diff --git a/subprojects/libvhost-user/libvhost-user.c b/subprojects/libvhost-user/libvhost-user.c
index a3b158c671..360c5366d6 100644
--- a/subprojects/libvhost-user/libvhost-user.c
+++ b/subprojects/libvhost-user/libvhost-user.c
@@ -2171,6 +2171,8 @@ vu_deinit(VuDev *dev)
 
     free(dev->vq);
     dev->vq = NULL;
+    free(dev->regions);
+    dev->regions = NULL;
 }
 
 bool
@@ -2205,9 +2207,18 @@ vu_init(VuDev *dev,
     dev->backend_fd = -1;
     dev->max_queues = max_queues;
 
+    dev->regions = malloc(VHOST_USER_MAX_RAM_SLOTS * sizeof(dev->regions[0]));
+    if (!dev->regions) {
+        DPRINT("%s: failed to malloc mem regions\n", __func__);
+        return false;
+    }
+    memset(dev->regions, 0, VHOST_USER_MAX_RAM_SLOTS * sizeof(dev->regions[0]));
+
     dev->vq = malloc(max_queues * sizeof(dev->vq[0]));
     if (!dev->vq) {
         DPRINT("%s: failed to malloc virtqueues\n", __func__);
+        free(dev->regions);
+        dev->regions = NULL;
         return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/subprojects/libvhost-user/libvhost-user.h b/subprojects/libvhost-user/libvhost-user.h
index c2352904f0..c882b4e3a2 100644
--- a/subprojects/libvhost-user/libvhost-user.h
+++ b/subprojects/libvhost-user/libvhost-user.h
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ typedef struct VuDevInflightInfo {
 struct VuDev {
     int sock;
     uint32_t nregions;
-    VuDevRegion regions[VHOST_USER_MAX_RAM_SLOTS];
+    VuDevRegion *regions;
     VuVirtq *vq;
     VuDevInflightInfo inflight_info;
     int log_call_fd;