--- deliantra/server/socket/item.C	2008/12/28 06:59:27	1.76
+++ deliantra/server/socket/item.C	2009/04/27 01:38:49	1.78
@@ -420,26 +420,20 @@
     {
       int len;
       const char *item_p;
-      char item_n[MAX_BUF];
+      char item_n[127 * 2];
 
       if (!op->custom_name)
         {
-          strncpy (item_n, query_base_name (op, 0), 127);
-          item_n[127] = 0;
-          len = strlen (item_n);
+          len = assign (item_n, query_base_name (op, 0), 127);
           item_p = query_base_name (op, 1);
         }
       else
         {
-          strncpy (item_n, op->custom_name, 127);
-          item_n[127] = 0;
-          len = strlen (item_n);
-          item_p = op->custom_name;
+          len = assign (item_n, &op->custom_name, 127);
+          item_p = &op->custom_name;
         }
 
-      strncpy (item_n + len + 1, item_p, 127);
-      item_n[254] = 0;
-      len += strlen (item_n + 1 + len) + 1;
+      len += assign (item_n + len, item_p, 127);
 
       sl << data8 (item_n, len);
     }
@@ -680,7 +674,7 @@
 static void
 look_at (player *pl, int dx, int dy)
 {
-  dynbuf_text buf;
+  dynbuf_text &buf = msg_dynbuf; buf.clear ();
   object *ob = pl->ob;
 
   if (!pl->observe->map)