diff --git a/engine/platform/dos/vid_dos.c b/engine/platform/dos/vid_dos.c
index 19f82c20..9d1b5549 100644
--- a/engine/platform/dos/vid_dos.c
+++ b/engine/platform/dos/vid_dos.c
@@ -543,9 +543,12 @@ qboolean SW_CreateBuffer( int width, int height, uint *stride, uint *bpp, uint *
 	return true;
 }
 
-window_handle_t *R_GetWindowHandle( void )
+window_handle_t R_GetWindowHandle( void )
 {
-	return NULL;
+	window_handle_t handle;
+	handle.type = REF_WINDOW_TYPE_NONE;
+	handle.handle = NULL;
+	return handle;
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/engine/platform/linux/vid_fbdev.c b/engine/platform/linux/vid_fbdev.c
index 0906bb1b..6b0c371f 100644
--- a/engine/platform/linux/vid_fbdev.c
+++ b/engine/platform/linux/vid_fbdev.c
@@ -246,9 +246,12 @@ qboolean SW_CreateBuffer( int width, int height, uint *stride, uint *bpp, uint *
 	return true;
 }
 
-window_handle_t *R_GetWindowHandle( void )
+window_handle_t R_GetWindowHandle( void )
 {
-	return NULL;
+	window_handle_t handle;
+	handle.type = REF_WINDOW_TYPE_NONE;
+	handle.handle = NULL;
+	return handle;
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/engine/platform/platform.h b/engine/platform/platform.h
index e6a6e829..3ba8f8e7 100644
--- a/engine/platform/platform.h
+++ b/engine/platform/platform.h
@@ -314,6 +314,7 @@ typedef enum
 
 enum
 {
+	REF_WINDOW_TYPE_NONE = 0, // NULL
 	REF_WINDOW_TYPE_WIN32 = 1, // HWND
 	REF_WINDOW_TYPE_X11 = 2, // Display*
 	REF_WINDOW_TYPE_WAYLAND = 3, // wl_display*
@@ -344,7 +345,7 @@ void *SW_LockBuffer( void );
 void SW_UnlockBuffer( void );
 qboolean SW_CreateBuffer( int width, int height, uint *stride, uint *bpp, uint *r, uint *g, uint *b );
 void Platform_Minimize_f( void );
-window_handle_t *R_GetWindowHandle( void );
+window_handle_t R_GetWindowHandle( void );
 
 //
 // in_evdev.c
diff --git a/engine/platform/sdl1/vid_sdl1.c b/engine/platform/sdl1/vid_sdl1.c
index ddd8158e..40d88b97 100644
--- a/engine/platform/sdl1/vid_sdl1.c
+++ b/engine/platform/sdl1/vid_sdl1.c
@@ -513,9 +513,12 @@ qboolean VID_SetMode( void )
 	return true;
 }
 
-window_handle_t *R_GetWindowHandle( void )
+window_handle_t R_GetWindowHandle( void )
 {
-	return NULL;
+	window_handle_t handle;
+	handle.type = REF_WINDOW_TYPE_NONE;
+	handle.handle = NULL;
+	return handle;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/engine/platform/sdl2/vid_sdl2.c b/engine/platform/sdl2/vid_sdl2.c
index a962dfe3..9a6a346b 100644
--- a/engine/platform/sdl2/vid_sdl2.c
+++ b/engine/platform/sdl2/vid_sdl2.c
@@ -1165,30 +1165,33 @@ qboolean VID_SetMode( void )
 	return true;
 }
 
-window_handle_t *R_GetWindowHandle( void )
+window_handle_t R_GetWindowHandle( void )
 {
+	window_handle_t handle;
+	handle.type = REF_WINDOW_TYPE_NONE;
+	handle.handle = NULL;
+
 	SDL_SysWMinfo wmInfo;
     SDL_VERSION(&wmInfo.version);
 
     if (SDL_GetWindowWMInfo(host.hWnd, &wmInfo) != SDL_TRUE) {
-        return NULL;
+        return handle;
     }
 
-	window_handle_t *handle = malloc( sizeof( window_handle_t ) );
     #if defined(SDL_VIDEO_DRIVER_WINDOWS)
-        handle->type = REF_WINDOW_TYPE_WIN32;
-        handle->handle = (void*)wmInfo.info.win.window; // HWND
+        handle.type = REF_WINDOW_TYPE_WIN32;
+        handle.handle = (void*)wmInfo.info.win.window; // HWND
     #elif defined(SDL_VIDEO_DRIVER_COCOA)
-        handle->type = REF_WINDOW_TYPE_MACOS;
-        handle->handle = (void*)wmInfo.info.cocoa.window; // NSWindow*
+        handle.type = REF_WINDOW_TYPE_MACOS;
+        handle.handle = (void*)wmInfo.info.cocoa.window; // NSWindow*
     #elif defined(SDL_VIDEO_DRIVER_X11)
-        handle->type = REF_WINDOW_TYPE_X11;
-        handle->handle = (void*)(uintptr_t)wmInfo.info.x11.window; // X11 Window
+        handle.type = REF_WINDOW_TYPE_X11;
+        handle.handle = (void*)(uintptr_t)wmInfo.info.x11.window; // X11 Window
     #elif defined(SDL_VIDEO_DRIVER_WAYLAND)
-        handle->type = REF_WINDOW_TYPE_WAYLAND;
-        handle->handle = (void*)wmInfo.info.wl.surface; // wl_surface*
+        handle.type = REF_WINDOW_TYPE_WAYLAND;
+        handle.handle = (void*)wmInfo.info.wl.surface; // wl_surface*
     #else
-        return NULL;
+        return handle;
     #endif
 
 	return handle;
diff --git a/engine/ref_api.h b/engine/ref_api.h
index 6039fd68..2dd1f58c 100644
--- a/engine/ref_api.h
+++ b/engine/ref_api.h
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ typedef struct ref_api_s
 	fs_api_t	*fsapi;
 
 	// for abstracting the engine's rendering
-	struct window_handle_t *(*R_GetWindowHandle)( void );
+	struct window_handle_t (*R_GetWindowHandle)( void );
 } ref_api_t;
 
 struct mip_s;