diff --git a/firmware/core_alloc.c b/firmware/core_alloc.c
index 2250f5c..85c52a1 100644
--- a/firmware/core_alloc.c
+++ b/firmware/core_alloc.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 
 #include <string.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
 #include "core_alloc.h"
 #include "buflib.h"
 #include "buffer.h"
@@ -15,14 +16,34 @@ void core_allocator_init(void)
     buffer_release_buffer(size);
 }
 
-int core_alloc(const char* name, size_t size)
+int core_alloc_ex(const char* name, size_t size, struct buflib_callbacks *ops)
 {
-    return buflib_alloc_ex(&core_ctx, size, name, NULL);
+#ifdef APPLICATION
+    int handle = buflib_alloc_ex(&core_ctx, sizeof(void*), name, ops);
+    char* buffer = (char*)malloc(size);
+    if (handle >= 0 && buffer)
+    {
+        char** data_ptr = core_get_data(handle);
+        *data_ptr = buffer;
+        printf("alloc: %d %x\n", handle, buffer);
+        return CORE_TO_APP(handle);
+    }
+    else if (buffer)
+    {
+        free(buffer);
+        handle = -1;
+    }
+    else
+        buflib_free(&core_ctx, handle);
+#else
+    int handle = buflib_alloc_ex(&core_ctx, size, name, ops);
+#endif
+    return handle;
 }
 
-int core_alloc_ex(const char* name, size_t size, struct buflib_callbacks *ops)
+int core_alloc(const char* name, size_t size)
 {
-    return buflib_alloc_ex(&core_ctx, size, name, ops);
+    return core_alloc_ex(name, size, NULL);
 }
 
 size_t core_available(void)
@@ -32,6 +53,14 @@ size_t core_available(void)
 
 int core_free(int handle)
 {
+#ifdef APPLICATION
+    if (IS_APP_HANDLE(handle))
+    {
+        handle = APP_TO_CORE(handle);
+        char** buf = core_get_data(handle);
+        free(*buf);
+    }
+#endif
     return buflib_free(&core_ctx, handle);
 }
 
@@ -42,6 +71,12 @@ int core_alloc_maximum(const char* name, size_t *size, struct buflib_callbacks *
 
 bool core_shrink(int handle, void* new_start, size_t new_size)
 {
+#ifdef APPLICATION
+    if (IS_APP_HANDLE(handle))
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
+#endif
     return buflib_shrink(&core_ctx, handle, new_start, new_size);
 }
 
diff --git a/firmware/include/core_alloc.h b/firmware/include/core_alloc.h
index f5206c9..b352526 100644
--- a/firmware/include/core_alloc.h
+++ b/firmware/include/core_alloc.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #define __CORE_ALLOC_H__
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include "buflib.h"
 
 /* All functions below are wrappers for functions in buflib.h, except
@@ -28,9 +29,26 @@ int  core_get_num_blocks(void);
 void core_print_block_at(int block_num, char* buf, size_t bufsize);
 #endif
 
+/* macros to help convert between application handles and core handles.
+ * 1<<31 would be a negative number so an error value, so use bit 30 to
+ * identify application handles. App handles use malloc() as the actual data
+ * store
+ */
+#define APP_TO_CORE(h) ((h)&(~(1<<30)))
+#define CORE_TO_APP(h) ((h)|(1<<30))
+#define IS_APP_HANDLE(h) ((h)&(1<<30))
+
 static inline void* core_get_data(int handle)
 {
     extern struct buflib_context core_ctx;
+#ifdef APPLICATION
+    if (IS_APP_HANDLE(handle))
+    {
+        char **buf = buflib_get_data(&core_ctx, APP_TO_CORE(handle));
+        printf("get %d %x\n", APP_TO_CORE(handle), *buf);
+        return *buf;
+    }
+#endif
     return buflib_get_data(&core_ctx, handle);
 }
 #endif /* __CORE_ALLOC_H__ */