diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c7bb82d5..30ec8338 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ Change Log / Ray Tracing in One Weekend
 # v4.0.3 (in progress)
 
 ### Common
+  - Change -- Improve lifetime of float image data `fdata` in `rtw_image` class (#1723)
 
 ### In One Weekend
 
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ Change Log / Ray Tracing in One Weekend
 ### Common
   - Fix    -- Fixed some dangling references to `random_in_unit_sphere()` (#1637)
   - Fix    -- Clarify `uniform_real_distribution` usage for `random_double()` (#1680)
-  - Update -- CMake minimum required version max now at 4.0.0.
+  - Change -- CMake minimum required version max now at 4.0.0.
 
 ### In One Weekend
   - Fix    -- Fix equation for refracted rays of non-unit length (#1644)
diff --git a/books/RayTracingTheNextWeek.html b/books/RayTracingTheNextWeek.html
index cda2e6e8..47e49334 100644
--- a/books/RayTracingTheNextWeek.html
+++ b/books/RayTracingTheNextWeek.html
@@ -1715,7 +1715,6 @@
 
         ~rtw_image() {
             delete[] bdata;
-            STBI_FREE(fdata);
         }
 
         bool load(const std::string& filename) {
@@ -1726,16 +1725,23 @@
             // below, for the full height of the image.
 
             auto n = bytes_per_pixel; // Dummy out parameter: original components per pixel
-            fdata = stbi_loadf(filename.c_str(), &image_width, &image_height, &n, bytes_per_pixel);
-            if (fdata == nullptr) return false;
+            float *fdata =
+                stbi_loadf(filename.c_str(), &image_width, &image_height, &n, bytes_per_pixel);
+
+            if (fdata == nullptr) {
+                image_width = image_height = 0;
+                return false;
+            }
 
             bytes_per_scanline = image_width * bytes_per_pixel;
-            convert_to_bytes();
+            convert_to_bytes(fdata);
+
+            STBI_FREE(fdata);
             return true;
         }
 
-        int width()  const { return (fdata == nullptr) ? 0 : image_width; }
-        int height() const { return (fdata == nullptr) ? 0 : image_height; }
+        int width()  const { return image_width; }
+        int height() const { return image_height; }
 
         const unsigned char* pixel_data(int x, int y) const {
             // Return the address of the three RGB bytes of the pixel at x,y. If there is no image
@@ -1751,7 +1757,6 @@
 
       private:
         const int      bytes_per_pixel = 3;
-        float         *fdata = nullptr;         // Linear floating point pixel data
         unsigned char *bdata = nullptr;         // Linear 8-bit pixel data
         int            image_width = 0;         // Loaded image width
         int            image_height = 0;        // Loaded image height
@@ -1772,7 +1777,7 @@
             return static_cast<unsigned char>(256.0 * value);
         }
 
-        void convert_to_bytes() {
+        void convert_to_bytes(float *fdata) {
             // Convert the linear floating point pixel data to bytes, storing the resulting byte
             // data in the `bdata` member.
 
diff --git a/src/TheNextWeek/rtw_stb_image.h b/src/TheNextWeek/rtw_stb_image.h
index 06fa19b2..f356d319 100644
--- a/src/TheNextWeek/rtw_stb_image.h
+++ b/src/TheNextWeek/rtw_stb_image.h
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ class rtw_image {
 
     ~rtw_image() {
         delete[] bdata;
-        STBI_FREE(fdata);
     }
 
     bool load(const std::string& filename) {
@@ -64,16 +63,23 @@ class rtw_image {
         // below, for the full height of the image.
 
         auto n = bytes_per_pixel; // Dummy out parameter: original components per pixel
-        fdata = stbi_loadf(filename.c_str(), &image_width, &image_height, &n, bytes_per_pixel);
-        if (fdata == nullptr) return false;
+        float *fdata =
+            stbi_loadf(filename.c_str(), &image_width, &image_height, &n, bytes_per_pixel);
+
+        if (fdata == nullptr) {
+            image_width = image_height = 0;
+            return false;
+        }
 
         bytes_per_scanline = image_width * bytes_per_pixel;
-        convert_to_bytes();
+        convert_to_bytes(fdata);
+
+        STBI_FREE(fdata);
         return true;
     }
 
-    int width()  const { return (fdata == nullptr) ? 0 : image_width; }
-    int height() const { return (fdata == nullptr) ? 0 : image_height; }
+    int width()  const { return image_width; }
+    int height() const { return image_height; }
 
     const unsigned char* pixel_data(int x, int y) const {
         // Return the address of the three RGB bytes of the pixel at x,y. If there is no image
@@ -89,7 +95,6 @@ class rtw_image {
 
   private:
     const int      bytes_per_pixel = 3;
-    float         *fdata = nullptr;         // Linear floating point pixel data
     unsigned char *bdata = nullptr;         // Linear 8-bit pixel data
     int            image_width = 0;         // Loaded image width
     int            image_height = 0;        // Loaded image height
@@ -110,7 +115,7 @@ class rtw_image {
         return static_cast<unsigned char>(256.0 * value);
     }
 
-    void convert_to_bytes() {
+    void convert_to_bytes(float *fdata) {
         // Convert the linear floating point pixel data to bytes, storing the resulting byte
         // data in the `bdata` member.
 
diff --git a/src/TheRestOfYourLife/rtw_stb_image.h b/src/TheRestOfYourLife/rtw_stb_image.h
index 06fa19b2..f356d319 100644
--- a/src/TheRestOfYourLife/rtw_stb_image.h
+++ b/src/TheRestOfYourLife/rtw_stb_image.h
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ class rtw_image {
 
     ~rtw_image() {
         delete[] bdata;
-        STBI_FREE(fdata);
     }
 
     bool load(const std::string& filename) {
@@ -64,16 +63,23 @@ class rtw_image {
         // below, for the full height of the image.
 
         auto n = bytes_per_pixel; // Dummy out parameter: original components per pixel
-        fdata = stbi_loadf(filename.c_str(), &image_width, &image_height, &n, bytes_per_pixel);
-        if (fdata == nullptr) return false;
+        float *fdata =
+            stbi_loadf(filename.c_str(), &image_width, &image_height, &n, bytes_per_pixel);
+
+        if (fdata == nullptr) {
+            image_width = image_height = 0;
+            return false;
+        }
 
         bytes_per_scanline = image_width * bytes_per_pixel;
-        convert_to_bytes();
+        convert_to_bytes(fdata);
+
+        STBI_FREE(fdata);
         return true;
     }
 
-    int width()  const { return (fdata == nullptr) ? 0 : image_width; }
-    int height() const { return (fdata == nullptr) ? 0 : image_height; }
+    int width()  const { return image_width; }
+    int height() const { return image_height; }
 
     const unsigned char* pixel_data(int x, int y) const {
         // Return the address of the three RGB bytes of the pixel at x,y. If there is no image
@@ -89,7 +95,6 @@ class rtw_image {
 
   private:
     const int      bytes_per_pixel = 3;
-    float         *fdata = nullptr;         // Linear floating point pixel data
     unsigned char *bdata = nullptr;         // Linear 8-bit pixel data
     int            image_width = 0;         // Loaded image width
     int            image_height = 0;        // Loaded image height
@@ -110,7 +115,7 @@ class rtw_image {
         return static_cast<unsigned char>(256.0 * value);
     }
 
-    void convert_to_bytes() {
+    void convert_to_bytes(float *fdata) {
         // Convert the linear floating point pixel data to bytes, storing the resulting byte
         // data in the `bdata` member.