diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index a95aec2e..69edceba 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -238,6 +238,11 @@ CVS code -
   regexp_bol_or_eol()
 	- Don't assume any longer that string will be found if
 	  REG_NOTBOL and REG_NOTEOL are not set. (DLR)
+  mallocstrncpy()
+	- New function, used as a malloc()ing equivalent of strncpy().
+	  (DLR)
+  mallocstrcpy()
+	- Refactor to be a wrapper for mallocstrncpy(). (DLR)
 - winio.c:
   unget_kbinput()
 	- New function used as a wrapper for ungetch(). (DLR)
diff --git a/src/proto.h b/src/proto.h
index bf8a7e19..c0a2e16a 100644
--- a/src/proto.h
+++ b/src/proto.h
@@ -490,6 +490,7 @@ const char *strstrwrapper(const char *haystack, const char *needle,
 void nperror(const char *s);
 void *nmalloc(size_t howmuch);
 void *nrealloc(void *ptr, size_t howmuch);
+char *mallocstrncpy(char *dest, const char *src, size_t n);
 char *mallocstrcpy(char *dest, const char *src);
 char *mallocstrassn(char *dest, char *src);
 void new_magicline(void);
diff --git a/src/search.c b/src/search.c
index 7cea9f2b..185e9aa0 100644
--- a/src/search.c
+++ b/src/search.c
@@ -315,8 +315,7 @@ bool findnextstr(bool can_display_wrap, bool wholeword, bool
 	    /* If we're searching for whole words, see if this potential
 	     * match is a whole word. */
 	    if (wholeword) {
-		char *word = charalloc(found_len + 1);
-		strncpy(word, found, found_len);
+		char *word = mallocstrncpy(word, found, found_len + 1);
 		word[found_len] = '\0';
 
 		found_whole = is_whole_word(found - fileptr->data,
diff --git a/src/utils.c b/src/utils.c
index bee1c6cf..b113cb95 100644
--- a/src/utils.c
+++ b/src/utils.c
@@ -394,9 +394,10 @@ void *nrealloc(void *ptr, size_t howmuch)
     return r;
 }
 
-/* Copy one malloc()ed string to another pointer.  Should be used as:
- * "dest = mallocstrcpy(dest, src);". */
-char *mallocstrcpy(char *dest, const char *src)
+/* Copy the first n characters of one malloc()ed string to another
+ * pointer.  Should be used as: "dest = mallocstrncpy(dest, src,
+ * n);". */
+char *mallocstrncpy(char *dest, const char *src, size_t n)
 {
     if (src == NULL)
 	src = "";
@@ -404,12 +405,19 @@ char *mallocstrcpy(char *dest, const char *src)
     if (src != dest)
 	free(dest);
 
-    dest = charalloc(strlen(src) + 1);
-    strcpy(dest, src);
+    dest = charalloc(n);
+    strncpy(dest, src, n);
 
     return dest;
 }
 
+/* Copy one malloc()ed string to another pointer.  Should be used as:
+ * "dest = mallocstrcpy(dest, src);". */
+char *mallocstrcpy(char *dest, const char *src)
+{
+    return mallocstrncpy(dest, src, src == NULL ? 1 : strlen(src) + 1);
+}
+
 /* Free the malloc()ed string at dest and return the malloc()ed string
  * at src.  Should be used as: "answer = mallocstrassn(answer,
  * real_dir_from_tilde(answer));". */