap.h
+++ b/base/include/base/heap.h
@@ -43,6 +43,13 @@ namespace Genode {
 
 					Ram_dataspace_capability cap;
 					void  *local_addr;
+
+					Dataspace(Ram_dataspace_capability c, void *a)
+					: cap(c), local_addr(a) {}
+
+					inline void * operator new(Genode::size_t, void* addr) {
+						return addr; }
+					inline void operator delete(void*) { }
 			};
 
 			class Dataspace_pool : public List<Dataspace>
diff --git a/base/src/base/heap/heap.cc b/base/src/base/heap/heap.cc
index 9e859182d..1f44ebe3b 100644
--- a/base/src/base/heap/heap.cc
+++ b/base/src/base/heap/heap.cc
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ Heap::Dataspace_pool::~Dataspace_pool()
 		Ram_dataspace_capability ds_cap = ds->cap;
 
 		remove(ds);
+		delete ds;
 		_rm_session->detach(ds->local_addr);
 		_ram_session->free(ds_cap);
 	}
@@ -66,9 +67,7 @@ int Heap::Dataspace_pool::expand(size_t size, Range_allocator *alloc)
 	}
 
 	/* add dataspace information to list of dataspaces */
-	Dataspace *ds  = reinterpret_cast<Dataspace *>(ds_addr);
-	ds->cap        = new_ds_cap;
-	ds->local_addr = local_addr;
+	Dataspace *ds  = new (ds_addr) Dataspace(new_ds_cap, local_addr);
 	insert(ds);
 
 	return 0;