diff --git a/README b/README
index c6b7381..2660033 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -17,13 +17,14 @@ USAGE:
             ... // transformed 
         free(cfg);
 
-    Note: frequency-domain data is stored from dc to 2pi.
+    Note: frequency-domain data is stored from dc up to 2pi.
     so cx_out[0] is the dc bin of the FFT
-    and cx_out[nfft/2] is the Nyquist bin (if present)
+    and cx_out[nfft/2] is the Nyquist bin (if even length FFT)
 
     Declarations are in "kiss_fft.h", along with a brief description of the 
 functions you'll need to use. Code definitions for 1d complex FFTs are in kiss_fft.c.
-with sample usage code.  For more functionality, like 2d FFTs you may need to add other source files to your project.
+with sample usage code.  For more functionality, like 2d FFTs you may need to add 
+other source files to your project.
 
     The code can be compiled to use float, double or 16bit short samples.
 The default is float.
@@ -41,8 +42,7 @@ a well respected and highly optimized fft library.  I don't want to criticize
 this great library, so let's call it FFT_BRANDX.
 During this process, I learned:
 
-    1. FFT_BRANDX has 500 times as many lines of code as Kiss 
-        (and that's just the C code).
+    1. FFT_BRANDX has more than 100K lines of code. KISS has less than 1k.
     2. It took me an embarrassingly long time to get FFT_BRANDX working.
     3. A simple program using FFT_BRANDX is 522KB. A similar program using kiss_fft is 18KB.
     4. FFT_BRANDX is roughly twice as fast as KISS FFT.
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ LICENSE:
     BSD, see COPYING for details. Basically, "free to use, give credit where due, no guarantees"
 
 TODO:
+    *) Add 2d real optimized FFT
+    *) Make a better self-test program(s).  Should report snr & timing for short,float, 
+        or double.
     *) Add simple windowing function, e.g. Hamming : w(i)=.54-.46*cos(2pi*i/(n-1))
     *) Make the fixed point scaling and bit shifts more easily configurable.
     *) Document/revisit the input/output fft scaling
diff --git a/_kiss_fft_guts.h b/_kiss_fft_guts.h
index 37c814d..be4c4f9 100644
--- a/_kiss_fft_guts.h
+++ b/_kiss_fft_guts.h
@@ -70,11 +70,19 @@ typedef struct {
 #define C_SUBFROM( res , a)\
     do {    (res).r -= (a).r;  (res).i -= (a).i;  }while(0)
 
-kiss_fft_cpx kf_cexp(double phase);
-
-int kf_allocsize(int nfft);
-
-void kf_init_state(kiss_fft_state * st,int nfft,int inverse_fft);
+static
+kiss_fft_cpx kf_cexp(double phase) /* returns e ** (j*phase)   */
+{
+    kiss_fft_cpx x;
+#ifdef FIXED_POINT
+    x.r = (kiss_fft_scalar) (32767 * cos (phase));
+    x.i = (kiss_fft_scalar) (32767 * sin (phase));
+#else
+    x.r = cos (phase);
+    x.i = sin (phase);
+#endif
+    return x;
+}
 
 void kf_work(
         kiss_fft_cpx * Fout,
@@ -84,3 +92,8 @@ void kf_work(
         const kiss_fft_state * st
         );
 
+/* a debugging function */
+static void pcpx( kiss_fft_cpx * c)
+{
+    fprintf(stderr,"%g + %gi\n",c->r,c->i);
+}
diff --git a/kiss_fft.c b/kiss_fft.c
index 4f6ffe2..9fb793e 100644
--- a/kiss_fft.c
+++ b/kiss_fft.c
@@ -18,19 +18,6 @@ THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND
  fixed or floating point complex numbers.  It also delares the kf_ internal functions.
  */
 
-kiss_fft_cpx kf_cexp(double phase) /* returns e ** (j*phase)   */
-{
-    kiss_fft_cpx x;
-#ifdef FIXED_POINT
-    x.r = (kiss_fft_scalar) ( 32767*cos(phase) );
-    x.i = (kiss_fft_scalar) ( 32767*sin(phase) );
-#else
-    x.r = cos(phase);
-    x.i = sin(phase);
-#endif
-    return x;
-}
-
 static void kf_bfly2(
         kiss_fft_cpx * Fout,
         int fstride,
@@ -276,16 +263,6 @@ void kf_work(
     }
 }
 
-int kf_allocsize(int nfft)
-{
-    int allocsize =  sizeof(kiss_fft_state)
-        + sizeof(kiss_fft_cpx)*nfft /* twiddle factors*/
-        + sizeof(kiss_fft_cpx)*nfft /* tmpbuf*/
-        + sizeof(int)*nfft /* factors*/
-        + sizeof(kiss_fft_cpx)*nfft; /* scratch*/
-    return allocsize;
-}
-
 /*  facbuf is populated by p1,m1,p2,m2, ...
     where 
     p[i] * m[i] = m[i-1]
@@ -312,27 +289,6 @@ void kf_factor(int n,int * facbuf)
     } while (n > 1);
 }
 
-void kf_init_state(kiss_fft_state * st,int nfft,int inverse_fft)
-{
-    int i;
-    st->nfft=nfft;
-    st->inverse = inverse_fft;
-    st->twiddles = (kiss_fft_cpx*)(st+1); /* just beyond struct*/
-    st->tmpbuf = (kiss_fft_cpx*)(st->twiddles + nfft);/*  just after twiddles*/
-    st->scratch = (kiss_fft_cpx*)(st->tmpbuf + nfft);
-    st->factors = (int*)(st->scratch + nfft);
-
-    for (i=0;i<nfft;++i) {
-        const double pi=3.14159265358979323846264338327;
-        double phase = ( -2*pi /nfft ) * i;
-        if (st->inverse)
-            phase *= -1;
-        st->twiddles[i] = kf_cexp( phase );
-    }
-
-    kf_factor(nfft,st->factors);
-}
-
 /*
  *      void * kiss_fft_alloc(int nfft,int inverse_fft)
  *
@@ -341,14 +297,41 @@ void kf_init_state(kiss_fft_state * st,int nfft,int inverse_fft)
  * The return value is a contiguous block of memory, allocated with malloc.  As such,
  * It can be freed with free(), rather than a kiss_fft-specific function.
  * */
-void * kiss_fft_alloc(int nfft,int inverse_fft)
+void * kiss_fft_alloc(int nfft,int inverse_fft,void * mem,size_t * lenmem )
 {
     kiss_fft_state * st=NULL;
+    size_t memneeded = sizeof(kiss_fft_state)
+        + sizeof(kiss_fft_cpx)*nfft /* twiddle factors*/
+        + sizeof(kiss_fft_cpx)*nfft /* tmpbuf*/
+        + sizeof(int)*nfft /* factors*/
+        + sizeof(kiss_fft_cpx)*nfft; /* scratch*/
 
-    st = ( kiss_fft_state *)malloc( kf_allocsize(nfft) );
-    if (!st)
-        return NULL;
-    kf_init_state( st ,nfft,inverse_fft );
+    if ( lenmem==NULL ) {
+        st = ( kiss_fft_state *)malloc( memneeded );
+    }else{
+        if (*lenmem >= memneeded)
+            st = ( kiss_fft_state *)mem;
+        *lenmem = memneeded;
+    }
+    if (st){
+        int i;
+        st->nfft=nfft;
+        st->inverse = inverse_fft;
+        st->twiddles = (kiss_fft_cpx*)(st+1); /* just beyond struct*/
+        st->tmpbuf = (kiss_fft_cpx*)(st->twiddles + nfft);/*  just after twiddles*/
+        st->scratch = (kiss_fft_cpx*)(st->tmpbuf + nfft);
+        st->factors = (int*)(st->scratch + nfft);
+
+        for (i=0;i<nfft;++i) {
+            const double pi=3.14159265358979323846264338327;
+            double phase = ( -2*pi /nfft ) * i;
+            if (st->inverse)
+                phase *= -1;
+            st->twiddles[i] = kf_cexp( phase );
+        }
+
+        kf_factor(nfft,st->factors);
+    }
     return st;
 }
 
diff --git a/kiss_fft.h b/kiss_fft.h
index f08b5b9..86b881f 100644
--- a/kiss_fft.h
+++ b/kiss_fft.h
@@ -15,24 +15,34 @@
 # endif
 #endif
 
-
 typedef struct {
     kiss_fft_scalar r;
     kiss_fft_scalar i;
 }kiss_fft_cpx;
 
 /* 
- *  fft_alloc
+ *  kiss_fft_alloc
  *  
- *  Initialize a FFT (or IFFT) algorithm.
+ *  Initialize a FFT (or IFFT) algorithm's cfg/state buffer.
+ *
+ *  typical usage:      void * mycfg=kiss_fft_alloc(1024,0,NULL,NULL);
  *
  *  The return value from fft_alloc is a cfg buffer used internally
- *  by the fft routine.
+ *  by the fft routine or NULL.
  *
- *  Call free() on it when done using it to avoid memory leaks.
+ *  If lenmem is NULL, then kiss_fft_alloc will allocate a cfg buffer using malloc.
+ *  The returned value should be free()d when done to avoid memory leaks.
+ *  
+ *  The state can be placed in a user supplied buffer 'mem':
+ *  If lenmem is not NULL and mem is not NULL and *lenmem is large enough,
+ *      then the function places the cfg in mem and the size used in *lenmem
+ *      and returns mem.
+ *  
+ *  If lenmem is not NULL and ( mem is NULL or *lenmem is not large enough),
+ *      then the function returns NULL and places the minimum cfg 
+ *      buffer size in *lenmem.
  * */
-void* kiss_fft_alloc(int nfft,int inverse_fft); 
-/* free() the state when done using it */
+void* kiss_fft_alloc(int nfft,int inverse_fft,void * mem,size_t * lenmem); 
 
 /*
  * kiss_fft(cfg,in_out_buf)
@@ -43,11 +53,7 @@ void* kiss_fft_alloc(int nfft,int inverse_fft);
  * fout will be   F[0] , F[1] , ... ,F[nfft-1]
  * Note that each element is complex and can be accessed like
     f[k].r and f[k].i
-
-   Apologies to previous users of KISS FFT, this function has changed from 2 args to 3 args.
-   To maintain the original behavior , use fout == fin 
  * */
-
 void kiss_fft(const void * cfg,const kiss_fft_cpx *fin,kiss_fft_cpx *fout);
 
 
@@ -55,15 +61,22 @@ void kiss_fft(const void * cfg,const kiss_fft_cpx *fin,kiss_fft_cpx *fout);
    the data should be stored rowwise,
    in other words, an array made up of row[0], then row[1], etc
  */
-void * kiss_fft2d_alloc(int nrows,int ncols,int inverse_fft);
+void * kiss_fft2d_alloc(int nrows,int ncols,int inverse_fft,void * mem,size_t * lenmem);
 void kiss_fft2d(const void* cfg_from_alloc , const kiss_fft_cpx *fin,kiss_fft_cpx *fout );
 
 /* Real optimized version can save about 45% cpu time vs. complex fft of a real seq.
  */
-void * kiss_fftr_alloc(int nfft,int inverse_fft);
+void * kiss_fftr_alloc(int nfft,int inverse_fft,void * mem, size_t * lenmem);
 void kiss_fftr(const void * cfg,const kiss_fft_scalar *timedata,kiss_fft_cpx *freqdata);
 void kiss_fftri(const void * cfg,const kiss_fft_cpx *freqdata,kiss_fft_scalar *timedata);
 
+/* 2d Real optimized version 
+ */
+void * kiss_fftr2d_alloc(int nfft,int inverse_fft,void * mem, size_t * lenmem);
+void kiss_fftr2d(const void * cfg,const kiss_fft_scalar *timedata,kiss_fft_cpx *freqdata);
+void kiss_fftr2di(const void * cfg,const kiss_fft_cpx *freqdata,kiss_fft_scalar *timedata);
+
+
 
 /* when done with the cfg for a given fft size and direction, simply free it*/
 #define kiss_fft_free free
diff --git a/kiss_fft2d.c b/kiss_fft2d.c
index ce0cd40..b422500 100644
--- a/kiss_fft2d.c
+++ b/kiss_fft2d.c
@@ -21,24 +21,31 @@ typedef struct {
     kiss_fft_cpx * tmpbuf;
 }kiss_fft2d_state;
 
-void * kiss_fft2d_alloc(int nrows,int ncols,int inverse_fft)
+void * kiss_fft2d_alloc(int nrows,int ncols,int inverse_fft,void*mem,size_t*lenmem)
 {
     kiss_fft2d_state *st = NULL;
-    int size1,size2,sizetmp;
-    size1 = kf_allocsize(ncols);
-    size2 = kf_allocsize(nrows);
-    sizetmp = sizeof(kiss_fft_cpx)*(ncols > nrows ? ncols : nrows);
+    size_t size1, size2, sizetmp, memneeded;
+    kiss_fft_alloc (ncols, inverse_fft, NULL, &size1);
+    kiss_fft_alloc (nrows, inverse_fft, NULL, &size2);
+    sizetmp = sizeof (kiss_fft_cpx) * (ncols > nrows ? ncols : nrows);
+    memneeded = sizeof (kiss_fft2d_state) + size1 + size2 + sizetmp;
 
-    st = (kiss_fft2d_state *) malloc ( sizeof(kiss_fft2d_state) + size1 + size2 + sizetmp );
+    if (lenmem == NULL) {
+        st = (kiss_fft2d_state *) malloc (memneeded);
+    } else {
+        if (*lenmem >= memneeded)
+            st = (kiss_fft2d_state *) mem;
+        *lenmem = memneeded;
+    }
     if (!st)
         return NULL;
 
     st->minus2 = -2;
-    st->rowst = (kiss_fft_state *)(st+1); /*just beyond kiss_fft2d_state struct */
-    st->colst = (kiss_fft_state *)( (char*)(st->rowst) + size1 );
-    st->tmpbuf = (kiss_fft_cpx *)( (char*)(st->rowst) + size1 + size2 );
-    kf_init_state (st->rowst, ncols, inverse_fft);
-    kf_init_state (st->colst, nrows, inverse_fft);
+    st->rowst = (kiss_fft_state *) (st + 1);    /*just beyond kiss_fft2d_state struct */
+    st->colst = (kiss_fft_state *) ((char *) (st->rowst) + size1);
+    st->tmpbuf = (kiss_fft_cpx *) ((char *) (st->rowst) + size1 + size2);
+    kiss_fft_alloc (ncols, inverse_fft, st->rowst, &size1);
+    kiss_fft_alloc (nrows, inverse_fft, st->colst, &size2);
     return st;
 }
 
diff --git a/kiss_fftr.c b/kiss_fftr.c
index b52539a..3520cea 100644
--- a/kiss_fftr.c
+++ b/kiss_fftr.c
@@ -21,45 +21,47 @@ typedef struct {
     kiss_fft_cpx * super_twiddles;
 }kiss_fftr_state;
 
-void * kiss_fftr_alloc(int nfft,int inverse_fft)
+void * kiss_fftr_alloc(int nfft,int inverse_fft,void * mem,size_t * lenmem)
 {
     int i;
     kiss_fftr_state *st = NULL;
-    int subsize;
-    
-    if (nfft&1) {
+    size_t subsize, memneeded;
+
+    if (nfft & 1) {
         /*fprintf(stderr,"Real FFT optimization must be even.\n"); */
         return NULL;
     }
     nfft >>= 1;
 
-    subsize = kf_allocsize(nfft);
+    kiss_fft_alloc (nfft, inverse_fft, NULL, &subsize);
+    memneeded = sizeof(kiss_fftr_state) + subsize + sizeof(kiss_fft_cpx) * ( nfft * 2);
 
-    st = (kiss_fftr_state *) malloc ( sizeof(kiss_fftr_state)
-            + subsize + sizeof(kiss_fft_cpx) * ( nfft * 2) );
+    if (lenmem == NULL) {
+        st = (kiss_fftr_state *) malloc (memneeded);
+    } else {
+        if (*lenmem >= memneeded)
+            st = (kiss_fftr_state *) mem;
+        *lenmem = memneeded;
+    }
     if (!st)
         return NULL;
 
     st->minus3 = -3;
-    st->substate = (kiss_fft_state *)(st+1); /*just beyond kiss_fftr_state struct */
-    st->tmpbuf =  (kiss_fft_cpx*)(((char*)st->substate) + subsize);
-    st->super_twiddles =  st->tmpbuf + nfft;
-    kf_init_state (st->substate, nfft, inverse_fft);
+    st->substate = (kiss_fft_state *) (st + 1); /*just beyond kiss_fftr_state struct */
+    st->tmpbuf = (kiss_fft_cpx *) (((char *) st->substate) + subsize);
+    st->super_twiddles = st->tmpbuf + nfft;
+    kiss_fft_alloc(nfft, inverse_fft, st->substate, &subsize);
 
-    for (i=0;i<nfft;++i) {
-        double phase = -3.14159265358979323846264338327 * ( (double)i / nfft + .5);
+    for (i = 0; i < nfft; ++i) {
+        double phase =
+            -3.14159265358979323846264338327 * ((double) i / nfft + .5);
         if (inverse_fft)
             phase *= -1;
-        st->super_twiddles[i] = kf_cexp( phase );
+        st->super_twiddles[i] = kf_cexp (phase);
     }
     return st;
 }
 
-static void pcpx( kiss_fft_cpx * c)
-{
-    printf("%g + %gi\n",c->r,c->i);
-}
-
 void kiss_fftr(const void * cfg,const kiss_fft_scalar *timedata,kiss_fft_cpx *freqdata)
 {
     /* input buffer timedata is stored row-wise */
diff --git a/test/Makefile b/test/Makefile
index f6181f4..700e777 100644
--- a/test/Makefile
+++ b/test/Makefile
@@ -56,9 +56,10 @@ mtime: all $(BENCHFFTW)
 		[ -x ./$(BENCHFFTW) ] && ./$(BENCHFFTW) -x $(NUMFFTS) -n $$n || true ; \
 	done
 
-snr: all
+snr: all $(TESTREAL)
 	@echo "testkiss( $(NFFT) , 1, '$(DATATYPE)' );" | octave -q
 	@echo "testkiss( $(NFFT) , $(NROWS), '$(DATATYPE)' );" | octave -q
+	./$(TESTREAL)
 
 test: snr time fftw
 
diff --git a/test/benchkiss.c b/test/benchkiss.c
index 9e288a1..032d765 100644
--- a/test/benchkiss.c
+++ b/test/benchkiss.c
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ int main(int argc,char ** argv)
 
     pstats_init();
 
-    st = kiss_fft_alloc( nfft ,isinverse );
+    st = kiss_fft_alloc( nfft ,isinverse ,0,0);
 
     for (i=0;i<numffts;++i)
         kiss_fft( st ,buf,bufout );
diff --git a/test/test_real.c b/test/test_real.c
index 10d3e77..2f951da 100644
--- a/test/test_real.c
+++ b/test/test_real.c
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ double snr_compare( kiss_fft_cpx * vec1,kiss_fft_cpx * vec2, int n)
 #endif
 
 #ifndef NUMFFTS
-#define NUMFFTS 10000
+#define NUMFFTS 1000
 #endif
 
 void pcpx(const char * msg, kiss_fft_cpx * c)
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ int main()
 /*        printf("in[%d]",i);pcpx("",cin+i); */
     }
 
-    kiss_fft_state = kiss_fft_alloc(NFFT,0);
-    kiss_fftr_state = kiss_fftr_alloc(NFFT,0);
+    kiss_fft_state = kiss_fft_alloc(NFFT,0,0,0);
+    kiss_fftr_state = kiss_fftr_alloc(NFFT,0,0,0);
     kiss_fft(kiss_fft_state,cin,cout);
     kiss_fftr(kiss_fftr_state,sin,sout);
     printf( "nfft=%d, inverse=%d, snr=%g\n",
@@ -97,8 +97,8 @@ int main()
     free(kiss_fft_state);
     free(kiss_fftr_state);
 
-    kiss_fft_state = kiss_fft_alloc(NFFT,1);
-    kiss_fftr_state = kiss_fftr_alloc(NFFT,1);
+    kiss_fft_state = kiss_fft_alloc(NFFT,1,0,0);
+    kiss_fftr_state = kiss_fftr_alloc(NFFT,1,0,0);
 
     kiss_fft(kiss_fft_state,cout,cin);
     kiss_fftri(kiss_fftr_state,cout,sin);
diff --git a/tools/Makefile b/tools/Makefile
index f6181f4..700e777 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile
+++ b/tools/Makefile
@@ -56,9 +56,10 @@ mtime: all $(BENCHFFTW)
 		[ -x ./$(BENCHFFTW) ] && ./$(BENCHFFTW) -x $(NUMFFTS) -n $$n || true ; \
 	done
 
-snr: all
+snr: all $(TESTREAL)
 	@echo "testkiss( $(NFFT) , 1, '$(DATATYPE)' );" | octave -q
 	@echo "testkiss( $(NFFT) , $(NROWS), '$(DATATYPE)' );" | octave -q
+	./$(TESTREAL)
 
 test: snr time fftw
 
diff --git a/tools/fftutil.c b/tools/fftutil.c
index 137bf4b..3ea09fa 100644
--- a/tools/fftutil.c
+++ b/tools/fftutil.c
@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@ void fft_file(FILE * fin,FILE * fout,int nfft,int nrows,int isinverse,int useasc
     buf = (kiss_fft_cpx*)malloc(sizeof(kiss_fft_cpx) * nfft *nrows );
     bufout = (kiss_fft_cpx*)malloc(sizeof(kiss_fft_cpx) * nfft *nrows);
     if (nrows!=1)
-        st = kiss_fft2d_alloc( nrows,nfft ,isinverse );
+        st = kiss_fft2d_alloc( nrows,nfft ,isinverse ,0,0);
     else
-        st = kiss_fft_alloc( nfft ,isinverse );
+        st = kiss_fft_alloc( nfft ,isinverse ,0,0);
 
     while ( fread( buf , sizeof(kiss_fft_cpx) * nfft * nrows ,1, fin ) > 0 ) {
         for (i=0;i<times;++i)