diff --git a/bochs/gui/paramtree.cc b/bochs/gui/paramtree.cc
index 136c63f42..4130d17ca 100644
--- a/bochs/gui/paramtree.cc
+++ b/bochs/gui/paramtree.cc
@@ -934,7 +934,6 @@ bx_list_c::~bx_list_c()
     delete [] list;
   }
   if (title != NULL) delete [] title;
-  if (choice != NULL) delete choice;
 }
 
 void bx_list_c::init(const char *list_title)
@@ -947,8 +946,7 @@ void bx_list_c::init(const char *list_title)
     this->title[0] = 0;
   }
   this->options = 0;
-  this->choice = new bx_param_num_c(NULL,
-      "list_choice", "", "", 0, BX_MAX_BIT64S, 1);
+  this->choice = 1;
 }
 
 void bx_list_c::set_parent(bx_param_c *newparent)
diff --git a/bochs/gui/paramtree.h b/bochs/gui/paramtree.h
index cbfceab2b..215c4a8b5 100644
--- a/bochs/gui/paramtree.h
+++ b/bochs/gui/paramtree.h
@@ -439,9 +439,9 @@ protected:
   bx_param_c **list;
   int size, maxsize;
   // for a menu, the value of choice before the call to "ask" is default.
-  // After ask, choice holds the value that the user chose.  Choice defaults
+  // After ask, choice holds the value that the user chose. Choice defaults
   // to 1 in the constructor.
-  bx_param_num_c *choice;
+  int choice;
   // title of the menu or series
   char *title;
   void init(const char *list_title);
@@ -478,7 +478,8 @@ public:
   bx_param_c *get(int index);
   bx_param_c *get_by_name(const char *name);
   int get_size() const { return size; }
-  bx_param_num_c *get_choice() { return choice; }
+  int get_choice() const { return choice; }
+  void set_choice(int new_choice) { choice = new_choice; }
   char *get_title() { return title; }
   void set_parent(bx_param_c *newparent);
   bx_param_c *get_parent() { return parent; }
diff --git a/bochs/gui/textconfig.cc b/bochs/gui/textconfig.cc
index 6e497d3a0..e07657e2d 100644
--- a/bochs/gui/textconfig.cc
+++ b/bochs/gui/textconfig.cc
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ int ask_uint(const char *prompt, const char *help, Bit32u min, Bit32u max, Bit32
   assert(base==10 || base==16);
   while (1) {
     printf(prompt, the_default);
+    fflush(stdout);
     if (!fgets(buffer, sizeof(buffer), stdin))
       return -1;
     clean = clean_string(buffer);
@@ -139,6 +140,7 @@ int ask_int(const char *prompt, const char *help, Bit32s min, Bit32s max, Bit32s
   int illegal;
   while (1) {
     printf(prompt, the_default);
+    fflush(stdout);
     if (!fgets(buffer, sizeof(buffer), stdin))
       return -1;
     clean = clean_string(buffer);
@@ -172,6 +174,7 @@ int ask_menu(const char *prompt, const char *help, int n_choices, const char *ch
   *out = -1;
   while (1) {
     printf(prompt, choice[the_default]);
+    fflush(stdout);
     if (!fgets(buffer, sizeof(buffer), stdin))
       return -1;
     clean = clean_string(buffer);
@@ -208,6 +211,7 @@ int ask_yn(const char *prompt, const char *help, Bit32u the_default, Bit32u *out
   while (1) {
     // if there's a %s field, substitute in the default yes/no.
     printf(prompt, the_default ? "yes" : "no");
+    fflush(stdout);
     if (!fgets(buffer, sizeof(buffer), stdin))
       return -1;
     clean = clean_string(buffer);
@@ -240,6 +244,7 @@ int ask_string(const char *prompt, const char *the_default, char *out)
   assert(the_default != out);
   out[0] = 0;
   printf(prompt, the_default);
+  fflush(stdout);
   if (fgets(buffer, sizeof(buffer), stdin) == NULL)
     return -1;
   clean = clean_string(buffer);
@@ -372,14 +377,13 @@ int do_menu(const char *pname)
 {
   bx_list_c *menu = (bx_list_c *)SIM->get_param(pname, NULL);
   while (1) {
-    menu->get_choice()->set(0);
+    menu->set_choice(0);
     int status = menu->text_ask(stdin, stderr);
     if (status < 0) return status;
-    bx_param_num_c *choice = menu->get_choice();
-    if (choice->get() < 1)
-      return choice->get();
+    if (menu->get_choice() < 1)
+      return menu->get_choice();
     else {
-      int index = choice->get() - 1;  // choosing 1 means list[0]
+      int index = menu->get_choice() - 1;  // choosing 1 means list[0]
       bx_param_c *chosen = menu->get(index);
       assert(chosen != NULL);
       if (chosen->get_enabled()) {
@@ -995,12 +999,11 @@ int bx_list_c::text_ask(FILE *fpin, FILE *fpout)
       }
     }
     fprintf(fpout, "\n");
-    Bit32u n = choice->get();
+    Bit32u n = (Bit32u) choice;
     int min = (options & SHOW_PARENT) ? 0 : 1;
     int max = size;
     int status = ask_uint("Please choose one: [%d] ", "", min, max, n, &n, 10);
     if (status < 0) return status;
-    choice->set(n);
   }
   return 0;
 }