diff --git a/darwin/tab.m b/darwin/tab.m
index 8d87b34b..84f93d0e 100644
--- a/darwin/tab.m
+++ b/darwin/tab.m
@@ -5,38 +5,33 @@
 // - verify margins against extra space around the tab
 // - free child containers properly
 
-@interface uiNSTabView : NSTabView
-@property uiTab *uiT;
-@end
+struct tab {
+	uiTab t;
+	NSTabView *tabview;
+};
 
-@implementation uiNSTabView
-
-- (void)viewDidMoveToSuperview
+static void destroy(void *data)
 {
-	// TODO free all tabs explicitly
-	if (uiDarwinControlFreeWhenAppropriate(uiControl(self.uiT), [self superview]))
-		self.uiT = NULL;
-	[super viewDidMoveToSuperview];
-}
+	struct tab *t = (struct tab *) data;
 
-@end
+	uiFree(t);
+}
 
 // the default new control implementation uses -sizeToFit, which we don't have with NSTabView
 // fortunately, we do have -minimumSize
 static void preferredSize(uiControl *c, uiSizing *d, intmax_t *width, intmax_t *height)
 {
-	uiNSTabView *tv;
+	struct tab *t = (struct tab *) c;
 	NSSize s;
 
-	tv = (uiNSTabView *) uiControlHandle(c);
-	s = [tv minimumSize];
+	s = [t->tabview minimumSize];
 	*width = (intmax_t) (s.width);
 	*height = (intmax_t) (s.height);
 }
 
-static void tabAddPage(uiTab *t, const char *name, uiControl *child)
+static void tabAddPage(uiTab *tt, const char *name, uiControl *child)
 {
-	uiNSTabView *tv;
+	struct tab *t = (struct tab *) tt;
 	uiParent *content;
 	NSTabViewItem *i;
 
@@ -46,28 +41,25 @@ static void tabAddPage(uiTab *t, const char *name, uiControl *child)
 	i = [[NSTabViewItem alloc] initWithIdentifier:nil];
 	[i setLabel:toNSString(name)];
 	[i setView:((NSView *) uiParentHandle(content))];
-	tv = (uiNSTabView *) uiControlHandle(uiControl(t));
-	[tv addTabViewItem:i];
+	[t->tabview addTabViewItem:i];
 }
 
 uiTab *uiNewTab(void)
 {
-	uiTab *t;
-	uiNSTabView *tv;
+	struct tab *t;
 
-	t = uiNew(uiTab);
+	t = uiNew(struct tab);
 
-	uiDarwinNewControl(uiControl(t), [uiNSTabView class], NO, NO);
-	tv = (uiNSTabView *) uiControlHandle(uiControl(t));
+	uiDarwinNewControl(uiControl(t), [NSTabView class], NO, NO, destroy, NULL);
+
+	t->tabview = (NSTabView *) VIEW(t);
 
 	// also good for NSTabView (same selector and everything)
-	setStandardControlFont((NSControl *) tv);
+	setStandardControlFont((NSControl *) (t->tabview));
 
 	uiControl(t)->PreferredSize = preferredSize;
 
 	uiTab(t)->AddPage = tabAddPage;
 
-	tv.uiT = t;
-
-	return tv.uiT;
+	return uiTab(t);
 }