uint8_t *data, size_t len, uint8_t *ecc)
 {
        int i;
-       uint16_t par[prz->ecc_info.ecc_size];
 
        /* Initialize the parity buffer */
-       memset(par, 0, sizeof(par));
-       encode_rs8(prz->rs_decoder, data, len, par, 0);
+       memset(prz->ecc_info.par, 0,
+              prz->ecc_info.ecc_size * sizeof(prz->ecc_info.par[0]));
+       encode_rs8(prz->rs_decoder, data, len, prz->ecc_info.par, 0);
        for (i = 0; i < prz->ecc_info.ecc_size; i++)
-               ecc[i] = par[i];
+               ecc[i] = prz->ecc_info.par[i];
 }
 
 static int persistent_ram_decode_rs8(struct persistent_ram_zone *prz,
        void *data, size_t len, uint8_t *ecc)
 {
        int i;
-       uint16_t par[prz->ecc_info.ecc_size];
 
        for (i = 0; i < prz->ecc_info.ecc_size; i++)
-               par[i] = ecc[i];
-       return decode_rs8(prz->rs_decoder, data, par, len,
+               prz->ecc_info.par[i] = ecc[i];
+       return decode_rs8(prz->rs_decoder, data, prz->ecc_info.par, len,
                                NULL, 0, NULL, 0, NULL);
 }
 
                return -EINVAL;
        }
 
+       /* allocate workspace instead of using stack VLA */
+       prz->ecc_info.par = kmalloc_array(prz->ecc_info.ecc_size,
+                                         sizeof(*prz->ecc_info.par),
+                                         GFP_KERNEL);
+       if (!prz->ecc_info.par) {
+               pr_err("cannot allocate ECC parity workspace\n");
+               return -ENOMEM;
+       }
+
        prz->corrected_bytes = 0;
        prz->bad_blocks = 0;
 
                }
                prz->vaddr = NULL;
        }
+       if (prz->rs_decoder) {
+               free_rs(prz->rs_decoder);
+               prz->rs_decoder = NULL;
+       }
+       kfree(prz->ecc_info.par);
+       prz->ecc_info.par = NULL;
+
        persistent_ram_free_old(prz);
        kfree(prz);
 }