diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 1bf4eb44..3a00578c 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ CVS code -
 - files.c:
   read_line()
 	- Rename variable prev to prevnode to avoid confusion. (DLR)
+	- Rename variable len to buf_len, for consistency. (DLR)
   load_open_file()
 	- Remove an unneeded clearok(FALSE). (DLR)
   get_next_filename()
diff --git a/src/files.c b/src/files.c
index af0205f0..d164db18 100644
--- a/src/files.c
+++ b/src/files.c
@@ -59,28 +59,28 @@ void new_file(void)
 #endif
 }
 
-/* We make a new line of text from buf.  buf is length len.  If
+/* We make a new line of text from buf.  buf is length buf_len.  If
  * first_line_ins is TRUE, then we put the new line at the top of the
  * file.  Otherwise, we assume prevnode is the last line of the file,
  * and put our line after prevnode. */
 filestruct *read_line(char *buf, filestruct *prevnode, bool
-	*first_line_ins, size_t len)
+	*first_line_ins, size_t buf_len)
 {
     filestruct *fileptr = (filestruct *)nmalloc(sizeof(filestruct));
 
     /* Convert nulls to newlines.  len is the string's real length
      * here. */
-    unsunder(buf, len);
+    unsunder(buf, buf_len);
 
-    assert(strlen(buf) == len);
+    assert(strlen(buf) == buf_len);
 
     fileptr->data = mallocstrcpy(NULL, buf);
 
 #ifndef NANO_SMALL
     /* If it's a DOS file ("\r\n"), and file conversion isn't disabled,
      * strip the '\r' part from fileptr->data. */
-    if (!ISSET(NO_CONVERT) && len > 0 && buf[len - 1] == '\r')
-	fileptr->data[len - 1] = '\0';
+    if (!ISSET(NO_CONVERT) && buf_len > 0 && buf[buf_len - 1] == '\r')
+	fileptr->data[buf_len - 1] = '\0';
 #endif
 
     if (*first_line_ins == TRUE || fileage == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/proto.h b/src/proto.h
index 5382ff24..6465bf59 100644
--- a/src/proto.h
+++ b/src/proto.h
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ void do_uncut_text(void);
 /* Public functions in files.c. */
 void new_file(void);
 filestruct *read_line(char *buf, filestruct *prevnode, bool
-	*first_line_ins, size_t len);
+	*first_line_ins, size_t buf_len);
 void load_file(void);
 void read_file(FILE *f, const char *filename);
 int open_file(const char *filename, bool newfie, FILE **f);