diff --git a/src/dwarf/dwarf_handler.cpp b/src/dwarf/dwarf_handler.cpp
index 39ff89a..c806248 100644
--- a/src/dwarf/dwarf_handler.cpp
+++ b/src/dwarf/dwarf_handler.cpp
@@ -268,6 +268,19 @@ void pst_handler_init(pst_handler* h, ucontext_t* hctx)
 {
     pst_context_init(&h->ctx, hctx);
     list_head_init(&h->functions);
+    h->allocated = false;
+}
+
+pst_handler* pst_handler_new(ucontext_t* hctx)
+{
+    pst_handler* handler = pst_alloc(pst_handler);
+
+    if(handler) {
+        pst_handler_init(handler, hctx);
+        handler->allocated = true;
+    }
+
+    return handler;
 }
 
 void pst_handler_fini(pst_handler* h)
diff --git a/src/dwarf/dwarf_handler.h b/src/dwarf/dwarf_handler.h
index d68b3a5..9107194 100644
--- a/src/dwarf/dwarf_handler.h
+++ b/src/dwarf/dwarf_handler.h
@@ -15,14 +15,14 @@
 #include "common.h"
 #include "context.h"
 
-typedef struct pst_context pst_context;
-
 typedef struct pst_handler {
 	pst_context	    ctx;		// context of unwinding
 	list_head	    functions;	// list of functions in stack frame
+	bool            allocated;  // whether this object was allocated or not
 } pst_handler;
 
 void pst_handler_init(pst_handler* h, ucontext_t* hctx);
+pst_handler* pst_handler_new(ucontext_t* hctx);
 void pst_handler_fini(pst_handler* h);
 
 bool pst_handler_handle_dwarf(pst_handler* h);