diff --git a/include/xo/alloc2/arena/DArena.hpp b/include/xo/alloc2/arena/DArena.hpp
index 580c695..36e87c4 100644
--- a/include/xo/alloc2/arena/DArena.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/alloc2/arena/DArena.hpp
@@ -100,6 +100,13 @@ namespace xo {
             /** @ret iterator pointing to just after the last allocation in this arena **/
             DArenaIterator end() const noexcept;
 
+            /** @ret header for first allocation in this arena **/
+            AllocHeader * begin_header() const noexcept;
+            /** @ret location of header for next (not yet performed!)
+             *  allocation in this arena
+             **/
+            AllocHeader * end_header() const noexcept;
+
             /** get header from allocated object address **/
             header_type * obj2hdr(void * obj) noexcept;
 
@@ -208,6 +215,22 @@ namespace xo {
             ///@}
         };
 
+        /** construct a @tparam T instance from arguments @p args
+         *  using memory obtained from arena @p ialloc
+         **/
+        template <typename T,
+                  typename... Args>
+        static T *
+        construct_with(DArena & ialloc, Args&&... args)
+        {
+            std::byte * mem = ialloc.alloc(sizeof(T));
+
+            if (mem)
+                return new (mem) T(std::forward<Args>(args)...);
+
+            return nullptr;
+        }
+
     } /*namespace mm*/
 } /*namespace xo*/
 
diff --git a/src/alloc2/DArena.cpp b/src/alloc2/DArena.cpp
index 6a0b40e..d9dd832 100644
--- a/src/alloc2/DArena.cpp
+++ b/src/alloc2/DArena.cpp
@@ -290,6 +290,30 @@ namespace xo {
             return DArenaIterator::end(this);
         }
 
+        AllocHeader *
+        DArena::begin_header() const noexcept
+        {
+            if (config_.store_header_flag_ == false) {
+                this->capture_error(error::alloc_iterator_not_supported);
+
+                return nullptr;
+            }
+
+            return (AllocHeader *)lo_;
+        }
+
+        AllocHeader *
+        DArena::end_header() const noexcept
+        {
+            if (config_.store_header_flag_ == false) {
+                this->capture_error(error::alloc_iterator_not_supported);
+
+                return nullptr;
+            }
+
+            return (AllocHeader *)free_;
+        }
+
         std::byte *
         DArena::alloc(std::size_t req_z)
         {
diff --git a/src/alloc2/DArenaIterator.cpp b/src/alloc2/DArenaIterator.cpp
index 65258eb..b9873e3 100644
--- a/src/alloc2/DArenaIterator.cpp
+++ b/src/alloc2/DArenaIterator.cpp
@@ -50,16 +50,7 @@ namespace xo {
         {
             assert(arena);
 
-            if (arena->config_.store_header_flag_ == false) {
-                arena->capture_error(error::alloc_iterator_not_supported);
-
-                return nullptr;
-            }
-
-            byte *       begin_byte = arena->lo_;
-            AllocHeader * begin_hdr = (AllocHeader *)begin_byte;
-
-            return begin_hdr;
+            return arena->begin_header();
         }
 
         AllocHeader *
@@ -67,16 +58,7 @@ namespace xo {
         {
             assert(arena);
 
-            if (arena->config_.store_header_flag_ == false) {
-                arena->capture_error(error::alloc_iterator_not_supported);
-
-                return nullptr;
-            }
-
-            byte *       end_byte = arena->free_;
-            AllocHeader * end_hdr = (AllocHeader *)end_byte;
-
-            return end_hdr;
+            return arena->end_header();
         }
 
         AllocInfo
diff --git a/src/alloc2/IAllocator_DArena.cpp b/src/alloc2/IAllocator_DArena.cpp
index 2e5af3c..a9edc22 100644
--- a/src/alloc2/IAllocator_DArena.cpp
+++ b/src/alloc2/IAllocator_DArena.cpp
@@ -74,16 +74,8 @@ namespace xo {
         IAllocator_DArena::alloc_range(const DArena & s,
                                        DArena & ialloc) noexcept -> range_type
         {
-            byte * begin_mem = IAllocator_DArena::alloc(ialloc,
-                                                        sizeof(DArenaIterator));
-            byte *   end_mem = IAllocator_DArena::alloc(ialloc,
-                                                        sizeof(DArenaIterator));
-
-            assert(begin_mem);
-            assert(end_mem);
-
-            DArenaIterator * begin_ix = new (begin_mem) DArenaIterator(&s, DArenaIterator::begin_header(&s));
-            DArenaIterator *   end_ix = new (  end_mem) DArenaIterator(&s, DArenaIterator::end_header(&s));
+            DArenaIterator * begin_ix = construct_with<DArenaIterator>(ialloc, &s, s.begin_header());
+            DArenaIterator *   end_ix = construct_with<DArenaIterator>(ialloc, &s, s.end_header());
 
             obj<AAllocIterator> begin_obj = with_facet<AAllocIterator>::mkobj(begin_ix);
             obj<AAllocIterator>   end_obj = with_facet<AAllocIterator>::mkobj(  end_ix);
diff --git a/src/alloc2/IAllocator_DX1Collector.cpp b/src/alloc2/IAllocator_DX1Collector.cpp
index ffebc13..f91f1d3 100644
--- a/src/alloc2/IAllocator_DX1Collector.cpp
+++ b/src/alloc2/IAllocator_DX1Collector.cpp
@@ -70,18 +70,8 @@ namespace xo {
         IAllocator_DX1Collector::alloc_range(const DX1Collector & d,
                                              DArena & ialloc) noexcept -> range_type
         {
-            byte * begin_mem = IAllocator_DArena::alloc(ialloc,
-                                                        sizeof(DX1CollectorIterator));
-            byte *   end_mem = IAllocator_DArena::alloc(ialloc,
-                                                        sizeof(DX1CollectorIterator));
-
-            assert(begin_mem);
-            assert(end_mem);
-
-            DX1CollectorIterator * begin_ix
-                = new (begin_mem) DX1CollectorIterator(d.begin());
-            DX1CollectorIterator *   end_ix
-                = new (  end_mem) DX1CollectorIterator(d.end());
+            DX1CollectorIterator * begin_ix = construct_with<DX1CollectorIterator>(ialloc, d.begin());
+            DX1CollectorIterator *   end_ix = construct_with<DX1CollectorIterator>(ialloc, d.end());
 
             obj<AAllocIterator> begin_obj = with_facet<AAllocIterator>::mkobj(begin_ix);
             obj<AAllocIterator>   end_obj = with_facet<AAllocIterator>::mkobj(  end_ix);