diff --git gui/load_relief_frame.cc gui/load_relief_frame.cc
index cc8d2594e..a2d688e4b 100644
--- gui/load_relief_frame.cc
+++ gui/load_relief_frame.cc
@@ -34,16 +34,12 @@ bool load_relief_frame_t::item_action(const char *fullpath)
 
 load_relief_frame_t::load_relief_frame_t(settings_t* const sets) : savegame_frame_t( NULL, false, "maps/", env_t::show_delete_buttons )
 {
-	static char extra_path[1029];
-
 	new_format.init( button_t::square_automatic, "Maximize height levels");
 	new_format.pressed = env_t::new_height_map_conversion;
 	bottom_left_frame.add_component( &new_format );
 
-	sprintf(extra_path,"%s%smaps/", env_t::program_dir, env_t::objfilename.c_str());
-	//sprintf(extra_path,"%smaps/", env_t::program_dir);
-
-	this->add_path(extra_path);
+	const std::string extra_path = env_t::program_dir + env_t::objfilename + "maps/";
+	this->add_path(extra_path.c_str());
 
 	set_name(translator::translate("Lade Relief"));
 	this->sets = sets;
diff --git simmain.cc simmain.cc
index c8aaac204..65b73be09 100644
--- simmain.cc
+++ simmain.cc
@@ -1179,12 +1179,13 @@ int simu_main(int argc, char** argv)
 	// still nothing to be loaded => search for demo games
 	if(  new_world  ) {
 		dr_chdir( env_t::program_dir );
-		char buffer[PATH_MAX];
-		sprintf(buffer, "%s%sdemo.sve", (const char*)env_t::program_dir, env_t::objfilename.c_str());
+
+		const std::string path = env_t::program_dir + env_t::objfilename + "demo.sve";
+
 		// access did not work!
-		if (FILE* const f = dr_fopen(buffer, "rb")) {
+		if(  FILE *const f = dr_fopen(path.c_str(), "rb")  ) {
 			// there is a demo game to load
-			loadgame = buffer;
+			loadgame = path;
 			fclose(f);
 DBG_MESSAGE("simmain","loadgame file found at %s",buffer);
 		}