diff --git a/src/App.zig b/src/App.zig
index 3bbeff2c8..02089ae5b 100644
--- a/src/App.zig
+++ b/src/App.zig
@@ -76,34 +76,38 @@ first: bool = true,
 
 pub const CreateError = Allocator.Error || font.SharedGridSet.InitError;
 
+/// Create a new app instance. This returns a stable pointer to the app
+/// instance which is required for callbacks.
+pub fn create(alloc: Allocator) CreateError!*App {
+    var app = try alloc.create(App);
+    errdefer alloc.destroy(app);
+    try app.init(alloc);
+    return app;
+}
+
 /// Initialize the main app instance. This creates the main window, sets
 /// up the renderer state, compiles the shaders, etc. This is the primary
 /// "startup" logic.
 ///
 /// After calling this function, well behaved apprts should then call
 /// `focusEvent` to set the initial focus state of the app.
-pub fn create(
+pub fn init(
+    self: *App,
     alloc: Allocator,
-) CreateError!*App {
-    var app = try alloc.create(App);
-    errdefer alloc.destroy(app);
-
+) CreateError!void {
     var font_grid_set = try font.SharedGridSet.init(alloc);
     errdefer font_grid_set.deinit();
 
-    app.* = .{
+    self.* = .{
         .alloc = alloc,
         .surfaces = .{},
         .mailbox = .{},
         .font_grid_set = font_grid_set,
         .config_conditional_state = .{},
     };
-    errdefer app.surfaces.deinit(alloc);
-
-    return app;
 }
 
-pub fn destroy(self: *App) void {
+pub fn deinit(self: *App) void {
     // Clean up all our surfaces
     for (self.surfaces.items) |surface| surface.deinit();
     self.surfaces.deinit(self.alloc);
@@ -114,7 +118,13 @@ pub fn destroy(self: *App) void {
     // should gracefully close all surfaces.
     assert(self.font_grid_set.count() == 0);
     self.font_grid_set.deinit();
+}
 
+pub fn destroy(self: *App) void {
+    // Deinitialize the app
+    self.deinit();
+
+    // Free the app memory
     self.alloc.destroy(self);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/apprt/embedded.zig b/src/apprt/embedded.zig
index 31dd2f46b..dec1e4135 100644
--- a/src/apprt/embedded.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/embedded.zig
@@ -117,10 +117,11 @@ pub const App = struct {
     config: Config,
 
     pub fn init(
+        self: *App,
         core_app: *CoreApp,
         config: *const Config,
         opts: Options,
-    ) !App {
+    ) !void {
         // We have to clone the config.
         const alloc = core_app.alloc;
         var config_clone = try config.clone(alloc);
@@ -129,7 +130,7 @@ pub const App = struct {
         var keymap = try input.Keymap.init();
         errdefer keymap.deinit();
 
-        return .{
+        self.* = .{
             .core_app = core_app,
             .config = config_clone,
             .opts = opts,
@@ -1316,13 +1317,13 @@ pub const CAPI = struct {
         opts: *const apprt.runtime.App.Options,
         config: *const Config,
     ) !*App {
-        var core_app = try CoreApp.create(global.alloc);
+        const core_app = try CoreApp.create(global.alloc);
         errdefer core_app.destroy();
 
         // Create our runtime app
         var app = try global.alloc.create(App);
         errdefer global.alloc.destroy(app);
-        app.* = try .init(core_app, config, opts.*);
+        try app.init(core_app, config, opts.*);
         errdefer app.terminate();
 
         return app;
diff --git a/src/apprt/glfw.zig b/src/apprt/glfw.zig
index 6e131435d..b82771d75 100644
--- a/src/apprt/glfw.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/glfw.zig
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ pub const App = struct {
 
     pub const Options = struct {};
 
-    pub fn init(core_app: *CoreApp, _: Options) !App {
+    pub fn init(self: *App, core_app: *CoreApp, _: Options) !void {
         if (comptime builtin.target.os.tag.isDarwin()) {
             log.warn("WARNING WARNING WARNING: GLFW ON MAC HAS BUGS.", .{});
             log.warn("You should use the AppKit-based app instead. The official download", .{});
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ pub const App = struct {
         // We want the event loop to wake up instantly so we can process our tick.
         glfw.postEmptyEvent();
 
-        return .{
+        self.* = .{
             .app = core_app,
             .config = config,
             .darwin = darwin,
diff --git a/src/apprt/gtk/App.zig b/src/apprt/gtk/App.zig
index 93e069376..7786f976a 100644
--- a/src/apprt/gtk/App.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/gtk/App.zig
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ quit_timer: union(enum) {
     expired: void,
 } = .{ .off = {} },
 
-pub fn init(core_app: *CoreApp, opts: Options) !App {
+pub fn init(self: *App, core_app: *CoreApp, opts: Options) !void {
     _ = opts;
 
     // Log our GTK version
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ pub fn init(core_app: *CoreApp, opts: Options) !App {
         gtk.STYLE_PROVIDER_PRIORITY_APPLICATION + 3,
     );
 
-    return .{
+    self.* = .{
         .core_app = core_app,
         .app = adw_app,
         .config = config,
diff --git a/src/main_ghostty.zig b/src/main_ghostty.zig
index 985c6c9bd..b75d8397c 100644
--- a/src/main_ghostty.zig
+++ b/src/main_ghostty.zig
@@ -98,11 +98,12 @@ pub fn main() !MainReturn {
     }
 
     // Create our app state
-    var app = try App.create(alloc);
+    const app: *App = try App.create(alloc);
     defer app.destroy();
 
     // Create our runtime app
-    var app_runtime = try apprt.App.init(app, .{});
+    var app_runtime: apprt.App = undefined;
+    try app_runtime.init(&app, .{});
     defer app_runtime.terminate();
 
     // Since - by definition - there are no surfaces when first started, the