diff --git a/src/video/glalert.c b/src/video/glalert.c
index d47620be..2d33dbad 100644
--- a/src/video/glalert.c
+++ b/src/video/glalert.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ static GLModel *messageModel = NULL;
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 static void *_create_alert(void) {
-    GLModelHUDElement *hudElement = (GLModelHUDElement *)CALLOC(sizeof(GLModelHUDElement), 1);
+    GLModelHUDElement *hudElement = (GLModelHUDElement *)glhud_createDefault();
     if (hudElement) {
         hudElement->colorScheme = RED_ON_BLACK;
         hudElement->blackIsTransparent = false;
diff --git a/src/video/glhudmodel.c b/src/video/glhudmodel.c
index 4cae0b20..092de5e7 100644
--- a/src/video/glhudmodel.c
+++ b/src/video/glhudmodel.c
@@ -13,7 +13,12 @@
 #include "glvideo.h"
 
 void *glhud_createDefault(void) {
-    GLModelHUDElement *hudElement = (GLModelHUDElement *)CALLOC(sizeof(GLModelHUDElement), 1);
+    return glhud_createCustom(sizeof(GLModelHUDElement));
+}
+
+void *glhud_createCustom(unsigned int sizeofModel) {
+    assert(sizeof(GLModelHUDElement) <= sizeofModel);
+    GLModelHUDElement *hudElement = (GLModelHUDElement *)CALLOC(sizeofModel, 1);
     if (hudElement) {
         hudElement->colorScheme = RED_ON_BLACK;
     }
diff --git a/src/video/glhudmodel.h b/src/video/glhudmodel.h
index a780d583..9601f3a7 100644
--- a/src/video/glhudmodel.h
+++ b/src/video/glhudmodel.h
@@ -15,13 +15,15 @@
 #include "common.h"
 #include "video_util/modelUtil.h"
 
+// HUD GLModel is basically just a quad/texture generated from the Apple //e bitmap font
+
 #define HUD_CLASS(CLS, ...) \
     MODEL_CLASS(CLS, \
         char *tpl;                  /* ASCII template */ \
         unsigned int tplWidth;      /* template width */ \
         unsigned int tplHeight;     /* template height */ \
         \
-        uint8_t *pixels;            /* raw texture/FB data */ \
+        uint8_t *pixels;            /* raw indexed data */ \
         unsigned int pixWidth;      /* FB width -- FIXME TODO : this is really the same as GLModel.texWidth */ \
         unsigned int pixHeight;     /* FB height -- FIXME TODO : this is really the same as GLModel.texHeight */ \
         \
@@ -37,6 +39,9 @@ HUD_CLASS(GLModelHUDElement);
 // default model creation
 void *glhud_createDefault(void);
 
+// create custom HUD model
+void *glhud_createCustom(unsigned int sizeofModel);
+
 // default model setup
 void glhud_setupDefault(GLModel *parent);
 
diff --git a/src/video/gltouchkbd.c b/src/video/gltouchkbd.c
index 54133747..b29b37bb 100644
--- a/src/video/gltouchkbd.c
+++ b/src/video/gltouchkbd.c
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ static void _setup_touchkbd_hud(GLModel *parent) {
 }
 
 static void *_create_touchkbd_hud(void) {
-    GLModelHUDKeyboard *hudKeyboard = (GLModelHUDKeyboard *)CALLOC(sizeof(GLModelHUDKeyboard), 1);
+    GLModelHUDKeyboard *hudKeyboard = (GLModelHUDKeyboard *)glhud_createCustom(sizeof(GLModelHUDKeyboard));
     if (hudKeyboard) {
         hudKeyboard->blackIsTransparent = true;
         hudKeyboard->opaquePixelHalo = true;
diff --git a/src/video/gltouchmenu.c b/src/video/gltouchmenu.c
index 73654fc9..1870b935 100644
--- a/src/video/gltouchmenu.c
+++ b/src/video/gltouchmenu.c
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ static void _setup_touchmenu(GLModel *parent) {
 }
 
 static void *_create_touchmenu(void) {
-    GLModelHUDMenu *hudMenu = (GLModelHUDMenu *)CALLOC(sizeof(GLModelHUDMenu), 1);
+    GLModelHUDMenu *hudMenu = (GLModelHUDMenu *)glhud_createCustom(sizeof(GLModelHUDMenu));
     if (hudMenu) {
         hudMenu->blackIsTransparent = true;
         hudMenu->opaquePixelHalo = true;