diff --git a/examples/issue-120-workaround.rs b/examples/issue-120-workaround.rs
index 59e1dd3..5a14682 100644
--- a/examples/issue-120-workaround.rs
+++ b/examples/issue-120-workaround.rs
@@ -9,10 +9,6 @@ use tempdir::TempDir;
 use tokio::prelude::*;
 
 fn main() -> Result<(), io::Error> {
-    /// XXX: this is a workaround to set the inotify's buffer to be
-    /// used, matching with tokio's runtime API
-    /// https://github.com/inotify-rs/inotify/issues/120
-    static mut BUFFER: [u8; 32] = [0; 32];
 
     let mut inotify = Inotify::init()?;
 
@@ -26,7 +22,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), io::Error> {
     });
 
     let future = inotify
-        .event_stream(unsafe { &mut BUFFER })
+        .event_stream([0; 32])
         .map_err(|e| println!("inotify error: {:?}", e))
         .for_each(move |event| {
             println!("event: {:?}", event);
diff --git a/src/inotify.rs b/src/inotify.rs
index 46907e7..6d1eff9 100644
--- a/src/inotify.rs
+++ b/src/inotify.rs
@@ -402,8 +402,10 @@ impl Inotify {
     ///
     /// [`Inotify::event_stream_with_handle`]: struct.Inotify.html#method.event_stream_with_handle
     #[cfg(feature = "stream")]
-    pub fn event_stream<'buffer>(&mut self, buffer: &'buffer mut [u8])
-        -> EventStream<'buffer>
+    pub fn event_stream<T>(&mut self, buffer: T)
+        -> EventStream<T>
+    where
+        T: AsMut<[u8]> + AsRef<[u8]>,
     {
         EventStream::new(self.fd.clone(), buffer)
     }
@@ -417,11 +419,10 @@ impl Inotify {
     ///
     /// [`Inotify::event_stream`]: struct.Inotify.html#method.event_stream
     #[cfg(feature = "stream")]
-    pub fn event_stream_with_handle<'buffer>(&mut self,
-        handle: &Handle,
-        buffer: &'buffer mut [u8],
-    )
-        -> io::Result<EventStream<'buffer>>
+    pub fn event_stream_with_handle<T>(&mut self, handle: &Handle, buffer: T)
+        -> io::Result<EventStream<T>>
+    where
+        T: AsMut<[u8]> + AsRef<[u8]>,
     {
         EventStream::new_with_handle(self.fd.clone(), handle, buffer)
     }
diff --git a/src/stream.rs b/src/stream.rs
index 1e4290e..f0cdc36 100644
--- a/src/stream.rs
+++ b/src/stream.rs
@@ -38,16 +38,19 @@ use util::read_into_buffer;
 /// Allows for streaming events returned by [`Inotify::event_stream`].
 ///
 /// [`Inotify::event_stream`]: struct.Inotify.html#method.event_stream
-pub struct EventStream<'buffer> {
+pub struct EventStream<T> {
     fd: PollEvented<EventedFdGuard>,
-    buffer: &'buffer mut [u8],
+    buffer: T,
     buffer_pos: usize,
     unused_bytes: usize,
 }
 
-impl<'buffer> EventStream<'buffer> {
+impl<T> EventStream<T>
+where
+    T: AsMut<[u8]> + AsRef<[u8]>,
+{
     /// Returns a new `EventStream` associated with the default reactor.
-    pub(crate) fn new(fd: Arc<FdGuard>, buffer: &'buffer mut [u8]) -> Self {
+    pub(crate) fn new(fd: Arc<FdGuard>, buffer: T) -> Self {
         EventStream {
             fd: PollEvented::new(EventedFdGuard(fd)),
             buffer: buffer,
@@ -60,7 +63,7 @@ impl<'buffer> EventStream<'buffer> {
      pub(crate) fn new_with_handle(
         fd    : Arc<FdGuard>,
         handle: &Handle,
-        buffer: &'buffer mut [u8],
+        buffer: T,
     )
         -> io::Result<Self>
     {
@@ -73,7 +76,10 @@ impl<'buffer> EventStream<'buffer> {
     }
 }
 
-impl<'buffer> Stream for EventStream<'buffer> {
+impl<T> Stream for EventStream<T>
+where
+    T: AsMut<[u8]> + AsRef<[u8]>,
+{
     type Item = EventOwned;
     type Error = io::Error;
 
@@ -82,7 +88,7 @@ impl<'buffer> Stream for EventStream<'buffer> {
         if self.unused_bytes == 0 {
             // Nothing usable in buffer. Need to reset and fill buffer.
             self.buffer_pos   = 0;
-            self.unused_bytes = try_ready!(self.fd.poll_read(&mut self.buffer));
+            self.unused_bytes = try_ready!(self.fd.poll_read(&mut self.buffer.as_mut()));
         }
 
         if self.unused_bytes == 0 {
@@ -96,7 +102,7 @@ impl<'buffer> Stream for EventStream<'buffer> {
         // least one event in there and can call `from_buffer` to take it out.
         let (bytes_consumed, event) = Event::from_buffer(
             Arc::downgrade(self.fd.get_ref()),
-            &self.buffer[self.buffer_pos..],
+            &self.buffer.as_ref()[self.buffer_pos..],
         );
         self.buffer_pos   += bytes_consumed;
         self.unused_bytes -= bytes_consumed;
diff --git a/tests/main.rs b/tests/main.rs
index ef8eb65..a8652fb 100644
--- a/tests/main.rs
+++ b/tests/main.rs
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ fn it_should_watch_a_file_async() {
 
     use futures::Stream;
     let events = inotify
-        .event_stream(&mut buffer)
+        .event_stream(&mut buffer[..])
         .take(1)
         .wait()
         .collect::<Vec<_>>();