diff --git a/src/chars.c b/src/chars.c
index 80c6666e..cf97df6c 100644
--- a/src/chars.c
+++ b/src/chars.c
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ size_t move_mbleft(const char *buf, size_t pos)
 {
 #ifdef ENABLE_UTF8
 	if (use_utf8) {
-		size_t before, char_len = 0;
+		size_t before, charlen = 0;
 
 		if (pos < 4)
 			before = 0;
@@ -355,11 +355,11 @@ size_t move_mbleft(const char *buf, size_t pos)
 		/* Move forward again until we reach the original character,
 		 * so we know the length of its preceding character. */
 		while (before < pos) {
-			char_len = parse_mbchar(buf + before, NULL, NULL);
-			before += char_len;
+			charlen = parse_mbchar(buf + before, NULL, NULL);
+			before += charlen;
 		}
 
-		return before - char_len;
+		return before - charlen;
 	} else
 #endif
 	return (pos == 0 ? 0 : pos - 1);
diff --git a/src/cut.c b/src/cut.c
index 6417a859..5be5cad7 100644
--- a/src/cut.c
+++ b/src/cut.c
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ void do_deletion(undo_type action)
 
 	/* When in the middle of a line, delete the current character. */
 	if (openfile->current->data[openfile->current_x] != '\0') {
-		int char_len = parse_mbchar(openfile->current->data +
+		int charlen = parse_mbchar(openfile->current->data +
 										openfile->current_x, NULL, NULL);
 		size_t line_len = strlen(openfile->current->data +
 										openfile->current_x);
@@ -53,13 +53,13 @@ void do_deletion(undo_type action)
 #endif
 		/* Move the remainder of the line "in", over the current character. */
 		charmove(&openfile->current->data[openfile->current_x],
-					&openfile->current->data[openfile->current_x + char_len],
-					line_len - char_len + 1);
+					&openfile->current->data[openfile->current_x + charlen],
+					line_len - charlen + 1);
 #ifndef NANO_TINY
 		/* Adjust the mark if it is after the cursor on the current line. */
 		if (openfile->mark == openfile->current &&
 								openfile->mark_x > openfile->current_x)
-			openfile->mark_x -= char_len;
+			openfile->mark_x -= charlen;
 #endif
 	/* Otherwise, when not at end of buffer, join this line with the next. */
 	} else if (openfile->current != openfile->filebot) {
diff --git a/src/nano.c b/src/nano.c
index 466fb5fe..232095c7 100644
--- a/src/nano.c
+++ b/src/nano.c
@@ -1780,7 +1780,7 @@ void do_input(void)
 void do_output(char *output, size_t output_len, bool allow_cntrls)
 {
 	char onechar[MAXCHARLEN];
-	int char_len;
+	int charlen;
 	size_t current_len = strlen(openfile->current->data);
 	size_t i = 0;
 #ifndef NANO_TINY
@@ -1799,23 +1799,23 @@ void do_output(char *output, size_t output_len, bool allow_cntrls)
 			output[i] = '\n';
 
 		/* Get the next multibyte character. */
-		char_len = parse_mbchar(output + i, onechar, NULL);
+		charlen = parse_mbchar(output + i, onechar, NULL);
 
-		i += char_len;
+		i += charlen;
 
 		/* If controls are not allowed, ignore an ASCII control character. */
-		if (!allow_cntrls && is_ascii_cntrl_char(*(output + i - char_len)))
+		if (!allow_cntrls && is_ascii_cntrl_char(*(output + i - charlen)))
 			continue;
 
 		/* Make room for the new character and copy it into the line. */
 		openfile->current->data = charealloc(openfile->current->data,
-										current_len + char_len + 1);
-		charmove(openfile->current->data + openfile->current_x + char_len,
+										current_len + charlen + 1);
+		charmove(openfile->current->data + openfile->current_x + charlen,
 						openfile->current->data + openfile->current_x,
 						current_len - openfile->current_x + 1);
 		strncpy(openfile->current->data + openfile->current_x, onechar,
-						char_len);
-		current_len += char_len;
+						charlen);
+		current_len += charlen;
 		openfile->totsize++;
 		set_modified();
 
@@ -1830,7 +1830,7 @@ void do_output(char *output, size_t output_len, bool allow_cntrls)
 		/* Note that current_x has not yet been incremented. */
 		if (openfile->current == openfile->mark &&
 						openfile->current_x < openfile->mark_x)
-			openfile->mark_x += char_len;
+			openfile->mark_x += charlen;
 
 		/* When the cursor is on the top row and not on the first chunk
 		 * of a line, adding text there might change the preceding chunk
@@ -1842,7 +1842,7 @@ void do_output(char *output, size_t output_len, bool allow_cntrls)
 		}
 #endif
 
-		openfile->current_x += char_len;
+		openfile->current_x += charlen;
 
 #ifndef NANO_TINY
 		update_undo(ADD);
diff --git a/src/prompt.c b/src/prompt.c
index e8c806ed..8a2d6225 100644
--- a/src/prompt.c
+++ b/src/prompt.c
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ void do_statusbar_output(int *the_input, size_t input_len,
 {
 	char *output = charalloc(input_len + 1);
 	char onechar[MAXCHARLEN];
-	size_t char_len, i, j = 0;
+	size_t charlen, i, j = 0;
 
 	/* Copy the typed stuff so it can be treated. */
 	for (i = 0; i < input_len; i++)
@@ -203,21 +203,21 @@ void do_statusbar_output(int *the_input, size_t input_len,
 			output[j] = '\n';
 
 		/* Interpret the next multibyte character. */
-		char_len = parse_mbchar(output + j, onechar, NULL);
+		charlen = parse_mbchar(output + j, onechar, NULL);
 
-		j += char_len;
+		j += charlen;
 
 		/* When filtering, skip any ASCII control character. */
-		if (filtering && is_ascii_cntrl_char(*(output + j - char_len)))
+		if (filtering && is_ascii_cntrl_char(*(output + j - charlen)))
 			continue;
 
 		/* Insert the typed character into the existing answer string. */
-		answer = charealloc(answer, strlen(answer) + char_len + 1);
-		charmove(answer + typing_x + char_len, answer + typing_x,
+		answer = charealloc(answer, strlen(answer) + charlen + 1);
+		charmove(answer + typing_x + charlen, answer + typing_x,
 								strlen(answer) - typing_x + 1);
-		strncpy(answer + typing_x, onechar, char_len);
+		strncpy(answer + typing_x, onechar, charlen);
 
-		typing_x += char_len;
+		typing_x += charlen;
 	}
 
 	free(output);
@@ -253,10 +253,10 @@ void do_statusbar_right(void)
 void do_statusbar_delete(void)
 {
 	if (answer[typing_x] != '\0') {
-		int char_len = parse_mbchar(answer + typing_x, NULL, NULL);
+		int charlen = parse_mbchar(answer + typing_x, NULL, NULL);
 
-		charmove(answer + typing_x, answer + typing_x + char_len,
-						strlen(answer) - typing_x - char_len + 1);
+		charmove(answer + typing_x, answer + typing_x + charlen,
+						strlen(answer) - typing_x - charlen + 1);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/text.c b/src/text.c
index df05c5a9..a6b7e1cb 100644
--- a/src/text.c
+++ b/src/text.c
@@ -1163,12 +1163,12 @@ void add_undo(undo_type action)
 		 * else purposely fall into the line-joining code. */
 		if (openfile->current->data[openfile->current_x] != '\0') {
 			char *char_buf = charalloc(MAXCHARLEN + 1);
-			int char_len = parse_mbchar(&openfile->current->data[u->begin],
+			int charlen = parse_mbchar(&openfile->current->data[u->begin],
 												char_buf, NULL);
-			char_buf[char_len] = '\0';
+			char_buf[charlen] = '\0';
 			u->strdata = char_buf;
 			if (u->type == BACK)
-				u->mark_begin_x += char_len;
+				u->mark_begin_x += charlen;
 			break;
 		}
 	case JOIN:
@@ -1273,7 +1273,7 @@ void update_undo(undo_type action)
 {
 	undo *u = openfile->undotop;
 	char *char_buf;
-	int char_len;
+	int charlen;
 
 	if (u->type != action)
 		statusline(ALERT, "Mismatching undo type -- please report a bug");
@@ -1283,10 +1283,10 @@ void update_undo(undo_type action)
 	switch (u->type) {
 	case ADD:
 		char_buf = charalloc(MAXCHARLEN);
-		char_len = parse_mbchar(&openfile->current->data[u->mark_begin_x],
+		charlen = parse_mbchar(&openfile->current->data[u->mark_begin_x],
 								char_buf, NULL);
 		u->strdata = addstrings(u->strdata, u->strdata ? strlen(u->strdata) : 0,
-								char_buf, char_len);
+								char_buf, charlen);
 		u->mark_begin_lineno = openfile->current->lineno;
 		u->mark_begin_x = openfile->current_x;
 		break;
@@ -1297,15 +1297,15 @@ void update_undo(undo_type action)
 	case BACK:
 	case DEL:
 		char_buf = charalloc(MAXCHARLEN);
-		char_len = parse_mbchar(&openfile->current->data[openfile->current_x],
+		charlen = parse_mbchar(&openfile->current->data[openfile->current_x],
 								char_buf, NULL);
 		if (openfile->current_x == u->begin) {
 			/* They deleted more: add removed character after earlier stuff. */
-			u->strdata = addstrings(u->strdata, strlen(u->strdata), char_buf, char_len);
+			u->strdata = addstrings(u->strdata, strlen(u->strdata), char_buf, charlen);
 			u->mark_begin_x = openfile->current_x;
-		} else if (openfile->current_x == u->begin - char_len) {
+		} else if (openfile->current_x == u->begin - charlen) {
 			/* They backspaced further: add removed character before earlier. */
-			u->strdata = addstrings(char_buf, char_len, u->strdata, strlen(u->strdata));
+			u->strdata = addstrings(char_buf, charlen, u->strdata, strlen(u->strdata));
 			u->begin = openfile->current_x;
 		} else {
 			/* They deleted *elsewhere* on the line: start a new undo item. */
@@ -1512,7 +1512,7 @@ ssize_t break_line(const char *line, ssize_t goal, bool snap_at_nl)
 		/* The index of the character we are looking at. */
 	size_t column = 0;
 		/* The column position that corresponds with index. */
-	int char_len = 0;
+	int charlen = 0;
 		/* The length of the current character, in bytes. */
 
 	/* Find the last blank that does not overshoot the target column. */
@@ -1524,9 +1524,9 @@ ssize_t break_line(const char *line, ssize_t goal, bool snap_at_nl)
 				break;
 		}
 
-		char_len = parse_mbchar(line, NULL, &column);
-		line += char_len;
-		index += char_len;
+		charlen = parse_mbchar(line, NULL, &column);
+		line += charlen;
+		index += charlen;
 	}
 
 	/* If the whole line displays shorter than goal, we're done. */
@@ -1537,7 +1537,7 @@ ssize_t break_line(const char *line, ssize_t goal, bool snap_at_nl)
 	/* If we're wrapping a help text and no blank was found, or was
 	 * found only as the first character, force a line break. */
 	if (snap_at_nl && lastblank < 1)
-		return (index - char_len);
+		return (index - charlen);
 #endif
 
 	/* If no blank was found within the goal width, seek one after it. */
@@ -1548,9 +1548,9 @@ ssize_t break_line(const char *line, ssize_t goal, bool snap_at_nl)
 			else if (lastblank > 0)
 				return lastblank;
 
-			char_len = parse_mbchar(line, NULL, NULL);
-			line += char_len;
-			index += char_len;
+			charlen = parse_mbchar(line, NULL, NULL);
+			line += charlen;
+			index += charlen;
 		}
 
 		return -1;
@@ -1558,14 +1558,14 @@ ssize_t break_line(const char *line, ssize_t goal, bool snap_at_nl)
 
 	/* Move the pointer back to the last blank, and then step beyond it. */
 	line = line - index + lastblank;
-	char_len = parse_mbchar(line, NULL, NULL);
-	line += char_len;
+	charlen = parse_mbchar(line, NULL, NULL);
+	line += charlen;
 
 	/* Skip any consecutive blanks after the last blank. */
 	while (*line != '\0' && is_blank_mbchar(line)) {
-		lastblank += char_len;
-		char_len = parse_mbchar(line, NULL, NULL);
-		line += char_len;
+		lastblank += charlen;
+		charlen = parse_mbchar(line, NULL, NULL);
+		line += charlen;
 	}
 
 	return lastblank;