diff --git a/lib/pls/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/pls/CMakeLists.txt
index c777def..f30cd59 100644
--- a/lib/pls/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/pls/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ add_library(pls STATIC
 
         include/pls/internal/data_structures/aligned_stack.h src/internal/data_structures/aligned_stack.cpp
         include/pls/internal/data_structures/aligned_stack_impl.h
-        include/pls/internal/data_structures/locking_deque.h src/internal/data_structures/locking_deque.cpp
+        include/pls/internal/data_structures/locking_deque.h
         include/pls/internal/data_structures/work_stealing_deque.h include/pls/internal/data_structures/work_stealing_deque_impl.h
         include/pls/internal/data_structures/stamped_integer.h
 
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ add_library(pls STATIC
         include/pls/internal/scheduling/scheduler_impl.h
         include/pls/internal/scheduling/task.h src/internal/scheduling/task.cpp
         include/pls/internal/scheduling/scheduler_memory.h src/internal/scheduling/scheduler_memory.cpp
-        include/pls/internal/scheduling/lambda_task.h)
+        include/pls/internal/scheduling/lambda_task.h include/pls/internal/data_structures/deque.h)
 
 # Add everything in `./include` to be in the include path of this project
 target_include_directories(pls
diff --git a/lib/pls/include/pls/internal/data_structures/locking_deque.h b/lib/pls/include/pls/internal/data_structures/locking_deque.h
index fb19071..36051ce 100644
--- a/lib/pls/include/pls/internal/data_structures/locking_deque.h
+++ b/lib/pls/include/pls/internal/data_structures/locking_deque.h
@@ -1,34 +1,34 @@
 
-#ifndef PLS_DEQUE_H
-#define PLS_DEQUE_H
+#ifndef PLS_LOCKING_DEQUE_H
+#define PLS_LOCKING_DEQUE_H
+
+#include <mutex>
 
 #include "pls/internal/base/spin_lock.h"
+#include "pls/internal/data_structures/aligned_stack.h"
 
 namespace pls {
 namespace internal {
 namespace data_structures {
 
 /**
- * Turns any object into deque item when inheriting from this.
+ * Wraps any object into a deque item.
  */
-class locking_deque_item {
-  friend class locking_deque_internal;
+template<typename Item>
+struct locking_deque_item {
+  Item *item_;
 
   locking_deque_item *prev_;
   locking_deque_item *next_;
 
 };
 
-class locking_deque_internal {
- protected:
-  locking_deque_item *head_;
-  locking_deque_item *tail_;
-
-  base::spin_lock lock_;
+template<typename Item, typename Content>
+struct locking_deque_container : public locking_deque_item<Item> {
+  Content content_;
 
-  locking_deque_item *pop_head_internal();
-  locking_deque_item *pop_tail_internal();
-  void push_tail_internal(locking_deque_item *new_item);
+ public:
+  explicit locking_deque_container(const Content &content_) : content_{content_} {}
 };
 
 /**
@@ -38,20 +38,82 @@ class locking_deque_internal {
  * @tparam Item The type of items stored in this deque
  */
 template<typename Item>
-class locking_deque : locking_deque_internal {
+class locking_deque {
+  aligned_stack *stack_;
+
+  locking_deque_item<Item> *head_;
+  locking_deque_item<Item> *tail_;
+
+  base::spin_lock lock_;
+
  public:
-  explicit locking_deque() : locking_deque_internal{} {}
+  using state = aligned_stack::state;
+
+  explicit locking_deque(aligned_stack *stack)
+      : stack_{stack}, head_{nullptr}, tail_{nullptr}, lock_{} {}
+
+  template<typename T>
+  T *push_tail(const T &new_item) {
+    static_assert(std::is_same<Item, T>::value || std::is_base_of<Item, T>::value,
+                  "Must only push types of <Item> onto work_stealing_deque<Item>");
 
-  inline Item *pop_head() {
-    return static_cast<Item *>(pop_head_internal());
+    std::lock_guard<base::spin_lock> lock{lock_};
+    auto deque_item = stack_->push(locking_deque_container<Item, T>{new_item});
+    deque_item->item_ = &deque_item->content_;
+
+    if (tail_ != nullptr) {
+      tail_->next_ = deque_item;
+    } else {
+      head_ = deque_item;
+    }
+    deque_item->prev_ = tail_;
+    deque_item->next_ = nullptr;
+    tail_ = deque_item;
+
+    return deque_item->item_;
   }
 
-  inline Item *pop_tail() {
-    return static_cast<Item *>(pop_tail_internal());
+  Item *pop_tail() {
+    std::lock_guard<base::spin_lock> lock{lock_};
+
+    if (tail_ == nullptr) {
+      return nullptr;
+    }
+
+    auto result = tail_;
+    tail_ = tail_->prev_;
+    if (tail_ == nullptr) {
+      head_ = nullptr;
+    } else {
+      tail_->next_ = nullptr;
+    }
+
+    return result->item_;
   }
 
-  inline void push_tail(Item *new_item) {
-    push_tail_internal(new_item);
+  Item *pop_head() {
+    std::lock_guard<base::spin_lock> lock{lock_};
+
+    if (head_ == nullptr) {
+      return nullptr;
+    }
+
+    auto result = head_;
+    head_ = head_->next_;
+    if (head_ == nullptr) {
+      tail_ = nullptr;
+    } else {
+      head_->prev_ = nullptr;
+    }
+
+    return result->item_;
+  }
+
+  void release_memory_until(state state) {
+    stack_->reset_state(state);
+  }
+  state save_state() {
+    return stack_->save_state();
   }
 };
 
@@ -59,4 +121,4 @@ class locking_deque : locking_deque_internal {
 }
 }
 
-#endif //PLS_DEQUE_H
+#endif //PLS_LOCKING_DEQUE_H
diff --git a/lib/pls/include/pls/internal/data_structures/work_stealing_deque.h b/lib/pls/include/pls/internal/data_structures/work_stealing_deque.h
index ffdf77f..9c542e9 100644
--- a/lib/pls/include/pls/internal/data_structures/work_stealing_deque.h
+++ b/lib/pls/include/pls/internal/data_structures/work_stealing_deque.h
@@ -76,13 +76,6 @@ class work_stealing_deque {
                                                           tail_{other.tail_.load()},
                                                           previous_tail_{other.previous_tail_} {}
 
-  void reset_base_pointer();
-  work_stealing_deque_item *item_at(offset_t offset);
-  offset_t current_stack_offset();
-
-  template<typename T>
-  std::pair<work_stealing_deque_item, T> *allocate_item(const T &new_item);
-
   template<typename T>
   T *push_tail(const T &new_item);
   Item *pop_tail();
@@ -90,6 +83,14 @@ class work_stealing_deque {
 
   void release_memory_until(state state);
   state save_state();
+
+ private:
+  void reset_base_pointer();
+  work_stealing_deque_item *item_at(offset_t offset);
+  offset_t current_stack_offset();
+
+  template<typename T>
+  std::pair<work_stealing_deque_item, T> *allocate_item(const T &new_item);
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/test/data_structures_test.cpp b/test/data_structures_test.cpp
index add0e4b..0b27ee0 100644
--- a/test/data_structures_test.cpp
+++ b/test/data_structures_test.cpp
@@ -77,58 +77,62 @@ TEST_CASE("aligned stack stores objects correctly", "[internal/data_structures/a
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("deque stores objects correctly", "[internal/data_structures/deque.h]") {
-  class my_item : public locking_deque_item {
+  class my_item {
 
   };
 
-  locking_deque<my_item> deque;
-  my_item one, two, three;
+  constexpr long data_size = 2 << 14;
+  char data[data_size];
+  aligned_stack stack{data, data_size};
+
+  locking_deque<int> deque{&stack};
+  int one = 1, two = 2, three = 3;
 
   SECTION("add and remove items form the tail") {
-    deque.push_tail(&one);
-    deque.push_tail(&two);
-    deque.push_tail(&three);
+    deque.push_tail(one);
+    deque.push_tail(two);
+    deque.push_tail(three);
 
-    REQUIRE(deque.pop_tail() == &three);
-    REQUIRE(deque.pop_tail() == &two);
-    REQUIRE(deque.pop_tail() == &one);
+    REQUIRE(*deque.pop_tail() == three);
+    REQUIRE(*deque.pop_tail() == two);
+    REQUIRE(*deque.pop_tail() == one);
   }
 
   SECTION("handles getting empty by popping the tail correctly") {
-    deque.push_tail(&one);
-    REQUIRE(deque.pop_tail() == &one);
+    deque.push_tail(one);
+    REQUIRE(*deque.pop_tail() == one);
 
-    deque.push_tail(&two);
-    REQUIRE(deque.pop_tail() == &two);
+    deque.push_tail(two);
+    REQUIRE(*deque.pop_tail() == two);
   }
 
   SECTION("remove items form the head") {
-    deque.push_tail(&one);
-    deque.push_tail(&two);
-    deque.push_tail(&three);
+    deque.push_tail(one);
+    deque.push_tail(two);
+    deque.push_tail(three);
 
-    REQUIRE(deque.pop_head() == &one);
-    REQUIRE(deque.pop_head() == &two);
-    REQUIRE(deque.pop_head() == &three);
+    REQUIRE(*deque.pop_head() == one);
+    REQUIRE(*deque.pop_head() == two);
+    REQUIRE(*deque.pop_head() == three);
   }
 
   SECTION("handles getting empty by popping the head correctly") {
-    deque.push_tail(&one);
-    REQUIRE(deque.pop_head() == &one);
+    deque.push_tail(one);
+    REQUIRE(*deque.pop_head() == one);
 
-    deque.push_tail(&two);
-    REQUIRE(deque.pop_head() == &two);
+    deque.push_tail(two);
+    REQUIRE(*deque.pop_head() == two);
   }
 
   SECTION("handles getting empty by popping the head and tail correctly") {
-    deque.push_tail(&one);
-    REQUIRE(deque.pop_tail() == &one);
+    deque.push_tail(one);
+    REQUIRE(*deque.pop_tail() == one);
 
-    deque.push_tail(&two);
-    REQUIRE(deque.pop_head() == &two);
+    deque.push_tail(two);
+    REQUIRE(*deque.pop_head() == two);
 
-    deque.push_tail(&three);
-    REQUIRE(deque.pop_tail() == &three);
+    deque.push_tail(three);
+    REQUIRE(*deque.pop_tail() == three);
   }
 }