diff --git a/src/formats/animation.c b/src/formats/animation.c
index f10b35624..799a7c254 100644
--- a/src/formats/animation.c
+++ b/src/formats/animation.c
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include "formats/error.h"
 #include "formats/sprite.h"
 #include "utils/allocator.h"
+#include "utils/c_string_util.h"
 #include "utils/log.h"
 
 int sd_animation_create(sd_animation *ani) {
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ int sd_animation_set_anim_string(sd_animation *ani, const char *str) {
     if(strlen(str) >= SD_ANIMATION_STRING_MAX) {
         return SD_INVALID_INPUT;
     }
-    strncpy(ani->anim_string, str, sizeof(ani->anim_string));
+    strncpy_or_truncate(ani->anim_string, str, sizeof(ani->anim_string));
     return SD_SUCCESS;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/formats/bkanim.c b/src/formats/bkanim.c
index 224c55110..4748bd14f 100644
--- a/src/formats/bkanim.c
+++ b/src/formats/bkanim.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "formats/bkanim.h"
 #include "formats/error.h"
 #include "utils/allocator.h"
+#include "utils/c_string_util.h"
 #include "utils/log.h"
 
 int sd_bk_anim_create(sd_bk_anim *bka) {
@@ -153,6 +154,6 @@ int sd_bk_set_anim_string(sd_bk_anim *bka, const char *data) {
     if(strlen(data) >= SD_BK_FOOTER_STRING_MAX - 1) {
         return SD_INVALID_INPUT;
     }
-    strncpy(bka->footer_string, data, sizeof(bka->footer_string));
+    strncpy_or_truncate(bka->footer_string, data, sizeof(bka->footer_string));
     return SD_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/src/formats/chr.c b/src/formats/chr.c
index 2582e9c0a..59f44ee0a 100644
--- a/src/formats/chr.c
+++ b/src/formats/chr.c
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include "resources/pathmanager.h"
 #include "resources/trnmanager.h"
 #include "utils/allocator.h"
+#include "utils/c_string_util.h"
 #include "utils/log.h"
 
 int sd_chr_create(sd_chr_file *chr) {
@@ -41,9 +42,9 @@ int sd_chr_from_trn(sd_chr_file *chr, sd_tournament_file *trn, sd_pilot *pilot)
     chr->pilot.enemies_inc_unranked = trn->enemy_count;
     chr->pilot.enemies_ex_unranked = ranked;
     chr->pilot.rank = ranked + 1;
-    strncpy(chr->pilot.trn_name, trn->filename, sizeof(chr->pilot.trn_name));
-    strncpy(chr->pilot.trn_desc, trn->locales[0]->title, sizeof(chr->pilot.trn_desc));
-    strncpy(chr->pilot.trn_image, trn->pic_file, sizeof(chr->pilot.trn_image));
+    strncpy_or_truncate(chr->pilot.trn_name, trn->filename, sizeof(chr->pilot.trn_name));
+    strncpy_or_truncate(chr->pilot.trn_desc, trn->locales[0]->title, sizeof(chr->pilot.trn_desc));
+    strncpy_or_truncate(chr->pilot.trn_image, trn->pic_file, sizeof(chr->pilot.trn_image));
     chr->photo = omf_calloc(1, sizeof(sd_sprite));
     sd_sprite_copy(chr->photo, pilot->photo);
     return SD_SUCCESS;
@@ -95,9 +96,7 @@ int sd_chr_load(sd_chr_file *chr, const char *filename) {
     if(trn_loaded) {
         for(int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
             if(trn.locales[0]->end_texts[0][i]) {
-                chr->cutscene_text[i] = omf_calloc(1, strlen(trn.locales[0]->end_texts[0][i]) + 1);
-                strncpy(chr->cutscene_text[i], trn.locales[0]->end_texts[0][i],
-                        strlen(trn.locales[0]->end_texts[0][i]));
+                chr->cutscene_text[i] = omf_strdup(trn.locales[0]->end_texts[0][i]);
             }
         }
         // TODO do something better here
@@ -180,8 +179,7 @@ int sd_chr_load(sd_chr_file *chr, const char *filename) {
         memread_buf(mr, chr->enemies[i]->unknown, 25);
         for(int m = 0; m < 10; m++) {
             if(trn_loaded && trn.enemies[i]->quotes[m]) {
-                chr->enemies[i]->pilot.quotes[m] = omf_calloc(1, strlen(trn.enemies[i]->quotes[m]) + 1);
-                strncpy(chr->enemies[i]->pilot.quotes[m], trn.enemies[i]->quotes[m], strlen(trn.enemies[i]->quotes[m]));
+                chr->enemies[i]->pilot.quotes[m] = omf_strdup(trn.enemies[i]->quotes[m]);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/formats/language.c b/src/formats/language.c
index 133bbe221..563d66106 100644
--- a/src/formats/language.c
+++ b/src/formats/language.c
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ void sd_language_append(sd_language *language, const char *description, const ch
     language->count++;
 
     language->strings = omf_realloc(language->strings, language->count * sizeof(sd_lang_string));
-    strncpy(language->strings[language->count - 1].description, description, 32);
+    strncpy_or_truncate(language->strings[language->count - 1].description, description, 32);
     language->strings[language->count - 1].data = omf_strdup(data);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/formats/move.c b/src/formats/move.c
index 24683c8f7..9e2fbfc3d 100644
--- a/src/formats/move.c
+++ b/src/formats/move.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "formats/error.h"
 #include "formats/move.h"
 #include "utils/allocator.h"
+#include "utils/c_string_util.h"
 #include "utils/log.h"
 
 int sd_move_create(sd_move *move) {
@@ -208,7 +209,7 @@ int sd_move_set_footer_string(sd_move *move, const char *str) {
     if(strlen(str) >= SD_MOVE_FOOTER_STRING_MAX - 1) {
         return SD_INVALID_INPUT;
     }
-    strncpy(move->footer_string, str, sizeof(move->footer_string));
+    strncpy_or_truncate(move->footer_string, str, sizeof(move->footer_string));
     return SD_SUCCESS;
 }
 
@@ -216,6 +217,6 @@ int sd_move_set_move_string(sd_move *move, const char *str) {
     if(strlen(str) >= SD_MOVE_STRING_MAX - 1) {
         return SD_INVALID_INPUT;
     }
-    strncpy(move->move_string, str, sizeof(move->move_string));
+    strncpy_or_truncate(move->move_string, str, sizeof(move->move_string));
     return SD_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/src/formats/tournament.c b/src/formats/tournament.c
index f62a5c01b..63568eede 100644
--- a/src/formats/tournament.c
+++ b/src/formats/tournament.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "formats/tournament.h"
 #include "resources/pathmanager.h"
 #include "utils/allocator.h"
+#include "utils/c_string_util.h"
 
 int sd_tournament_create(sd_tournament_file *trn) {
     if(trn == NULL) {
@@ -94,9 +95,9 @@ int sd_tournament_load(sd_tournament_file *trn, const char *filename) {
 
     char *justfile = strrchr(filename, pm_path_sep);
     if(justfile == NULL) {
-        strncpy(trn->filename, filename, sizeof(trn->filename));
+        strncpy_or_truncate(trn->filename, filename, sizeof(trn->filename));
     } else {
-        strncpy(trn->filename, justfile + 1, sizeof(trn->filename));
+        strncpy_or_truncate(trn->filename, justfile + 1, sizeof(trn->filename));
     }
     trn->enemy_count = enemy_count;
 
diff --git a/src/game/scenes/lobby.c b/src/game/scenes/lobby.c
index 1243f34a6..489b5b8fd 100644
--- a/src/game/scenes/lobby.c
+++ b/src/game/scenes/lobby.c
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ void lobby_entered_name(component *c, void *userdata) {
             DEBUG("remote peer connect id %d", event.peer->connectID);
 
             event.peer->data = nat;
-            strncpy(local->name, textinput_value(c), sizeof(local->name));
+            strncpy_or_truncate(local->name, textinput_value(c), sizeof(local->name));
 
             char version[15];
             // TODO support git version when not on a tag
@@ -901,13 +901,13 @@ void lobby_tick(scene *scene, int paused) {
                     case PACKET_YELL: {
                         log_event log;
                         log.color = YELL_COLOR;
-                        strncpy(log.msg, (char *)event.packet->data + 1, sizeof(log.msg));
+                        strncpy_or_truncate(log.msg, (char *)event.packet->data + 1, sizeof(log.msg));
                         list_append(&local->log, &log, sizeof(log));
                     } break;
                     case PACKET_WHISPER: {
                         log_event log;
                         log.color = WHISPER_COLOR;
-                        strncpy(log.msg, (char *)event.packet->data + 1, sizeof(log.msg));
+                        strncpy_or_truncate(log.msg, (char *)event.packet->data + 1, sizeof(log.msg));
                         list_append(&local->log, &log, sizeof(log));
                     } break;
                     case PACKET_DISCONNECT: {
diff --git a/src/game/scenes/scoreboard.c b/src/game/scenes/scoreboard.c
index 2cda064b1..59be4f55f 100644
--- a/src/game/scenes/scoreboard.c
+++ b/src/game/scenes/scoreboard.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "game/utils/settings.h"
 #include "resources/scores.h"
 #include "utils/allocator.h"
+#include "utils/c_string_util.h"
 #include "utils/log.h"
 #include "video/surface.h"
 #include "video/vga_state.h"
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ void handle_scoreboard_save(scoreboard_local *local) {
     if(!strlen(name)) {
         return;
     }
-    strncpy(local->pending_data.name, name, sizeof(local->pending_data.name));
+    strncpy_or_truncate(local->pending_data.name, name, sizeof(local->pending_data.name));
     for(int i = 0; i < 20; i++) {
         unsigned int ex_score = local->data.entries[local->page][i].score;
         unsigned int my_score = local->pending_data.score;