diff --git a/libclamav/others_common.c b/libclamav/others_common.c
index bab93f07b..68132e43e 100644
--- a/libclamav/others_common.c
+++ b/libclamav/others_common.c
@@ -812,6 +812,7 @@ const char* cli_strerror(int errnum, char *buf, size_t len)
 #endif
     err = strerror(errnum);
     strncpy(buf, err, len);
+    buf[len-1] = '\0'; /* just in case */
 # ifdef CL_THREAD_SAFE
     pthread_mutex_unlock(&cli_strerror_mutex);
 #endif
diff --git a/libclamav/xar.c b/libclamav/xar.c
index ba0f32ad7..8dcb82893 100644
--- a/libclamav/xar.c
+++ b/libclamav/xar.c
@@ -644,7 +644,6 @@ int cli_scanxar(cli_ctx *ctx)
                 if (blockp == NULL) {
                     char errbuff[128];
                     cli_strerror(errno, errbuff, sizeof(errbuff));
-                    errbuff[sizeof(errbuff)-1] = '\0';
                     cli_errmsg("cli_scanxar: Can't read %li bytes @ %li, errno:%s.\n",
                                length, at, &errbuff);
                     rc = CL_EREAD;
@@ -680,7 +679,6 @@ int cli_scanxar(cli_ctx *ctx)
                     if (lz.next_in == NULL) {
                         char errbuff[128];
                         cli_strerror(errno, errbuff, sizeof(errbuff));
-                        errbuff[sizeof(errbuff)-1] = '\0';
                         cli_errmsg("cli_scanxar: Can't read %li bytes @ %li, errno: %s.\n",
                                    length, at, &errbuff);
                         rc = CL_EREAD;
@@ -756,7 +754,6 @@ int cli_scanxar(cli_ctx *ctx)
                 if (!(blockp = (void*)fmap_need_off_once(map, at, length))) {
                     char errbuff[128];
                     cli_strerror(errno, errbuff, sizeof(errbuff));
-                    errbuff[sizeof(errbuff)-1] = '\0';
                     cli_errmsg("cli_scanxar: Can't read %li bytes @ %li, errno:%s.\n",
                                length, at, &errbuff);
                     rc = CL_EREAD;