diff --git a/engines/qdengine/qd_runtime.cpp b/engines/qdengine/qd_runtime.cpp
index 9b6a4a400d58..746e58de503a 100644
--- a/engines/qdengine/qd_runtime.cpp
+++ b/engines/qdengine/qd_runtime.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include "qdengine/qdcore/util/ResourceDispatcher.h"
 #include "qdengine/qdcore/util/WinVideo.h"
 #include "qdengine/system/graphics/gr_dispatcher.h"
+#include "qdengine/system/graphics/rle_compress.h"
 #include "qdengine/system/input/input_wndproc.h"
 #include "qdengine/system/input/mouse_input.h"
 #include "qdengine/system/input/keyboard_input.h"
@@ -319,6 +320,8 @@ int QDEngineEngine::engineMain() {
 
 	winVideo::done();
 
+	RLEBuffer::releaseBuffers();
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/engines/qdengine/system/graphics/rle_compress.cpp b/engines/qdengine/system/graphics/rle_compress.cpp
index 64a5a0145f0e..862bea95eb03 100644
--- a/engines/qdengine/system/graphics/rle_compress.cpp
+++ b/engines/qdengine/system/graphics/rle_compress.cpp
@@ -29,8 +29,18 @@
 
 namespace QDEngine {
 
-Std::vector<byte> RLEBuffer::_buffer0(4096);
-Std::vector<byte> RLEBuffer::_buffer1(4096);
+byte *g_buffer0 = nullptr;
+byte *g_buffer1 = nullptr;
+int g_buffersLen = 0;
+
+static void ensureBuffers() {
+	if (g_buffer0 == nullptr) {
+		g_buffer0 = (byte *)calloc(4096, 1);
+		g_buffer1 = (byte *)calloc(4096, 1);
+
+		g_buffersLen = 4096;
+	}
+}
 
 bool operator == (const RLEBuffer &buf1, const RLEBuffer &buf2) {
 	if (!(buf1._header_offset == buf2._header_offset)) return false;
@@ -49,6 +59,8 @@ RLEBuffer::RLEBuffer(const RLEBuffer &buf) : _header_offset(buf._header_offset),
 	_header(buf._header),
 	_data(buf._data),
 	_bits_per_pixel(buf._bits_per_pixel) {
+
+	ensureBuffers();
 }
 
 RLEBuffer::~RLEBuffer() {
@@ -59,6 +71,31 @@ RLEBuffer::~RLEBuffer() {
 	_data.clear();
 }
 
+bool RLEBuffer::decode_line(int y, int buffer_id) const {
+	ensureBuffers();
+
+	if (buffer_id)
+		return decode_line(y, g_buffer1);
+	else
+		return decode_line(y, g_buffer0);
+}
+
+ const byte *RLEBuffer::get_buffer(int buffer_id) {
+	ensureBuffers();
+
+	if (buffer_id)
+		return g_buffer1;
+	else
+		return g_buffer0;
+}
+
+void RLEBuffer::releaseBuffers() {
+	free(g_buffer0);
+	g_buffer0 = nullptr;
+	free(g_buffer1);
+	g_buffer1 = nullptr;
+}
+
 RLEBuffer &RLEBuffer::operator = (const RLEBuffer &buf) {
 	if (this == &buf) return *this;
 
@@ -258,10 +295,12 @@ bool RLEBuffer::convert_data(int bits_per_pixel) {
 void RLEBuffer::resize_buffers() {
 	uint32 len = line_length() * sizeof(uint32);
 
-	if (_buffer0.size() < len)
-		_buffer0.resize(len);
-	if (_buffer1.size() < len)
-		_buffer1.resize(len);
+	if (g_buffersLen < len) {
+		if (!realloc(g_buffer0, len) || !realloc(g_buffer1, len))
+			error("RLEBuffer::resize_buffers(): Cannot realloc buffers");
+
+		g_buffersLen = len;
+	}
 }
 
 int RLEBuffer::line_length() {
diff --git a/engines/qdengine/system/graphics/rle_compress.h b/engines/qdengine/system/graphics/rle_compress.h
index 50b454568db6..8196714f3ee3 100644
--- a/engines/qdengine/system/graphics/rle_compress.h
+++ b/engines/qdengine/system/graphics/rle_compress.h
@@ -38,19 +38,11 @@ class RLEBuffer {
 
 	bool decode_line(int y, byte *out_buf) const;
 
-	inline bool decode_line(int y, int buffer_id = 0) const {
-		if (buffer_id)
-			return decode_line(y, &*_buffer1.begin());
-		else
-			return decode_line(y, &*_buffer0.begin());
-	}
+	bool decode_line(int y, int buffer_id = 0) const;
 
 	bool decode_pixel(int x, int y, uint32 &pixel);
 
-	static inline const byte *get_buffer(int buffer_id) {
-		if (buffer_id) return &*_buffer1.begin();
-		else return &*_buffer0.begin();
-	}
+	static const byte *get_buffer(int buffer_id);
 
 	void resize_buffers();
 
@@ -76,6 +68,8 @@ class RLEBuffer {
 
 	bool convert_data(int bits_per_pixel = 16);
 
+	static void releaseBuffers();
+
 private:
 	Std::vector<uint32> _header_offset;
 	Std::vector<uint32> _data_offset;
@@ -85,9 +79,6 @@ class RLEBuffer {
 
 	int _bits_per_pixel;
 
-	static Std::vector<byte> _buffer0;
-	static Std::vector<byte> _buffer1;
-
 	friend bool operator == (const RLEBuffer &buf1, const RLEBuffer &buf2);
 };