diff --git a/forth_words.c b/forth_words.c
index 523e392..95987f5 100644
--- a/forth_words.c
+++ b/forth_words.c
@@ -469,22 +469,18 @@ void do_variable(Word* w) {
     char* name = next_token();
     if (!name) { printf("VARIABLE expects a name\n"); return; }
 
-    // allocate a cell for the variable's address
-    Cell* body_cell = malloc(sizeof(Cell));
-    if (!body_cell) { printf("Out of memory\n"); exit(1); }
-    body_cell->num = here - user_mem;   // store the cell index
-
-    // allocate one cell in user memory
+    // allocate one cell in user memory for the variable's data
     if (here + 1 > user_mem + user_mem_size) {
         printf("User memory overflow\n");
-        free(body_cell);
         return;
     }
+    Cell* var_cell = here;    // address of the data cell
+    var_cell->num = 0;        // initialise to 0 (optional)
     here++;
 
     // create dictionary entry
     Word* new_w = malloc(sizeof(Word));
-    if (!new_w) { printf("Out of memory\n"); free(body_cell); exit(1); }
+    if (!new_w) { printf("Out of memory\n"); exit(1); }
     new_w->prev = dict_head;
     dict_head = new_w;
 
@@ -494,7 +490,7 @@ void do_variable(Word* w) {
     memcpy(new_w->name, name, len);
     new_w->name[len] = '\0';
     new_w->code = do_do_var;
-    new_w->body = body_cell;
+    new_w->body = var_cell;   // body points directly to the data cell in user_mem
 }
 
 void do_constant(Word* w) {
@@ -503,12 +499,18 @@ void do_constant(Word* w) {
     char* name = next_token();
     if (!name) { printf("CONSTANT expects a name\n"); data_push(val); return; }
 
-    Cell* body_cell = malloc(sizeof(Cell));
-    if (!body_cell) { printf("Out of memory\n"); exit(1); }
-    body_cell->num = val;
+    // allocate a cell in user memory to hold the constant value
+    if (here + 1 > user_mem + user_mem_size) {
+        printf("User memory overflow\n");
+        data_push(val);       // restore the value (optional)
+        return;
+    }
+    Cell* val_cell = here;
+    val_cell->num = val;
+    here++;
 
     Word* new_w = malloc(sizeof(Word));
-    if (!new_w) { printf("Out of memory\n"); free(body_cell); exit(1); }
+    if (!new_w) { printf("Out of memory\n"); exit(1); }
     new_w->prev = dict_head;
     dict_head = new_w;
 
@@ -518,11 +520,12 @@ void do_constant(Word* w) {
     memcpy(new_w->name, name, len);
     new_w->name[len] = '\0';
     new_w->code = do_do_const;
-    new_w->body = body_cell;
+    new_w->body = val_cell;   // body points to the cell that holds the value
 }
 
 void do_do_var(Word* w) {
-    data_push(w->body->num);   // push the address (cell index)
+    // push the address (cell index into user_mem) of the variable's data cell
+    data_push(w->body - user_mem);
 }
 
 void do_do_const(Word* w) {