diff --git a/src/cairo-path-fixed.c b/src/cairo-path-fixed.c
index ad738452f..d48536410 100644
--- a/src/cairo-path-fixed.c
+++ b/src/cairo-path-fixed.c
@@ -404,10 +404,12 @@ _cairo_path_buf_create (int buf_size)
 {
     cairo_path_buf_t *buf;
 
+#define align(ptr__, alignment__) \
+    ((void *) (((long) (ptr__) + (alignment__) - 1) & -(alignment__)))
     buf = _cairo_malloc_ab_plus_c (buf_size,
 	                           sizeof (cairo_path_op_t) +
 				   2 * sizeof (cairo_point_t),
-				   sizeof (cairo_path_buf_t));
+				   sizeof (cairo_path_buf_t) + sizeof (double));
     if (buf) {
 	buf->next = NULL;
 	buf->prev = NULL;
@@ -415,9 +417,10 @@ _cairo_path_buf_create (int buf_size)
 	buf->num_points = 0;
 	buf->buf_size = buf_size;
 
-	buf->op = (cairo_path_op_t *) (buf + 1);
-	buf->points = (cairo_point_t *) (buf->op + buf_size);
+	buf->points = (cairo_point_t *) align (buf + 1, sizeof (double));
+	buf->op = (cairo_path_op_t *) (buf->points + 2 * buf_size);
     }
+#undef align
 
     return buf;
 }