--- deliantra/server/common/shstr.C	2006/09/12 00:53:56	1.16
+++ deliantra/server/common/shstr.C	2006/09/12 19:20:06	1.17
@@ -19,11 +19,9 @@
 static const char *
 makevec (const char *s)
 {
-  int
-    len = strlen (s);
+  int len = strlen (s);
 
-  const char *
-    v = (const char *) (2 + (int *) g_slice_alloc (sizeof (int) * 2 + len + 1));
+  const char *v = (const char *) (2 + (int *) g_slice_alloc (sizeof (int) * 2 + len + 1));
 
   shstr::length (v) = len;
   shstr::refcnt (v) = 1;
@@ -33,7 +31,15 @@
   return v;
 }
 
-const char *shstr::null = makevec ("<nil>");
+static const char *
+makenull ()
+{
+  const char *s = makevec ("(null)");
+  shstr::length (s) = 0;
+  return s;
+}
+
+const char *shstr::null = makenull ();
 
 const char *
 shstr::find (const char *s)