diff --git a/i3status.c b/i3status.c
index 401db89..2bc6410 100644
--- a/i3status.c
+++ b/i3status.c
@@ -820,11 +820,17 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
             CASE_SEC_TITLE("volume") {
                 SEC_OPEN_MAP("volume");
-                print_volume(json_gen, buffer, cfg_getstr(sec, "format"),
-                             cfg_getstr(sec, "format_muted"),
-                             cfg_getstr(sec, "device"),
-                             cfg_getstr(sec, "mixer"),
-                             cfg_getint(sec, "mixer_idx"));
+                volume_ctx_t ctx = {
+                    .json_gen = json_gen,
+                    .buf = buffer,
+                    .buflen = sizeof(buffer),
+                    .fmt = cfg_getstr(sec, "format"),
+                    .fmt_muted = cfg_getstr(sec, "format_muted"),
+                    .device = cfg_getstr(sec, "device"),
+                    .mixer = cfg_getstr(sec, "mixer"),
+                    .mixer_idx = cfg_getint(sec, "mixer_idx"),
+                };
+                print_volume(&ctx);
                 SEC_CLOSE_MAP;
             }
 
diff --git a/include/i3status.h b/include/i3status.h
index e87eb5c..6d7fbc6 100644
--- a/include/i3status.h
+++ b/include/i3status.h
@@ -326,7 +326,20 @@ void print_eth_info(eth_info_ctx_t *ctx);
 
 void print_load(yajl_gen json_gen, char *buffer, const char *format, const char *format_above_threshold, const float max_threshold);
 void print_memory(yajl_gen json_gen, char *buffer, const char *format, const char *format_degraded, const char *threshold_degraded, const char *threshold_critical, const char *memory_used_method, const char *unit, const int decimals);
-void print_volume(yajl_gen json_gen, char *buffer, const char *fmt, const char *fmt_muted, const char *device, const char *mixer, int mixer_idx);
+
+typedef struct {
+    yajl_gen json_gen;
+    char *buf;
+    const size_t buflen;
+    const char *fmt;
+    const char *fmt_muted;
+    const char *device;
+    const char *mixer;
+    int mixer_idx;
+} volume_ctx_t;
+
+void print_volume(volume_ctx_t *ctx);
+
 bool process_runs(const char *path);
 int volume_pulseaudio(uint32_t sink_idx, const char *sink_name);
 bool description_pulseaudio(uint32_t sink_idx, const char *sink_name, char buffer[MAX_SINK_DESCRIPTION_LEN]);
diff --git a/src/print_volume.c b/src/print_volume.c
index 0331ed5..3d2cc92 100644
--- a/src/print_volume.c
+++ b/src/print_volume.c
@@ -47,10 +47,10 @@
         fprintf(stderr, "i3status: ALSA: " #channel "_switch: %s\n", snd_strerror(err)); \
     if (!pbval) {                                                                        \
         START_COLOR("color_degraded");                                                   \
-        fmt = fmt_muted;                                                                 \
+        ctx->fmt = ctx->fmt_muted;                                                       \
     }
 
-static char *apply_volume_format(const char *fmt, char *buffer, int ivolume, const char *devicename) {
+static char *apply_volume_format(const char *fmt, int ivolume, const char *devicename) {
     char string_volume[STRING_SIZE];
 
     snprintf(string_volume, STRING_SIZE, "%d%s", ivolume, pct_mark);
@@ -61,19 +61,18 @@ static char *apply_volume_format(const char *fmt, char *buffer, int ivolume, con
         {.name = "%devicename", .value = devicename}};
 
     const size_t num = sizeof(placeholders) / sizeof(placeholder_t);
-    buffer = format_placeholders(fmt, &placeholders[0], num);
-
-    return buffer;
+    return format_placeholders(fmt, &placeholders[0], num);
 }
 
-void print_volume(yajl_gen json_gen, char *buffer, const char *fmt, const char *fmt_muted, const char *device, const char *mixer, int mixer_idx) {
-    char *outwalk = buffer;
+void print_volume(volume_ctx_t *ctx) {
+    char *outwalk = ctx->buf;
     int pbval = 1;
+#define json_gen ctx->json_gen
 
     /* Printing volume works with ALSA and PulseAudio at the moment */
     if (output_format == O_I3BAR) {
         char *instance;
-        asprintf(&instance, "%s.%s.%d", device, mixer, mixer_idx);
+        asprintf(&instance, "%s.%s.%d", ctx->device, ctx->mixer, ctx->mixer_idx);
         INSTANCE(instance);
         free(instance);
     }
@@ -84,11 +83,11 @@ void print_volume(yajl_gen json_gen, char *buffer, const char *fmt, const char *
     /* If the device name has the format "pulse[:N]" where N is the
      * index of the PulseAudio sink then force PulseAudio, optionally
      * overriding the default sink */
-    if (!strncasecmp(device, "pulse", strlen("pulse"))) {
-        uint32_t sink_idx = device[strlen("pulse")] == ':' ? (uint32_t)atoi(device + strlen("pulse:")) : DEFAULT_SINK_INDEX;
-        const char *sink_name = device[strlen("pulse")] == ':' &&
-                                        !isdigit(device[strlen("pulse:")])
-                                    ? device + strlen("pulse:")
+    if (!strncasecmp(ctx->device, "pulse", strlen("pulse"))) {
+        uint32_t sink_idx = ctx->device[strlen("pulse")] == ':' ? (uint32_t)atoi(ctx->device + strlen("pulse:")) : DEFAULT_SINK_INDEX;
+        const char *sink_name = ctx->device[strlen("pulse")] == ':' &&
+                                        !isdigit(ctx->device[strlen("pulse:")])
+                                    ? ctx->device + strlen("pulse:")
                                     : NULL;
         int cvolume = 0;
         char description[MAX_SINK_DESCRIPTION_LEN] = {'\0'};
@@ -111,12 +110,13 @@ void print_volume(yajl_gen json_gen, char *buffer, const char *fmt, const char *
         /* negative result means error, stick to 0 */
         if (ivolume < 0)
             ivolume = 0;
-        buffer = apply_volume_format(muted ? fmt_muted : fmt,
-                                     buffer,
-                                     ivolume,
-                                     description);
+        char *formatted = apply_volume_format(muted ? ctx->fmt_muted : ctx->fmt,
+                                              ivolume,
+                                              description);
+        OUTPUT_FORMATTED;
+        free(formatted);
         goto out_with_format;
-    } else if (!strcasecmp(device, "default") && pulse_initialize()) {
+    } else if (!strcasecmp(ctx->device, "default") && pulse_initialize()) {
         /* no device specified or "default" set */
         char description[MAX_SINK_DESCRIPTION_LEN];
         bool success = description_pulseaudio(DEFAULT_SINK_INDEX, NULL, description);
@@ -128,10 +128,11 @@ void print_volume(yajl_gen json_gen, char *buffer, const char *fmt, const char *
                 START_COLOR("color_degraded");
                 pbval = 0;
             }
-            buffer = apply_volume_format(muted ? fmt_muted : fmt,
-                                         buffer,
-                                         ivolume,
-                                         description);
+            char *formatted = apply_volume_format(muted ? ctx->fmt_muted : ctx->fmt,
+                                                  ivolume,
+                                                  description);
+            OUTPUT_FORMATTED;
+            free(formatted);
             goto out_with_format;
         }
         /* negative result or NULL description means error, fail PulseAudio attempt */
@@ -157,7 +158,7 @@ void print_volume(yajl_gen json_gen, char *buffer, const char *fmt, const char *
     }
 
     /* Attach this mixer handle to the given device */
-    if ((err = snd_mixer_attach(m, device)) < 0) {
+    if ((err = snd_mixer_attach(m, ctx->device)) < 0) {
         fprintf(stderr, "i3status: ALSA: Cannot attach mixer to device: %s\n", snd_strerror(err));
         snd_mixer_close(m);
         goto out;
@@ -183,8 +184,8 @@ void print_volume(yajl_gen json_gen, char *buffer, const char *fmt, const char *
     }
 
     /* Find the given mixer */
-    snd_mixer_selem_id_set_index(sid, mixer_idx);
-    snd_mixer_selem_id_set_name(sid, mixer);
+    snd_mixer_selem_id_set_index(sid, ctx->mixer_idx);
+    snd_mixer_selem_id_set_name(sid, ctx->mixer);
     if (!(elem = snd_mixer_find_selem(m, sid))) {
         fprintf(stderr, "i3status: ALSA: Cannot find mixer %s (index %u)\n",
                 snd_mixer_selem_id_get_name(sid), snd_mixer_selem_id_get_index(sid));
@@ -195,7 +196,7 @@ void print_volume(yajl_gen json_gen, char *buffer, const char *fmt, const char *
 
     /* Get the volume range to convert the volume later */
     snd_mixer_handle_events(m);
-    if (!strncasecmp(mixer, "capture", strlen("capture"))) {
+    if (!strncasecmp(ctx->mixer, "capture", strlen("capture"))) {
         ALSA_VOLUME(capture)
     } else {
         ALSA_VOLUME(playback)
@@ -234,7 +235,9 @@ void print_volume(yajl_gen json_gen, char *buffer, const char *fmt, const char *
         ALSA_MUTE_SWITCH(capture)
     }
 
-    buffer = apply_volume_format(fmt, buffer, avg, mixer_name);
+    char *formatted = apply_volume_format(ctx->fmt, avg, mixer_name);
+    OUTPUT_FORMATTED;
+    free(formatted);
 
     snd_mixer_close(m);
     snd_mixer_selem_id_free(sid);
@@ -357,12 +360,11 @@ void print_volume(yajl_gen json_gen, char *buffer, const char *fmt, const char *
 out:
     if (!pbval)
         END_COLOR;
-    OUTPUT_FULL_TEXT(buffer);
+    OUTPUT_FULL_TEXT(ctx->buf);
     return;
 
 out_with_format:
     if (!pbval)
         END_COLOR;
-    OUTPUT_FULL_TEXT(buffer);
-    free(buffer);
+    OUTPUT_FULL_TEXT(ctx->buf);
 }