diff --git a/include/margo.h b/include/margo.h
index 528df2723f0fca8923bcffa5186819d52bb7040f..49f705e27d8f3d86a17a4206344730fabd2e1b8e 100644
--- a/include/margo.h
+++ b/include/margo.h
@@ -31,10 +31,10 @@ extern "C" {
 struct margo_instance;
 typedef struct margo_instance* margo_instance_id;
 typedef struct margo_data* margo_data_ptr;
-typedef ABT_eventual margo_request;
+typedef struct margo_request_struct* margo_request;
 
 #define MARGO_INSTANCE_NULL ((margo_instance_id)NULL)
-#define MARGO_REQUEST_NULL ABT_EVENTUAL_NULL
+#define MARGO_REQUEST_NULL ((margo_request)NULL)
 #define MARGO_CLIENT_MODE 0
 #define MARGO_SERVER_MODE 1
 #define MARGO_DEFAULT_PROVIDER_ID 0
diff --git a/src/margo.c b/src/margo.c
index ee24287825bec3224e95b8590c80687a57bf8eb9..cd70935d983b32e689d9d8d2303837c47421eec4 100644
--- a/src/margo.c
+++ b/src/margo.c
@@ -111,6 +111,10 @@ struct margo_instance
     struct diag_data diag_progress_timeout_value;
 };
 
+struct margo_request_struct {
+    ABT_eventual eventual;
+};
+
 struct margo_rpc_data
 {
 	margo_instance_id mid;
@@ -787,32 +791,31 @@ hg_return_t margo_destroy(hg_handle_t handle)
 static hg_return_t margo_cb(const struct hg_cb_info *info)
 {
     hg_return_t hret = info->ret;
-    ABT_eventual eventual = (ABT_eventual)(info->arg);
+    margo_request req = (margo_request)(info->arg);
 
     /* propagate return code out through eventual */
-    ABT_eventual_set(eventual, &hret, sizeof(hret));
+    ABT_eventual_set(req->eventual, &hret, sizeof(hret));
     
     return(HG_SUCCESS);
 }
 
-hg_return_t margo_provider_forward(
-    uint16_t provider_id,
-    hg_handle_t handle,
-    void *in_struct)
+static hg_return_t margo_wait_internal(margo_request req)
 {
-	hg_return_t hret;
-	margo_request req;
-	hret = margo_provider_iforward(provider_id, handle, in_struct, &req);
-	if(hret != HG_SUCCESS) 
-		return hret;
-	return margo_wait(req);
+    hg_return_t* waited_hret;
+    hg_return_t  hret;
+
+    ABT_eventual_wait(req->eventual, (void**)&waited_hret);
+    hret = *waited_hret;
+    ABT_eventual_free(&(req->eventual));
+
+    return(hret);
 }
 
-hg_return_t margo_provider_iforward(
+static hg_return_t margo_provider_iforward_internal(
     uint16_t provider_id,
     hg_handle_t handle,
     void *in_struct,
-    margo_request* req)
+    margo_request req) /* the request should have been allocated */
 {
     hg_return_t hret = HG_TIMEOUT;
     ABT_eventual eventual;
@@ -868,26 +871,51 @@ hg_return_t margo_provider_iforward(
         return(HG_NOMEM_ERROR);        
     }
 
-    *req = eventual;
+    req->eventual = eventual;
 
-    return HG_Forward(handle, margo_cb, (void*)eventual, in_struct);
+    return HG_Forward(handle, margo_cb, (void*)req, in_struct);
 }
 
-hg_return_t margo_wait(margo_request req)
+hg_return_t margo_provider_forward(
+    uint16_t provider_id,
+    hg_handle_t handle,
+    void *in_struct)
 {
-	hg_return_t* waited_hret;
-	hg_return_t  hret;
+    hg_return_t hret;
+    struct margo_request_struct reqs;
+    hret = margo_provider_iforward_internal(provider_id, handle, in_struct, &reqs);
+    if(hret != HG_SUCCESS) 
+        return hret;
+    return margo_wait_internal(&reqs);
+}
 
-    ABT_eventual_wait(req, (void**)&waited_hret);
-	hret = *waited_hret;
-    ABT_eventual_free(&req);
-	
-    return(hret);
+hg_return_t margo_provider_iforward(
+    uint16_t provider_id,
+    hg_handle_t handle,
+    void *in_struct,
+    margo_request* req)
+{
+    hg_return_t hret;
+    margo_request tmp_req = calloc(1, sizeof(*tmp_req));
+    hret = margo_provider_iforward_internal(provider_id, handle, in_struct, tmp_req);
+    if(hret !=  HG_SUCCESS) {
+        free(tmp_req);
+        return hret;
+    }
+    *req = tmp_req;
+    return HG_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+hg_return_t margo_wait(margo_request req)
+{
+    hg_return_t hret = margo_wait_internal(req);
+    free(req);
+    return hret;
 }
 
 int margo_test(margo_request req, int* flag)
 {
-    return ABT_eventual_test(req, NULL, flag);
+    return ABT_eventual_test(req->eventual, NULL, flag);
 }
 
 typedef struct
@@ -913,12 +941,12 @@ hg_return_t margo_forward_timed(
     int ret;
     hg_return_t hret;
     margo_instance_id mid;
-    ABT_eventual eventual;
+    struct margo_request_struct reqs;
     hg_return_t* waited_hret;
     margo_timer_t forward_timer;
     margo_forward_timeout_cb_dat timeout_cb_dat;
 
-    ret = ABT_eventual_create(sizeof(hret), &eventual);
+    ret = ABT_eventual_create(sizeof(hret), &(reqs.eventual));
     if(ret != 0)
     {
         return(HG_NOMEM_ERROR);        
@@ -932,10 +960,10 @@ hg_return_t margo_forward_timed(
     margo_timer_init(mid, &forward_timer, margo_forward_timeout_cb,
         &timeout_cb_dat, timeout_ms);
 
-    hret = HG_Forward(handle, margo_cb, (void*)eventual, in_struct);
+    hret = HG_Forward(handle, margo_cb, (void*)(&reqs), in_struct);
     if(hret == HG_SUCCESS)
     {
-        ABT_eventual_wait(eventual, (void**)&waited_hret);
+        ABT_eventual_wait(reqs.eventual, (void**)&waited_hret);
         hret = *waited_hret;
     }
 
@@ -947,21 +975,36 @@ hg_return_t margo_forward_timed(
     if(hret != HG_TIMEOUT)
         margo_timer_destroy(mid, &forward_timer);
 
-    ABT_eventual_free(&eventual);
+    ABT_eventual_free(&(reqs.eventual));
 
     return(hret);
 }
 
+static hg_return_t margo_irespond_internal(
+    hg_handle_t handle,
+    void *out_struct,
+    margo_request req) /* should have been allocated */
+{
+    int ret;
+    ret = ABT_eventual_create(sizeof(hg_return_t), &(req->eventual));
+    if(ret != 0)
+    {
+        return(HG_NOMEM_ERROR);
+    }
+
+    return HG_Respond(handle, margo_cb, (void*)req, out_struct);
+}
+
 hg_return_t margo_respond(
     hg_handle_t handle,
     void *out_struct)
 {
     hg_return_t hret;
-    margo_request req;
-    hret = margo_irespond(handle,out_struct,&req);
+    struct margo_request_struct reqs;
+    hret = margo_irespond_internal(handle, out_struct, &reqs);
     if(hret != HG_SUCCESS)
         return hret;
-    return margo_wait(req);
+    return margo_wait_internal(&reqs);
 }
 
 hg_return_t margo_irespond(
@@ -969,18 +1012,15 @@ hg_return_t margo_irespond(
     void *out_struct,
     margo_request* req)
 {
-    ABT_eventual eventual;
-    int ret;
-
-    ret = ABT_eventual_create(sizeof(hg_return_t), &eventual);
-    if(ret != 0)
-    {
-        return(HG_NOMEM_ERROR);
+    hg_return_t hret;
+    margo_request tmp_req = calloc(1, sizeof(*tmp_req));
+    hret = margo_irespond_internal(handle, out_struct, tmp_req);
+    if(hret != HG_SUCCESS) {
+        free(req);
+        return hret;
     }
-
-    *req = eventual;
-
-    return HG_Respond(handle, margo_cb, (void*)eventual, out_struct);
+    *req = tmp_req;
+    return HG_SUCCESS;
 }
 
 hg_return_t margo_bulk_create(
@@ -1010,6 +1050,33 @@ hg_return_t margo_bulk_deserialize(
     return(HG_Bulk_deserialize(mid->hg_class, handle, buf, buf_size));
 }
 
+static hg_return_t margo_bulk_itransfer_internal(
+    margo_instance_id mid,
+    hg_bulk_op_t op,
+    hg_addr_t origin_addr,
+    hg_bulk_t origin_handle,
+    size_t origin_offset,
+    hg_bulk_t local_handle,
+    size_t local_offset,
+    size_t size,
+    margo_request req) /* should have been allocated */
+{
+    hg_return_t hret = HG_TIMEOUT;
+    int ret;
+
+    ret = ABT_eventual_create(sizeof(hret), &(req->eventual));
+    if(ret != 0)
+    {
+        return(HG_NOMEM_ERROR);        
+    }
+
+    hret = HG_Bulk_transfer(mid->hg_context, margo_cb,
+        (void*)req, op, origin_addr, origin_handle, origin_offset, local_handle,
+        local_offset, size, HG_OP_ID_IGNORE);
+
+    return(hret);
+}
+
 hg_return_t margo_bulk_transfer(
     margo_instance_id mid,
     hg_bulk_op_t op,
@@ -1020,13 +1087,13 @@ hg_return_t margo_bulk_transfer(
     size_t local_offset,
     size_t size)
 {  
-    margo_request req;
-    hg_return_t hret = margo_bulk_itransfer(mid,op,origin_addr,
+    struct margo_request_struct reqs;
+    hg_return_t hret = margo_bulk_itransfer_internal(mid,op,origin_addr,
                           origin_handle, origin_offset, local_handle,
-                          local_offset, size, &req);
+                          local_offset, size, &reqs);
     if(hret != HG_SUCCESS)
         return hret;
-    return margo_wait(req);
+    return margo_wait_internal(&reqs);
 }
 
 hg_return_t margo_bulk_itransfer(
@@ -1040,21 +1107,17 @@ hg_return_t margo_bulk_itransfer(
     size_t size,
     margo_request* req)
 {
-    hg_return_t hret = HG_TIMEOUT;
-    ABT_eventual eventual;
     int ret;
-
-    ret = ABT_eventual_create(sizeof(hret), &eventual);
-    if(ret != 0)
-    {
-        return(HG_NOMEM_ERROR);        
+    margo_request tmp_req = calloc(1, sizeof(*tmp_req));
+    hg_return_t hret = margo_bulk_itransfer_internal(mid,op,origin_addr,
+            origin_handle, origin_offset, local_handle,
+            local_offset, size, tmp_req);
+    if(hret != HG_SUCCESS) {
+        free(tmp_req);
+        return hret;
     }
 
-    *req = eventual;
-
-    hret = HG_Bulk_transfer(mid->hg_context, margo_cb,
-        (void*)eventual, op, origin_addr, origin_handle, origin_offset, local_handle,
-        local_offset, size, HG_OP_ID_IGNORE);
+    *req = tmp_req;
 
     return(hret);
 }