diff --git a/backend/drm/drm.c b/backend/drm/drm.c
index 1ba8939a..6e3b5e99 100644
--- a/backend/drm/drm.c
+++ b/backend/drm/drm.c
@@ -2062,16 +2062,15 @@ static void handle_page_flip(int fd, unsigned seq,
 		present_flags |= WLR_OUTPUT_PRESENT_ZERO_COPY;
 	}
 
-	struct timespec present_time = {
-		.tv_sec = tv_sec,
-		.tv_nsec = tv_usec * 1000,
-	};
 	struct wlr_output_event_present present_event = {
 		/* The DRM backend guarantees that the presentation event will be for
 		 * the last submitted frame. */
 		.commit_seq = conn->output.commit_seq,
 		.presented = drm->session->active,
-		.when = &present_time,
+		.when = {
+			.tv_sec = tv_sec,
+			.tv_nsec = tv_usec * 1000,
+		},
 		.seq = seq,
 		.refresh = mhz_to_nsec(conn->refresh),
 		.flags = present_flags,
diff --git a/backend/wayland/output.c b/backend/wayland/output.c
index 39803eae..e672028b 100644
--- a/backend/wayland/output.c
+++ b/backend/wayland/output.c
@@ -94,14 +94,13 @@ static void presentation_feedback_handle_presented(void *data,
 		uint32_t seq_hi, uint32_t seq_lo, uint32_t flags) {
 	struct wlr_wl_presentation_feedback *feedback = data;
 
-	struct timespec t = {
-		.tv_sec = ((uint64_t)tv_sec_hi << 32) | tv_sec_lo,
-		.tv_nsec = tv_nsec,
-	};
 	struct wlr_output_event_present event = {
 		.commit_seq = feedback->commit_seq,
 		.presented = true,
-		.when = &t,
+		.when = {
+			.tv_sec = ((uint64_t)tv_sec_hi << 32) | tv_sec_lo,
+			.tv_nsec = tv_nsec,
+		},
 		.seq = ((uint64_t)seq_hi << 32) | seq_lo,
 		.refresh = refresh_ns,
 		.flags = flags,
diff --git a/backend/x11/output.c b/backend/x11/output.c
index 51a8459d..b400f3df 100644
--- a/backend/x11/output.c
+++ b/backend/x11/output.c
@@ -747,9 +747,6 @@ void handle_x11_present_event(struct wlr_x11_backend *x11,
 
 		output->last_msc = complete_notify->msc;
 
-		struct timespec t;
-		timespec_from_nsec(&t, complete_notify->ust * 1000);
-
 		uint32_t flags = 0;
 		if (complete_notify->mode == XCB_PRESENT_COMPLETE_MODE_FLIP) {
 			flags |= WLR_OUTPUT_PRESENT_ZERO_COPY;
@@ -760,10 +757,10 @@ void handle_x11_present_event(struct wlr_x11_backend *x11,
 			.output = &output->wlr_output,
 			.commit_seq = complete_notify->serial,
 			.presented = presented,
-			.when = &t,
 			.seq = complete_notify->msc,
 			.flags = flags,
 		};
+		timespec_from_nsec(&present_event.when, complete_notify->ust * 1000);
 		wlr_output_send_present(&output->wlr_output, &present_event);
 
 		wlr_output_send_frame(&output->wlr_output);
diff --git a/include/wlr/types/wlr_output.h b/include/wlr/types/wlr_output.h
index bf80f585..6227f047 100644
--- a/include/wlr/types/wlr_output.h
+++ b/include/wlr/types/wlr_output.h
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ struct wlr_output_event_present {
 	// Whether the frame was presented at all.
 	bool presented;
 	// Time when the content update turned into light the first time.
-	struct timespec *when;
+	struct timespec when;
 	// Vertical retrace counter. Zero if unavailable.
 	unsigned seq;
 	// Prediction of how many nanoseconds after `when` the very next output
diff --git a/types/output/output.c b/types/output/output.c
index 6755493f..2dcd2422 100644
--- a/types/output/output.c
+++ b/types/output/output.c
@@ -794,14 +794,12 @@ void wlr_output_send_present(struct wlr_output *output,
 	assert(event);
 	event->output = output;
 
-	struct timespec now;
-	if (event->presented && event->when == NULL) {
-		if (clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &now) != 0) {
+	if (event->presented && (event->when.tv_sec == 0 && event->when.tv_nsec == 0)) {
+		if (clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &event->when) != 0) {
 			wlr_log_errno(WLR_ERROR, "failed to send output present event: "
 				"failed to read clock");
 			return;
 		}
-		event->when = &now;
 	}
 
 	wl_signal_emit_mutable(&output->events.present, event);
diff --git a/types/wlr_presentation_time.c b/types/wlr_presentation_time.c
index 35b960d0..94e379a5 100644
--- a/types/wlr_presentation_time.c
+++ b/types/wlr_presentation_time.c
@@ -239,8 +239,8 @@ void wlr_presentation_event_from_output(struct wlr_presentation_event *event,
 		const struct wlr_output_event_present *output_event) {
 	*event = (struct wlr_presentation_event){
 		.output = output_event->output,
-		.tv_sec = (uint64_t)output_event->when->tv_sec,
-		.tv_nsec = (uint32_t)output_event->when->tv_nsec,
+		.tv_sec = (uint64_t)output_event->when.tv_sec,
+		.tv_nsec = (uint32_t)output_event->when.tv_nsec,
 		.refresh = (uint32_t)output_event->refresh,
 		.seq = (uint64_t)output_event->seq,
 		.flags = output_event->flags,