diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rio/dat.h b/sys/src/cmd/rio/dat.h
index 3c7313113..1f12eef48 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rio/dat.h
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rio/dat.h
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ typedef	struct	Mousestate	Mousestate;
 typedef	struct	Ref Ref;
 typedef	struct	Timer Timer;
 typedef	struct	Wctlmesg Wctlmesg;
-typedef struct	Wdelmesg Wdelmesg;
 typedef	struct	Window Window;
 typedef	struct	Xfid Xfid;
 
@@ -81,12 +80,6 @@ struct Wctlmesg
 	void		*p;
 };
 
-struct Wdelmesg
-{
-	char	*s;
-	Image	*i;
-};
-
 struct Conswritemesg
 {
 	Channel	*cw;		/* chan(Stringpair) */
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rio/rio.c b/sys/src/cmd/rio/rio.c
index 36aec2d64..8dbbf47be 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rio/rio.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rio/rio.c
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ threadmain(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	exitchan = chancreate(sizeof(int), 0);
 	winclosechan = chancreate(sizeof(Window*), 0);
-	deletechan = chancreate(sizeof(Wdelmesg), 0);
+	deletechan = chancreate(sizeof(char*), 0);
 
 	timerinit();
 	threadcreate(keyboardthread, nil, STACK);
@@ -422,28 +422,30 @@ winclosethread(void*)
 void
 deletethread(void*)
 {
-	Wdelmesg m;
+	char *s;
+	Image *i;
 
 	threadsetname("deletethread");
 	for(;;){
-		recv(deletechan, &m);
-		freeimage(m.i);
-		m.i = namedimage(display, m.s);
-		if(m.i != nil){
+		s = recvp(deletechan);
+		i = namedimage(display, s);
+		if(i != nil){
 			/* move it off-screen to hide it, since client is slow in letting it go */
-			originwindow(m.i, m.i->r.min, view->r.max);
+			originwindow(i, i->r.min, view->r.max);
 		}
-		freeimage(m.i);
-		free(m.s);
+		freeimage(i);
+		free(s);
 	}
 }
 
 void
 deletetimeoutproc(void *v)
 {
+	char *s;
+
+	s = v;
 	sleep(750);	/* remove window from screen after 3/4 of a second */
-	send(deletechan, v);
-	free(v);
+	sendp(deletechan, s);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/rio/wind.c b/sys/src/cmd/rio/wind.c
index af19507c9..49bb30da3 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/rio/wind.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/rio/wind.c
@@ -88,35 +88,13 @@ void
 wresize(Window *w, Image *i, int move)
 {
 	Rectangle r, or;
-	Wdelmesg *m;
 
 	or = w->i->r;
 	if(move || (Dx(or)==Dx(i->r) && Dy(or)==Dy(i->r)))
 		draw(i, i->r, w->i, nil, w->i->r.min);
-
-	m = emalloc(sizeof(Wdelmesg));
-	m->s = estrdup(w->name);
-	m->i = w->i;
-
+	freeimage(w->i);
 	w->i = i;
 	w->mc.image = i;
-
-	if(w->mouseopen){
-		/*
-		 * do not freeimage() here because the client might be in
-		 * the process of attaching that image using winname.
-		 * move the old window offscreen unless its completely
-		 * hidden by the new window and let deletetimeoutproc
-		 * free the image after some delay.
-		 */
-		if(!rectinrect(or, w->screenr))
-			originwindow(m->i, or.min, view->r.max);
-	} else {
-		freeimage(m->i);
-		m->i = nil;
-	}
-	proccreate(deletetimeoutproc, m, 4096);
-
 	r = insetrect(i->r, Selborder+1);
 	w->scrollr = r;
 	w->scrollr.max.x = r.min.x+Scrollwid;
@@ -1092,6 +1070,7 @@ wsendctlmesg(Window *w, int type, Rectangle r, void *p)
 int
 wctlmesg(Window *w, int m, Rectangle r, void *p)
 {
+	char buf[64];
 	Image *i = p;
 
 	switch(m){
@@ -1109,7 +1088,9 @@ wctlmesg(Window *w, int m, Rectangle r, void *p)
 			break;
 		}
 		w->screenr = r;
+		strcpy(buf, w->name);
 		wresize(w, i, m==Moved);
+		proccreate(deletetimeoutproc, estrdup(buf), 4096);
 		flushimage(display, 1);
 		if(Dx(r)<=0){	/* window got hidden, if we had the input, drop it */
 			if(w==input)
@@ -1196,6 +1177,7 @@ wctlmesg(Window *w, int m, Rectangle r, void *p)
 			break;
 		wclunk(w);
 		write(w->notefd, "hangup", 6);
+		proccreate(deletetimeoutproc, estrdup(w->name), 4096);
 		wclosewin(w);
 		break;
 	case Exited:
@@ -1379,13 +1361,14 @@ wclunk(Window *w)
 void
 wclosewin(Window *w)
 {
-	Wdelmesg m;
+	Image *i;
 
-	m.i = w->i;
-	if(m.i){
+	i = w->i;
+	if(i){
 		w->i = nil;
-		m.s = estrdup(w->name);
-		send(deletechan, &m);
+		/* move it off-screen to hide it, in case client is slow in letting it go */
+		MOVEIT originwindow(i, i->r.min, view->r.max);
+		freeimage(i);
 	}
 }