diff --git a/zstd/decoder.go b/zstd/decoder.go
index 2aeb953ca4..7113e69ee3 100644
--- a/zstd/decoder.go
+++ b/zstd/decoder.go
@@ -40,8 +40,7 @@ type Decoder struct {
 	frame *frameDec
 
 	// Custom dictionaries.
-	// Always uses copies.
-	dicts map[uint32]dict
+	dicts map[uint32]*dict
 
 	// streamWg is the waitgroup for all streams
 	streamWg sync.WaitGroup
@@ -103,7 +102,7 @@ func NewReader(r io.Reader, opts ...DOption) (*Decoder, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Transfer option dicts.
-	d.dicts = make(map[uint32]dict, len(d.o.dicts))
+	d.dicts = make(map[uint32]*dict, len(d.o.dicts))
 	for _, dc := range d.o.dicts {
 		d.dicts[dc.id] = dc
 	}
@@ -942,7 +941,7 @@ func (d *Decoder) setDict(frame *frameDec) (err error) {
 		if debugDecoder {
 			println("setting dict", frame.DictionaryID)
 		}
-		frame.history.setDict(&dict)
+		frame.history.setDict(dict)
 	} else if frame.DictionaryID != 0 {
 		// A zero or missing dictionary id is ambiguous:
 		// either dictionary zero, or no dictionary. In particular,
diff --git a/zstd/decoder_options.go b/zstd/decoder_options.go
index c36853d660..07a90dd7af 100644
--- a/zstd/decoder_options.go
+++ b/zstd/decoder_options.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ type decoderOptions struct {
 	concurrent      int
 	maxDecodedSize  uint64
 	maxWindowSize   uint64
-	dicts           []dict
+	dicts           []*dict
 	ignoreChecksum  bool
 	limitToCap      bool
 	decodeBufsBelow int
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ func WithDecoderDicts(dicts ...[]byte) DOption {
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			o.dicts = append(o.dicts, *d)
+			o.dicts = append(o.dicts, d)
 		}
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ func WithDecoderDictRaw(id uint32, content []byte) DOption {
 		if bits.UintSize > 32 && uint(len(content)) > dictMaxLength {
 			return fmt.Errorf("dictionary of size %d > 2GiB too large", len(content))
 		}
-		o.dicts = append(o.dicts, dict{id: id, content: content, offsets: [3]int{1, 4, 8}})
+		o.dicts = append(o.dicts, &dict{id: id, content: content, offsets: [3]int{1, 4, 8}})
 		return nil
 	}
 }