diff --git a/lib/c-api/src/wasm_c_api/types/table.rs b/lib/c-api/src/wasm_c_api/types/table.rs
index 3b76dca8e..0673c085a 100644
--- a/lib/c-api/src/wasm_c_api/types/table.rs
+++ b/lib/c-api/src/wasm_c_api/types/table.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ const LIMITS_MAX_SENTINEL: u32 = u32::max_value();
 pub(crate) struct WasmTableType {
     pub(crate) table_type: TableType,
     limits: Box<wasm_limits_t>,
+    content: Box<wasm_valtype_t>,
 }
 
 impl WasmTableType {
@@ -20,8 +21,13 @@ impl WasmTableType {
             min: table_type.minimum as _,
             max: table_type.maximum.unwrap_or(LIMITS_MAX_SENTINEL),
         });
+        let content = Box::new(table_type.ty.into());
 
-        Self { table_type, limits }
+        Self {
+            table_type,
+            limits,
+            content,
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -77,15 +83,9 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn wasm_tabletype_limits(table_type: &wasm_tabletype_t) ->
     table_type.inner().limits.as_ref()
 }
 
-// TODO: fix memory leak
-// this function leaks memory because the returned limits pointer is not owned
 #[no_mangle]
-pub unsafe extern "C" fn wasm_tabletype_element(
-    table_type: &wasm_tabletype_t,
-) -> *const wasm_valtype_t {
-    let table_type = table_type.inner().table_type;
-
-    Box::into_raw(Box::new(table_type.ty.into()))
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn wasm_tabletype_element(table_type: &wasm_tabletype_t) -> &wasm_valtype_t {
+    table_type.inner().content.as_ref()
 }
 
 #[no_mangle]