diff --git a/src/lib/util/coretmpl.h b/src/lib/util/coretmpl.h
index 59e012fe753..db1d6c1e930 100644
--- a/src/lib/util/coretmpl.h
+++ b/src/lib/util/coretmpl.h
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ public:
 	
 	// helpers
 	void append(const _ElementType &element) { if (m_count == m_allocated) expand_internal((m_allocated == 0) ? 16 : (m_allocated << 1), true); m_array[m_count++] = element; }
-	void reset() { delete[] m_array; m_array = NULL; m_count = m_allocated = 0; }
+	void reset() { if (m_array) delete[] m_array; m_array = NULL; m_count = m_allocated = 0; }
 	void resize(int count, bool keepdata = false) { if (count > m_allocated) expand_internal(count, keepdata); m_count = count; }
 
 private:
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ private:
 		if (keepdata)
 			for (int index = 0; index < m_count; index++)
 				newarray[index] = m_array[index];
-		delete[] m_array;
+		if (m_array) delete[] m_array;
 		m_array = newarray;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/taitogn.c b/src/mame/drivers/taitogn.c
index 48f0f7a944e..e5b72ddb8de 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/taitogn.c
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/taitogn.c
@@ -357,8 +357,6 @@ public:
 
 	UINT32 m_coin_info;
 	UINT32 m_mux_data;
-
-	dynamic_buffer m_key;
 };
 
 
@@ -453,6 +451,8 @@ static WRITE32_HANDLER(rf5c296_mem_w)
 	taitogn_state *state = space->machine().driver_data<taitogn_state>();
 
 	if(offset >= 0x140 && offset <= 0x144) {
+		dynamic_buffer key;	
+
 		int pos = (offset - 0x140)*2;
 		UINT8 v, k;
 		if(ACCESSING_BITS_16_23) {
@@ -460,8 +460,8 @@ static WRITE32_HANDLER(rf5c296_mem_w)
 			pos++;
 		} else
 			v = data;
-		get_disk_handle(space->machine(), ":drive_0")->read_metadata(HARD_DISK_KEY_METADATA_TAG, 0, state->m_key);
-		k = pos < state->m_key.count() ? state->m_key[pos] : 0;
+		get_disk_handle(space->machine(), ":drive_0")->read_metadata(HARD_DISK_KEY_METADATA_TAG, 0, key);
+		k = pos < key.count() ? key[pos] : 0;
 		if(v == k)
 			state->m_locked &= ~(1 << pos);
 		else