diff --git a/proc/breakpoints.go b/proc/breakpoints.go
index c67dce3e..7a49d4ee 100644
--- a/proc/breakpoints.go
+++ b/proc/breakpoints.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func (bp *Breakpoint) Clear(thread *Thread) (*Breakpoint, error) {
 		}
 		return bp, nil
 	}
-	if _, err := writeMemory(thread, uintptr(bp.Addr), bp.OriginalData); err != nil {
+	if _, err := thread.writeMemory(uintptr(bp.Addr), bp.OriginalData); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not clear breakpoint %s", err)
 	}
 	return bp, nil
@@ -126,8 +126,8 @@ func (dbp *Process) setBreakpoint(tid int, addr uint64, temp bool) (*Breakpoint,
 
 	// Fall back to software breakpoint.
 	thread := dbp.Threads[tid]
-	originalData := make([]byte, dbp.arch.BreakpointSize())
-	if _, err := readMemory(thread, uintptr(addr), originalData); err != nil {
+	originalData, err := thread.readMemory(uintptr(addr), dbp.arch.BreakpointSize())
+	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	if err := dbp.writeSoftwareBreakpoint(thread, addr); err != nil {
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ func (dbp *Process) setBreakpoint(tid int, addr uint64, temp bool) (*Breakpoint,
 }
 
 func (dbp *Process) writeSoftwareBreakpoint(thread *Thread, addr uint64) error {
-	_, err := writeMemory(thread, uintptr(addr), dbp.arch.BreakpointInstruction())
+	_, err := thread.writeMemory(uintptr(addr), dbp.arch.BreakpointInstruction())
 	return err
 }
 
diff --git a/proc/proc_test.go b/proc/proc_test.go
index ffc02a34..9381b465 100644
--- a/proc/proc_test.go
+++ b/proc/proc_test.go
@@ -50,13 +50,7 @@ func getRegisters(p *Process, t *testing.T) Registers {
 }
 
 func dataAtAddr(thread *Thread, addr uint64) ([]byte, error) {
-	data := make([]byte, 1)
-	_, err := readMemory(thread, uintptr(addr), data)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	return data, nil
+	return thread.readMemory(uintptr(addr), 1)
 }
 
 func assertNoError(err error, t *testing.T, s string) {
@@ -413,9 +407,10 @@ func TestFindReturnAddress(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 
 		addr := uint64(int64(regs.SP()) + ret)
-		data := make([]byte, 8)
-
-		readMemory(p.CurrentThread, uintptr(addr), data)
+		data, err := p.CurrentThread.readMemory(uintptr(addr), 8)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
 		addr = binary.LittleEndian.Uint64(data)
 
 		_, l, _ := p.goSymTable.PCToLine(addr)
diff --git a/proc/stack.go b/proc/stack.go
index 1dfc3e2c..05ed9cd6 100644
--- a/proc/stack.go
+++ b/proc/stack.go
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ func (n NullAddrError) Error() string {
 func (dbp *Process) stacktrace(pc, sp uint64, depth int) ([]Location, error) {
 	var (
 		ret       = pc
-		data      = make([]byte, dbp.arch.PtrSize())
 		btoffset  int64
 		locations []Location
 		retaddr   uintptr
@@ -63,7 +62,7 @@ func (dbp *Process) stacktrace(pc, sp uint64, depth int) ([]Location, error) {
 		if retaddr == 0 {
 			return nil, NullAddrError{}
 		}
-		_, err = readMemory(dbp.CurrentThread, retaddr, data)
+		data, err := dbp.CurrentThread.readMemory(retaddr, dbp.arch.PtrSize())
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
diff --git a/proc/threads.go b/proc/threads.go
index 68ba135c..11982209 100644
--- a/proc/threads.go
+++ b/proc/threads.go
@@ -266,8 +266,7 @@ func (thread *Thread) GetG() (g *G, err error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	gaddrbs := make([]byte, 8)
-	_, err = readMemory(thread, uintptr(regs.TLS()+thread.dbp.arch.GStructOffset()), gaddrbs)
+	gaddrbs, err := thread.readMemory(uintptr(regs.TLS()+thread.dbp.arch.GStructOffset()), thread.dbp.arch.PtrSize())
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/proc/threads_darwin.go b/proc/threads_darwin.go
index ce57b980..c41c4fa5 100644
--- a/proc/threads_darwin.go
+++ b/proc/threads_darwin.go
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func (t *Thread) blocked() bool {
 	}
 }
 
-func writeMemory(thread *Thread, addr uintptr, data []byte) (int, error) {
+func (thread *Thread) writeMemory(addr uintptr, data []byte) (int, error) {
 	if len(data) == 0 {
 		return 0, nil
 	}
@@ -80,19 +80,20 @@ func writeMemory(thread *Thread, addr uintptr, data []byte) (int, error) {
 	return len(data), nil
 }
 
-func readMemory(thread *Thread, addr uintptr, data []byte) (int, error) {
-	if len(data) == 0 {
-		return 0, nil
+func (thread *Thread) readMemory(addr uintptr, size int) ([]byte, error) {
+	if size == 0 {
+		return nil, nil
 	}
 	var (
-		vm_data = unsafe.Pointer(&data[0])
+		buf     = make([]byte, size)
+		vm_data = unsafe.Pointer(&buf[0])
 		vm_addr = C.mach_vm_address_t(addr)
-		length  = C.mach_msg_type_number_t(len(data))
+		length  = C.mach_msg_type_number_t(size)
 	)
 
 	ret := C.read_memory(thread.dbp.os.task, vm_addr, vm_data, length)
 	if ret < 0 {
-		return 0, fmt.Errorf("could not read memory")
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not read memory")
 	}
-	return len(data), nil
+	return buf, nil
 }
diff --git a/proc/threads_linux.go b/proc/threads_linux.go
index 4dc20b66..5ad2c2b5 100644
--- a/proc/threads_linux.go
+++ b/proc/threads_linux.go
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ func (thread *Thread) restoreRegisters() (err error) {
 	return
 }
 
-func writeMemory(thread *Thread, addr uintptr, data []byte) (written int, err error) {
+func (thread *Thread) writeMemory(addr uintptr, data []byte) (written int, err error) {
 	if len(data) == 0 {
 		return
 	}
@@ -75,10 +75,11 @@ func writeMemory(thread *Thread, addr uintptr, data []byte) (written int, err er
 	return
 }
 
-func readMemory(thread *Thread, addr uintptr, data []byte) (read int, err error) {
-	if len(data) == 0 {
-		return
+func (thread *Thread) readMemory(addr uintptr, size int) (data []byte, err error) {
+	if size == 0 {
+		return nil, nil
 	}
+	data = make([]byte, size)
 	thread.dbp.execPtraceFunc(func() { read, err = sys.PtracePeekData(thread.Id, addr, data) })
 	return
 }
diff --git a/proc/variables.go b/proc/variables.go
index 1d90d291..c5171997 100644
--- a/proc/variables.go
+++ b/proc/variables.go
@@ -810,18 +810,6 @@ func (thread *Thread) readFunctionPtr(addr uintptr) (string, error) {
 	return fn.Name, nil
 }
 
-func (thread *Thread) readMemory(addr uintptr, size int) ([]byte, error) {
-	if size == 0 {
-		return nil, nil
-	}
-	buf := make([]byte, size)
-	_, err := readMemory(thread, addr, buf)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	return buf, nil
-}
-
 // Fetches all variables of a specific type in the current function scope
 func (thread *Thread) variablesByTag(tag dwarf.Tag) ([]*Variable, error) {
 	pc, err := thread.PC()