diff --git a/Joystick.cpp b/Joystick.cpp
index 9712454..de8e1e0 100644
--- a/Joystick.cpp
+++ b/Joystick.cpp
@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ void Joystick::AddButton(uint8_t pin, ButtonType type, bool pullup) {
       // todo: fail here
   }
 
-  _buttons.push_back(button);
+  _buttons[_num_buttons] = button;
+  _num_buttons++;
   last_button_index += increment;
 
   if (type & _BUTTON_PULSED_TYPES) _have_pulsed_button = true;
@@ -69,8 +70,8 @@ void Joystick::AddAxis(uint8_t pin) {
 void Joystick::Update() {
   JoyReport oldReport = _joyReport;
   
-  for (list<Button>::iterator cursor = _buttons.begin(); cursor != _buttons.end(); cursor++) {
-    _UpdateButton(*cursor);
+  for (uint i = 0; i < _num_buttons; i++) {
+    _UpdateButton(i);
   }
 
   for (int i = 0; i < _num_axes; i++) {
@@ -112,9 +113,9 @@ void Joystick::ReleaseAllButtons() {
 }
 
 void Joystick::_ReleasePulsedButtons() {
-  for (list<Button>::iterator i = _buttons.begin(); i != buttons.end(); i++) {
-    if (i->type & _BUTTON_PULSED_TYPES) ReleaseButton(i->index0);
-    if (i->type & BUTTON_PULSED_DOUBLE_ACTION_SPLIT) ReleaseButton(i->index1);
+  for (uint8_t i = 0; i < _num_buttons; i++ ) {
+    if (i->type & _BUTTON_PULSED_TYPES) ReleaseButton(_buttons[i].index0);
+    if (i->type & BUTTON_PULSED_DOUBLE_ACTION_SPLIT) ReleaseButton(_buttons[i].index1);
   }
 }
 
@@ -137,7 +138,8 @@ void Joystick::Write() {
   delay(250);
 }
 
-void Joystick::_UpdateButton(Button* button) {
+void Joystick::_UpdateButton(uint8_t button_num) {
+  Button *button = &_button[button_num];
   bool changed = button->bouncer.update();
 
   switch (button->type) {
diff --git a/Joystick.h b/Joystick.h
index 32cc0a4..3e88523 100644
--- a/Joystick.h
+++ b/Joystick.h
@@ -65,8 +65,9 @@ class Joystick {
     void _UpdateButton(uint8_t index);
     void _UpdateAxis(uint8_t index);
     
-    list<Button> _buttons;
-    uint8_t _last_button_index;
+    Button _buttons[JOYSTICK_NUM_BUTTONS];
+    uint8_t _num_buttons;
+    uint8_t _last_button_index; // a single physical button can have multiple logical buttons. _last_button_index tracks the number of logical / virtual buttons we have defined.
     bool _have_pulsed_button;
 
     uint8_t _axes[JOYSTICK_NUM_AXES];