diff --git descriptor/writer/root_writer.cc descriptor/writer/root_writer.cc
index e1205c8f34..c714fbb22f 100644
--- descriptor/writer/root_writer.cc
+++ descriptor/writer/root_writer.cc
@@ -278,29 +278,32 @@ bool root_writer_t::do_copy(FILE* outfp, obj_node_info_t& root, const char* open
 
 // merges pak files into an archive
 //
-void root_writer_t::copy(const char* name, int argc, char* argv[])
+void root_writer_t::copy(const string &name, int argc, char* argv[])
 {
 	searchfolder_t find;
-
 	FILE* outfp = NULL;
-	if (strchr(name, '*') == NULL) {
-		// is not a wildcard name
-		outfp = fopen(name, "wb");
+
+	if (name.find('*') == string::npos) {
+		outfp = fopen(name.c_str(), "wb");
 	}
+
+	string expanded_name = name;
 	if (outfp == NULL) {
-		name = find.complete(name, "pak").c_str();
-		outfp = fopen(name, "wb");
+		expanded_name = find.complete(name, "pak");
+		outfp = fopen(expanded_name.c_str(), "wb");
 	}
+
 	if (!outfp) {
-		dbg->fatal( "Merge", "Cannot open destination file %s", name);
-		exit(3);
+		dbg->fatal( "Merge", "Cannot open destination file %s", expanded_name.c_str());
 	}
+
 	fclose(outfp);
-	if (remove(name) != 0) {
-		dbg->warning("Merge", "Could not delete %s");
+	if (remove(expanded_name.c_str()) != 0) {
+		dbg->warning("Merge", "Could not delete %s", expanded_name.c_str());
 	}
+
 	// create temporary file
-	std::string tmpfile_name = name;
+	std::string tmpfile_name = expanded_name;
 	tmpfile_name += ".tmp";
 	outfp = fopen(tmpfile_name.c_str(), "wb");
 
@@ -322,9 +325,9 @@ void root_writer_t::copy(const char* name, int argc, char* argv[])
 			any = do_copy(outfp, root, argv[i]);
 		} else {
 			find.search(argv[i], "pak");
-			FOR(searchfolder_t, const& i, find) {
-				if (strcmp(i, name) != 0) {
-					any |= do_copy(outfp, root, i);
+			FOR(searchfolder_t, const& entry, find) {
+				if (strcmp(entry, expanded_name.c_str()) != 0) {
+					any |= do_copy(outfp, root, entry);
 				}
 				else {
 					dbg->warning( "Merge", "Skipping reading from output file");
@@ -342,28 +345,30 @@ void root_writer_t::copy(const char* name, int argc, char* argv[])
 
 	fclose(outfp);
 
-	printf("renaming temporary file %s to %s\n", tmpfile_name.c_str(), name);
+	printf("renaming temporary file %s to %s\n", tmpfile_name.c_str(), expanded_name.c_str());
 
-	rename(tmpfile_name.c_str(), name);
+	rename(tmpfile_name.c_str(), expanded_name.c_str());
 }
 
 
 /* makes single files from a merged file */
-void root_writer_t::uncopy(const char* name)
+void root_writer_t::uncopy(const string &name)
 {
 	FILE* infp = NULL;
-	if (strchr(name,'*') == NULL) {
-		// is not a wildcard name
-		infp = fopen(name, "rb");
+
+	if (name.find('*') == std::string::npos) {
+		infp = fopen(name.c_str(), "rb");
 	}
+
+	string expanded_name = name;
 	if (infp == NULL) {
 		searchfolder_t find;
-		name = find.complete(name, "pak").c_str();
-		infp = fopen(name, "rb");
+		expanded_name = find.complete(name, "pak");
+		infp = fopen(expanded_name.c_str(), "rb");
 	}
 
 	if (!infp) {
-		dbg->fatal( "Unmerge", "Cannot open archive file %s\n", name);
+		dbg->fatal( "Unmerge", "Cannot open archive file %s\n", expanded_name.c_str());
 		exit(3);
 	}
 
@@ -376,7 +381,7 @@ void root_writer_t::uncopy(const char* name)
 			obj_node_info_t root;
 			obj_node_t::read_node( infp, root );
 			if (root.children == 1) {
-				dbg->error( "Unmerge", "%s is not an archive (aborting)", name);
+				dbg->error( "Unmerge", "%s is not an archive (aborting)", expanded_name.c_str());
 				fclose(infp);
 				exit(3);
 			}
@@ -455,9 +460,10 @@ void root_writer_t::uncopy(const char* name)
 			}
 		}
 		else {
-			dbg->warning( "Unmerge", "Skipping file %s - version mismatch", name);
+			dbg->warning( "Unmerge", "Skipping file %s - version mismatch", expanded_name.c_str());
 		}
 	}
+
 	fclose(infp);
 }
 
diff --git descriptor/writer/root_writer.h descriptor/writer/root_writer.h
index 6191340970..e41d8038cb 100644
--- descriptor/writer/root_writer.h
+++ descriptor/writer/root_writer.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class root_writer_t : public obj_writer_t {
 		void write(const char* name, int argc, char* argv[]);
 		void dump(int argc, char* argv[]);
 		void list(int argc, char* argv[]);
-		void copy(const char* name, int argc, char* argv[]);
+		void copy(const std::string &name, int argc, char* argv[]);
 
 		/**
 		 * @brief Expands makeobj pre-processor stuff
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class root_writer_t : public obj_writer_t {
 		void expand_dat(const char* name, int argc, char* argv[]);
 
 		/* makes single files from a merged file */
-		void uncopy(const char* name);
+		void uncopy(const std::string &name);
 
 		static const std::string & get_inpath() { return inpath; }