diff --git a/src/host/trxcon/include/osmocom/bb/trxcon/l1ctl_server.h b/src/host/trxcon/include/osmocom/bb/trxcon/l1ctl_server.h
index 84420f236..003d1463b 100644
--- a/src/host/trxcon/include/osmocom/bb/trxcon/l1ctl_server.h
+++ b/src/host/trxcon/include/osmocom/bb/trxcon/l1ctl_server.h
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@ typedef void l1ctl_conn_state_func(struct l1ctl_client *);
 struct l1ctl_server_cfg {
 	/* UNIX socket path to listen on */
 	const char *sock_path;
-	/* talloc context to be used for new clients */
-	void *talloc_ctx;
 	/* maximum number of connected clients */
 	unsigned int num_clients_max;
 	/* functions to be called on various events */
@@ -56,8 +54,7 @@ struct l1ctl_client {
 	void *priv;
 };
 
-int l1ctl_server_start(struct l1ctl_server *server,
-		       const struct l1ctl_server_cfg *cfg);
+struct l1ctl_server *l1ctl_server_start(void *ctx, const struct l1ctl_server_cfg *cfg);
 void l1ctl_server_shutdown(struct l1ctl_server *server);
 
 int l1ctl_client_send(struct l1ctl_client *client, struct msgb *msg);
diff --git a/src/host/trxcon/src/l1ctl_server.c b/src/host/trxcon/src/l1ctl_server.c
index 6047bedd0..8d57fff10 100644
--- a/src/host/trxcon/src/l1ctl_server.c
+++ b/src/host/trxcon/src/l1ctl_server.c
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ static int l1ctl_server_conn_cb(struct osmo_fd *sfd, unsigned int flags)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
-	client = talloc_zero(server->cfg->talloc_ctx, struct l1ctl_client);
+	client = talloc_zero(server, struct l1ctl_client);
 	if (client == NULL) {
 		LOGP(DL1C, LOGL_ERROR, "Failed to allocate an L1CTL client\n");
 		close(client_fd);
@@ -206,13 +206,16 @@ void l1ctl_client_conn_close(struct l1ctl_client *client)
 	talloc_free(client);
 }
 
-int l1ctl_server_start(struct l1ctl_server *server,
-		       const struct l1ctl_server_cfg *cfg)
+struct l1ctl_server *l1ctl_server_start(void *ctx, const struct l1ctl_server_cfg *cfg)
 {
+	struct l1ctl_server *server;
 	int rc;
 
 	LOGP(DL1C, LOGL_NOTICE, "Init L1CTL server (sock_path=%s)\n", cfg->sock_path);
 
+	server = talloc(ctx, struct l1ctl_server);
+	OSMO_ASSERT(server != NULL);
+
 	*server = (struct l1ctl_server) {
 		.clients = LLIST_HEAD_INIT(server->clients),
 		.cfg = cfg,
@@ -230,10 +233,10 @@ int l1ctl_server_start(struct l1ctl_server *server,
 		LOGP(DL1C, LOGL_ERROR, "Could not create UNIX socket: %s\n",
 			strerror(errno));
 		talloc_free(server);
-		return rc;
+		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	return 0;
+	return server;
 }
 
 void l1ctl_server_shutdown(struct l1ctl_server *server)
@@ -254,4 +257,6 @@ void l1ctl_server_shutdown(struct l1ctl_server *server)
 		close(server->ofd.fd);
 		server->ofd.fd = -1;
 	}
+
+	talloc_free(server);
 }
diff --git a/src/host/trxcon/src/trxcon.c b/src/host/trxcon/src/trxcon.c
index 9f672e815..7fa774d96 100644
--- a/src/host/trxcon/src/trxcon.c
+++ b/src/host/trxcon/src/trxcon.c
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@ static void signal_handler(int signum)
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	struct l1ctl_server_cfg server_cfg;
-	struct l1ctl_server server;
+	struct l1ctl_server *server = NULL;
 	int rc = 0;
 
 	printf("%s", COPYRIGHT);
@@ -557,14 +557,14 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	/* Start the L1CTL server */
 	server_cfg = (struct l1ctl_server_cfg) {
 		.sock_path = app_data.bind_socket,
-		.talloc_ctx = tall_trxcon_ctx,
 		.num_clients_max = 1, /* only one connection for now */
 		.conn_read_cb = &l1ctl_rx_cb,
 		.conn_accept_cb = &l1ctl_conn_accept_cb,
 		.conn_close_cb = &l1ctl_conn_close_cb,
 	};
 
-	if (l1ctl_server_start(&server, &server_cfg) != 0) {
+	server = l1ctl_server_start(tall_trxcon_ctx, &server_cfg);
+	if (server == NULL) {
 		rc = EXIT_FAILURE;
 		goto exit;
 	}
@@ -586,7 +586,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		osmo_select_main(0);
 
 exit:
-	l1ctl_server_shutdown(&server);
+	if (server != NULL)
+		l1ctl_server_shutdown(server);
 
 	/* Deinitialize logging */
 	log_fini();