diff --git a/include/libp2p/record/record.h b/include/libp2p/record/record.h
index 0a36b85..b29003f 100644
--- a/include/libp2p/record/record.h
+++ b/include/libp2p/record/record.h
@@ -3,5 +3,5 @@
 
     #define RECORD_BUFSIZE 1024
 
-    int libp2p_record_make_put_record (char* record, struct RsaPrivateKey* sk, char* key, char* value, size_t vlen, int sign);
+    int libp2p_record_make_put_record (char** record, size_t *rec_size, struct RsaPrivateKey* sk, char* key, char* value, size_t vlen, int sign);
 #endif // LIBP2P_RECORD_H
diff --git a/record/record.c b/record/record.c
index 1d81bac..3cd8af2 100644
--- a/record/record.c
+++ b/record/record.c
@@ -8,51 +8,60 @@
 #include "mh/multihash.h"
 
 // libp2p_record_make_put_record creates and signs a dht record for the given key/value pair
-int libp2p_record_make_put_record (char* record, struct RsaPrivateKey* sk, char* key, char* value, size_t vlen, int sign)
+int libp2p_record_make_put_record (char** record, size_t *rec_size, struct RsaPrivateKey* sk, char* key, char* value, size_t vlen, int sign)
 {
-    char *pkh;
+    char *pkh, *p;
     int pkh_len;
     size_t len = 0, l;
 
-    record = malloc(RECORD_BUFSIZE);
+    *record = NULL; *rec_size = 0;
+    p = malloc(RECORD_BUFSIZE);
 
-    if (record) {
-        memset (record, '\0', len);
-        if (!protobuf_encode_string (1, WIRETYPE_LENGTH_DELIMITED, key, record, RECORD_BUFSIZE, &l)) {
-            free (record);
+    if (p) {
+        memset (p, '\0', len);
+        if (!protobuf_encode_string (1, WIRETYPE_LENGTH_DELIMITED, key, p, RECORD_BUFSIZE, &l)) {
+            free (p);
             return -1;
         }
         len += l;
-        if (!protobuf_encode_length_delimited (2, WIRETYPE_LENGTH_DELIMITED, value, vlen, record+len, RECORD_BUFSIZE-len, &l)) {
-            free (record);
+        if (!protobuf_encode_length_delimited (2, WIRETYPE_LENGTH_DELIMITED, value, vlen, p+len, RECORD_BUFSIZE-len, &l)) {
+            free (p);
             return -1;
         }
         len += l;
         pkh_len = mh_new_length(MH_H_SHA2_256, sk->public_key_length);
         pkh = malloc(pkh_len);
         if (!pkh) {
-            free (record);
+            free (p);
             return -1;
         }
         if (mh_new(pkh, MH_H_SHA2_256, sk->public_key_der, sk->public_key_length)) {
             free (pkh);
-            free (record);
+            free (p);
             return -1;
         }
-        if (!protobuf_encode_length_delimited (3, WIRETYPE_LENGTH_DELIMITED, pkh, pkh_len, record+len, RECORD_BUFSIZE-len, &l)) {
+        if (!protobuf_encode_length_delimited (3, WIRETYPE_LENGTH_DELIMITED, pkh, pkh_len, p+len, RECORD_BUFSIZE-len, &l)) {
             free (pkh);
-            free (record);
+            free (p);
             return -1;
         }
+        free (pkh);
         len += l;
         if (sign) {
             //TODO: missing signature function at libp2p-crypto ?
-            //sign(sk, signature, record, len);
+            //sign(sk, signature, p, len);
             //proto encode signature.
             free (pkh);
-            free (record);
+            free (p);
             return -1; // not implemented.
         }
     }
+    *record = realloc(p, len); // Reduces memory used for just what is needed.
+    if (*record) {
+        *rec_size = len;
+    } else {
+        free (p);
+        return -1;
+    }
     return 0; // sucess.
 }