diff --git a/server/src/hist.c b/server/src/hist.c
index 361375c41..a2564201c 100644
--- a/server/src/hist.c
+++ b/server/src/hist.c
@@ -139,17 +139,14 @@ void hist_plot(struct hist *h)
 
 void hist_dump(struct hist *h, char *buf, int len)
 {
-	char tok[8];
-	memset(buf, 0, len);
+	*buf = 0;
 
-	strncat(buf, "[ ", len);
+	strap(buf, len, "[ ");
 
-	for (int i = 0; i < h->length; i++) {
-		snprintf(tok, sizeof(tok), "%u ", h->data[i]);
-		strncat(buf, tok, len - strlen(buf));
-	}
-	
-	strncat(buf, "]", len - strlen(buf));
+	for (int i = 0; i < h->length; i++)
+		strap(buf, len, "%u ", h->data[i]);
+
+	strap(buf, len, "]");
 }
 
 void hist_matlab(struct hist *h, FILE *f)
diff --git a/server/src/utils.c b/server/src/utils.c
index d30dd2503..f77d3862f 100644
--- a/server/src/utils.c
+++ b/server/src/utils.c
@@ -101,16 +101,15 @@ struct timespec timespec_rate(double rate)
 /** @todo: Proper way: create additional pipe for stderr in child process */
 int system2(const char *cmd, ...)
 {
+	va_list ap;
 	char buf[1024];
 	
-	va_list ap;
 	va_start(ap, cmd);
-
-		vsnprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), cmd, ap);
-		strncat(buf, " 2>&1", sizeof(buf));
-	
+	vsnprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), cmd, ap);
 	va_end(ap);
 	
+	strap(buf, sizeof(buf), " 2>&1", sizeof(buf)); /* redirect stderr to stdout */
+		
 	debug(1, "System: %s", buf);
 
 	FILE *f = popen(buf, "r");