@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
+#include <k/mem.h>
 #include <k/core.h>
 #include <k/def.h>
 #include <k/type.h>
 #include <posix.h>
@@ -19,9 +20,16 @@
 
 void* kmheapa(sz len) {
 	/* allocate an object on the heap and return
 	 * a pointer, or NULL if the allocation failed. */
-	void* val;
+	union {
+		void* raw;
+		ubyte* byte;
+		kmbox* header;
+	} region;
+	/* we need to allocate space for the header and
+	 * for the actual object */
+	sz region_size = sizeof(kmbox) + len;
 
 #	ifdef KFenv_posix
  	   /* posix APIs - we've got it easy. currently for nonlinear
 		* heap allocation kmheapa simply uses m(un)map and lets the 
@@ -39,25 +47,26 @@
 		 * the user will be given a pointer that can be
 		 * adjusted to point a field of type size_t that
 		 * contains the size of the allocate space.*/
 
-		sz     const region_total = len + sizeof len;
-		ubyte* const region = kmem_platform_mmap(null, region_total,
+		region.byte = kmem_platform_mmap(null, region_size,
 				posix_prot_read | posix_prot_write,
 				posix_flag_anonymous | posix_map_shared, -1, 0);
 		/* impl note: while per manpage fd is "ignored"
 		 * for MAP_ANONYMOUS, "some implementations" require
 		 * a value of -1 */
 
-		if (region == (void*) -1) return null;
+		if (region.raw == (void*) -1) return null;
 		/* worth retrieving errno? discuss */
 
-		*((sz*)region) = len;
-		val = region + sizeof len;
-
 #	else
  	   Knoimpl(kmheapa,KVos);
 #		error missing implementation
 #	endif
+	
+	void* const object = (region.byte + sizeof (kmbox));
+
+	region.header -> kind = kmkind_heap;
+	region.header -> size = len;
 
-	return val;
+	return object;
 }