diff --git a/fdisks/fdisk.c b/fdisks/fdisk.c
index a5c1fe634..db3b29870 100644
--- a/fdisks/fdisk.c
+++ b/fdisks/fdisk.c
@@ -160,7 +160,9 @@ void toggle_dos_compatibility_flag(struct fdisk_context *cxt)
 void change_partition_type(struct fdisk_context *cxt)
 {
 	size_t i;
-	struct fdisk_parttype *t = NULL, *org_t = NULL;
+	struct fdisk_parttype *t = NULL;
+	struct fdisk_partition *pa = NULL;
+	const char *old = NULL;
 
 	assert(cxt);
 	assert(cxt->label);
@@ -168,28 +170,30 @@ void change_partition_type(struct fdisk_context *cxt)
 	if (fdisk_ask_partnum(cxt, &i, FALSE))
 		return;
 
-	org_t = t = fdisk_get_partition_type(cxt, i);
-	if (!t)
-                fdisk_warnx(cxt, _("Partition %zu does not exist yet!"), i + 1);
-        else {
-		do {
-			t = ask_partition_type(cxt);
-		} while (!t);
+	if (fdisk_get_partition(cxt, i, &pa)) {
+		fdisk_warnx(cxt, _("Partition %zu does not exist yet!"), i + 1);
+		return;
+	}
 
-		if (fdisk_set_partition_type(cxt, i, t) == 0)
-			fdisk_sinfo(cxt, FDISK_INFO_SUCCESS,
-				_("Changed type of partition '%s' to '%s'."),
-				org_t ? org_t->name : _("Unknown"),
-				    t ?     t->name : _("Unknown"));
-		else
-			fdisk_info(cxt,
-				_("Type of partition %zu is unchanged: %s."),
-				i + 1,
-				org_t ? org_t->name : _("Unknown"));
-        }
+	t = (struct fdisk_parttype *) fdisk_partition_get_type(pa);
+	old = t ? t->name : _("Unknown");
 
-	fdisk_free_parttype(t);
-	fdisk_free_parttype(org_t);
+	do {
+		t = ask_partition_type(cxt);
+	} while (!t);
+
+	fdisk_partition_set_type(pa, t);
+
+	if (fdisk_set_partition_type(cxt, i, t) == 0)
+		fdisk_sinfo(cxt, FDISK_INFO_SUCCESS,
+			_("Changed type of partition '%s' to '%s'."),
+			old, t ? t->name : _("Unknown"));
+	else
+		fdisk_info(cxt,
+			_("Type of partition %zu is unchanged: %s."),
+			i + 1, old);
+
+	fdisk_free_partition(pa);
 }
 
 void list_disk_geometry(struct fdisk_context *cxt)
diff --git a/libfdisk/src/label.c b/libfdisk/src/label.c
index 0ed7e4ec9..bf2542a16 100644
--- a/libfdisk/src/label.c
+++ b/libfdisk/src/label.c
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ int fdisk_verify_disklabel(struct fdisk_context *cxt)
  * Returns: 0 on success, otherwise, a corresponding error.
  */
 int fdisk_get_partition(struct fdisk_context *cxt, size_t partno,
-			struct fdisk_partition *pa)
+			struct fdisk_partition **pa)
 {
 	int rc;
 
@@ -208,12 +208,17 @@ int fdisk_get_partition(struct fdisk_context *cxt, size_t partno,
 	if (!cxt->label->op->get_part)
 		return -ENOSYS;
 
-	fdisk_reset_partition(pa);
-	pa->cxt = cxt;
-	pa->partno = partno;
+	if (!*pa) {
+		*pa = fdisk_new_partition();
+		if (!*pa)
+			return -ENOMEM;
+	} else
+		fdisk_reset_partition(*pa);
+	(*pa)->cxt = cxt;
+	(*pa)->partno = partno;
 
-	rc = cxt->label->op->get_part(cxt, partno, pa);
-	if (rc == 0 && fdisk_partition_is_used(pa))
+	rc = cxt->label->op->get_part(cxt, partno, *pa);
+	if (rc == 0 && fdisk_partition_is_used(*pa))
 		DBG(LABEL, dbgprint("get partition %zu", partno));
 	return rc;
 }
@@ -294,11 +299,6 @@ int fdisk_list_partitions(struct fdisk_context *cxt, int *cols, size_t ncols)
 		rc = -ENOMEM;
 		goto done;
 	}
-	pa = fdisk_new_partition();
-	if (!pa) {
-		rc = -ENOMEM;
-		goto done;
-	}
 
 	/* define table columns */
 	for (j = 0; j < ncols; j++) {
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ int fdisk_list_partitions(struct fdisk_context *cxt, int *cols, size_t ncols)
 	for (i = 0; i < cxt->label->nparts_max; i++) {
 		struct tt_line *ln;
 
-		rc = fdisk_get_partition(cxt, i, pa);
+		rc = fdisk_get_partition(cxt, i, &pa);
 		if (rc)
 			continue;
 		if (!fdisk_partition_is_used(pa))
@@ -498,23 +498,6 @@ int fdisk_set_disklabel_id(struct fdisk_context *cxt)
 	return cxt->label->op->set_id(cxt);
 }
 
-/**
- * fdisk_get_partition_type:
- * @cxt: fdisk context
- * @partnum: partition number
- *
- * Returns partition type or NULL upon failure.
- */
-struct fdisk_parttype *fdisk_get_partition_type(struct fdisk_context *cxt,
-						size_t partnum)
-{
-	if (!cxt || !cxt->label || !cxt->label->op->part_get_type)
-		return NULL;
-
-	DBG(LABEL, dbgprint("partition: %zd: get type", partnum));
-	return cxt->label->op->part_get_type(cxt, partnum);
-}
-
 /**
  * fdisk_set_partition_type:
  * @cxt: fdisk context
diff --git a/libfdisk/src/libfdisk.h b/libfdisk/src/libfdisk.h
index 7f84c3ebf..d3b646007 100644
--- a/libfdisk/src/libfdisk.h
+++ b/libfdisk/src/libfdisk.h
@@ -153,12 +153,11 @@ extern int fdisk_locate_disklabel(struct fdisk_context *cxt, int n, const char *
 extern int fdisk_get_disklabel_id(struct fdisk_context *cxt, char **id);
 extern int fdisk_set_disklabel_id(struct fdisk_context *cxt);
 
-extern int fdisk_get_partition(struct fdisk_context *cxt, size_t partno, struct fdisk_partition *pa);
+extern int fdisk_get_partition(struct fdisk_context *cxt, size_t partno, struct fdisk_partition **pa);
 
 extern int fdisk_add_partition(struct fdisk_context *cxt, struct fdisk_parttype *t);
 extern int fdisk_delete_partition(struct fdisk_context *cxt, size_t partnum);
 
-extern struct fdisk_parttype *fdisk_get_partition_type(struct fdisk_context *cxt, size_t partnum);
 extern int fdisk_set_partition_type(struct fdisk_context *cxt, size_t partnum,
 			     struct fdisk_parttype *t);
 
diff --git a/libfdisk/src/partition.c b/libfdisk/src/partition.c
index b7a63a5e6..add505fba 100644
--- a/libfdisk/src/partition.c
+++ b/libfdisk/src/partition.c
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ int fdisk_partition_set_type(struct fdisk_partition *pa, struct fdisk_parttype *
 {
 	if (!pa)
 		return -EINVAL;
+	fdisk_free_parttype(pa->type);
 	pa->type = type;
 	return 0;
 }