diff --git a/src/mesh/Channels.cpp b/src/mesh/Channels.cpp
index 4dcd94e3b..1583567fe 100644
--- a/src/mesh/Channels.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh/Channels.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ const char *Channels::serialChannel = "serial";
 const char *Channels::mqttChannel = "mqtt";
 #endif
 
+meshtastic_Channel dummyChannel = {.index = -1};
+
 uint8_t xorHash(const uint8_t *p, size_t len)
 {
     uint8_t code = 0;
@@ -309,13 +311,7 @@ meshtastic_Channel &Channels::getByIndex(ChannelIndex chIndex)
         return *ch;
     } else {
         LOG_ERROR("Invalid channel index %d > %d, malformed packet received?", chIndex, channelFile.channels_count);
-
-        static meshtastic_Channel *ch = (meshtastic_Channel *)malloc(sizeof(meshtastic_Channel));
-        memset(ch, 0, sizeof(meshtastic_Channel));
-        // ch.index -1 means we don't know the channel locally and need to look it up by settings.name
-        // not sure this is handled right everywhere
-        ch->index = -1;
-        return *ch;
+        return dummyChannel;
     }
 }