--- deliantra/server/socket/item.C	2009/10/19 21:48:49	1.80
+++ deliantra/server/socket/item.C	2009/10/20 07:18:11	1.81
@@ -116,10 +116,8 @@
 static void
 add_object_to_socklist (client &ns, packet &sl, object *head)
 {
-  char item_n[MAX_BUF];
-  const char *item_p;
-
   int flags = query_flags (head);
+
   if (QUERY_FLAG (head, FLAG_NO_PICK))
     flags |= F_NOPICK;
 
@@ -134,29 +132,28 @@
      << uint32 (QUERY_FLAG (head, FLAG_NO_PICK) ? -1 : head->client_weight ())
      << uint32 (head->face);
 
-  int len;
-
   if (!head->custom_name)
     {
-      strncpy (item_n, query_base_name (head, 0), 127);
-      item_n[127] = 0;
-      len = strlen (item_n);
-      item_p = query_base_name (head, 1);
+      const char *name;
+      uint8 *len = sl.cur++; // patch up length later
+
+      name = query_base_name (head, 0); sl << data (name, min (127, strlen (name)));
+      sl << uint8 (0);
+      name = query_base_name (head, 1); sl << data (name, min (127, strlen (name)));
+
+      *len = sl.cur - len - 1;
     }
   else
     {
-      strncpy (item_n, head->custom_name, 127);
-      item_n[127] = 0;
-      len = strlen (item_n);
-      item_p = head->custom_name;
-    }
+      int len = min (head->custom_name.length (), 127);
 
-  strncpy (item_n + len + 1, item_p, 127);
-  item_n[254] = 0;
-  len += strlen (item_n + 1 + len) + 1;
+      sl << uint8 (len * 2 + 1)
+         << data (head->custom_name, len)
+         << uint8 (0)
+         << data (head->custom_name, len);
+    }
 
-  sl << data8 (item_n, len)
-     << uint16 (head->animation_id);
+  sl << uint16 (head->animation_id);
 
   int anim_speed = !head->flag [FLAG_ANIMATE] ? 0
                  : head->anim_speed           ? clamp (head->anim_speed, 1, 255)