diff --git a/src/flamenco/runtime/sysvar/fd_sysvar_epoch_schedule.c b/src/flamenco/runtime/sysvar/fd_sysvar_epoch_schedule.c
index 5b7336650aa..446897aeb54 100644
--- a/src/flamenco/runtime/sysvar/fd_sysvar_epoch_schedule.c
+++ b/src/flamenco/runtime/sysvar/fd_sysvar_epoch_schedule.c
@@ -37,19 +37,18 @@ fd_sysvar_epoch_schedule_write( fd_bank_t *                 bank,
                                 fd_funk_txn_xid_t const *   xid,
                                 fd_capture_ctx_t *          capture_ctx,
                                 fd_epoch_schedule_t const * epoch_schedule ) {
-  ulong sz = fd_epoch_schedule_size( epoch_schedule );
-  /* TODO remove alloca */
-  uchar enc[ sz ];
-  memset( enc, 0, sz );
+
+  uchar enc[ FD_SYSVAR_EPOCH_SCHEDULE_BINCODE_SZ ] = {0};
+
   fd_bincode_encode_ctx_t ctx = {
     .data    = enc,
-    .dataend = enc + sz
+    .dataend = enc + FD_SYSVAR_EPOCH_SCHEDULE_BINCODE_SZ
   };
-  if( fd_epoch_schedule_encode( epoch_schedule, &ctx ) ) {
-    FD_LOG_ERR(("fd_epoch_schedule_encode failed"));
+  if( FD_UNLIKELY( fd_epoch_schedule_encode( epoch_schedule, &ctx ) ) ) {
+    FD_LOG_ERR(( "fd_epoch_schedule_encode failed" ));
   }
 
-  fd_sysvar_account_update( bank, accdb, xid, capture_ctx, &fd_sysvar_epoch_schedule_id, enc, sz );
+  fd_sysvar_account_update( bank, accdb, xid, capture_ctx, &fd_sysvar_epoch_schedule_id, enc, FD_SYSVAR_EPOCH_SCHEDULE_BINCODE_SZ );
 }
 
 fd_epoch_schedule_t *