diff --git a/src/map.c b/src/map.c
index 0c86bcb..2f115dc 100644
--- a/src/map.c
+++ b/src/map.c
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ xkb_map_unref(struct xkb_keymap *keymap)
     darray_foreach(key, keymap->keys) {
         free(key->sym_index);
         free(key->num_syms);
-        darray_free(key->syms);
+        free(key->syms);
         free(key->actions);
     }
     darray_free(keymap->keys);
diff --git a/src/xkb-priv.h b/src/xkb-priv.h
index 321d1de..3752c1d 100644
--- a/src/xkb-priv.h
+++ b/src/xkb-priv.h
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ struct xkb_key {
     int *sym_index;
     /* per level/group */
     unsigned int *num_syms;
-    darray(xkb_keysym_t) syms;
+    xkb_keysym_t *syms;
 };
 
 /* Common keyboard description structure */
@@ -453,8 +453,7 @@ static inline xkb_keysym_t *
 XkbKeySymEntry(struct xkb_key *key, xkb_group_index_t group,
                xkb_level_index_t level)
 {
-    return &darray_item(key->syms,
-                        key->sym_index[group * key->width + level]);
+    return &key->syms[key->sym_index[group * key->width + level]];
 }
 
 static inline union xkb_action *
diff --git a/src/xkbcomp/symbols.c b/src/xkbcomp/symbols.c
index 3ba10a1..0a4b061 100644
--- a/src/xkbcomp/symbols.c
+++ b/src/xkbcomp/symbols.c
@@ -1770,14 +1770,10 @@ CopySymbolsDef(SymbolsInfo *info, KeyInfo *keyi,
         sizeSyms += darray_size(groupi->syms);
     }
 
-    darray_resize0(key->syms, sizeSyms);
-
+    key->syms = calloc(sizeSyms, sizeof(*key->syms));
     key->num_groups = nGroups;
-
     key->width = width;
-
     key->sym_index = calloc(nGroups * width, sizeof(*key->sym_index));
-
     key->num_syms = calloc(nGroups * width, sizeof(*key->num_syms));
 
     if (haveActions) {
@@ -1806,7 +1802,7 @@ CopySymbolsDef(SymbolsInfo *info, KeyInfo *keyi,
             for (tmp = 0; tmp < width; tmp++) {
                 if (tmp < groupi->numLevels &&
                     darray_item(groupi->symsMapNumEntries, tmp) != 0) {
-                    memcpy(darray_mem(key->syms, symIndex),
+                    memcpy(&key->syms[symIndex],
                            darray_mem(groupi->syms,
                                       darray_item(groupi->symsMapIndex, tmp)),
                            darray_item(groupi->symsMapNumEntries, tmp) * sizeof(xkb_keysym_t));