diff --git a/daemon/main.c b/daemon/main.c
index 3baa623d0..8261c93c5 100644
--- a/daemon/main.c
+++ b/daemon/main.c
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ static GQueue rtpe_cli = G_QUEUE_INIT;
 GQueue rtpe_control_ng = G_QUEUE_INIT;
 GQueue rtpe_control_ng_tcp = G_QUEUE_INIT;
 struct bufferpool *shm_bufferpool;
+memory_arena_t rtpe_arena;
 
 struct rtpengine_config rtpe_config = {
 	// non-zero defaults
@@ -1398,6 +1399,8 @@ RTPE_CONFIG_CHARPP_PARAMS
 
 static void early_init(void) {
 	socket_init(); // needed for socktype_udp
+	memory_arena_init(&rtpe_arena);
+	memory_arena = &rtpe_arena;
 }
 
 #ifdef WITH_TRANSCODING
@@ -1881,6 +1884,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	kernel_shutdown_table();
 	options_free();
 	bufferpool_cleanup();
+	memory_arena_free(&rtpe_arena);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/include/call.h b/include/call.h
index db4e2befe..83539dea2 100644
--- a/include/call.h
+++ b/include/call.h
@@ -943,7 +943,7 @@ INLINE void call_memory_arena_release(void) {
 		return;
 	obj_put(call_memory_arena);
 	call_memory_arena = NULL;
-	memory_arena = NULL;
+	memory_arena = &rtpe_arena;
 }
 INLINE void call_memory_arena_set(call_t *c) {
 	call_memory_arena_release();
diff --git a/include/main.h b/include/main.h
index 1bfc4cc1b..67f60075d 100644
--- a/include/main.h
+++ b/include/main.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "socket.h"
 #include "auxlib.h"
 #include "types.h"
+#include "arena.h"
 
 enum xmlrpc_format {
 	XF_SEMS = 0,
@@ -320,6 +321,7 @@ extern GQueue rtpe_control_ng;
 extern GQueue rtpe_control_ng_tcp;
 
 extern struct bufferpool *shm_bufferpool;
+extern memory_arena_t rtpe_arena;
 
 
 #endif
diff --git a/t/test-stats.c b/t/test-stats.c
index 1db29e253..d739c58d7 100644
--- a/t/test-stats.c
+++ b/t/test-stats.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ unsigned int rtpe_poller_rr_iter;
 GString *dtmf_logs;
 GQueue rtpe_control_ng = G_QUEUE_INIT;
 struct bufferpool *shm_bufferpool;
+memory_arena_t rtpe_arena;
 
 static void __assert_g_string_eq(GString *a, const char *b, unsigned int line) {
 	if (strcmp(a->str, b) == 0) {
diff --git a/t/test-transcode.c b/t/test-transcode.c
index cbb44fb08..aa83ebced 100644
--- a/t/test-transcode.c
+++ b/t/test-transcode.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ unsigned int rtpe_poller_rr_iter;
 GString *dtmf_logs;
 GQueue rtpe_control_ng = G_QUEUE_INIT;
 struct bufferpool *shm_bufferpool;
+memory_arena_t rtpe_arena;
 
 static str *sdup(char *s) {
 	str r = STR(s);