diff --git a/awesome.c b/awesome.c
index 3dfbd7733..dfe465c9d 100644
--- a/awesome.c
+++ b/awesome.c
@@ -107,7 +107,8 @@ scan()
 
         /* Get the tree of the children Windows of the current root
          * Window */
-        wins = xcb_query_tree_children(tree_r);
+        if(!(wins = xcb_query_tree_children(tree_r)))
+            eprint("E: cannot get tree children\n");
         tree_c_len = xcb_query_tree_children_length(tree_r);
         attr_wins = p_new(xcb_get_window_attributes_cookie_t, tree_c_len);
 
diff --git a/client.c b/client.c
index 11a644e65..a69a1259f 100644
--- a/client.c
+++ b/client.c
@@ -54,17 +54,15 @@ client_loadprops(client_t * c, int screen)
 {
     int i, ntags = 0;
     tag_t *tag;
-    char *prop;
+    char *prop = NULL;
     bool result = false;
 
     for(tag = globalconf.screens[screen].tags; tag; tag = tag->next)
         ntags++;
 
-    prop = p_new(char, ntags + 3);
-
     if(xutil_gettextprop(globalconf.connection, c->win,
                          xutil_intern_atom(globalconf.connection, "_AWESOME_PROPERTIES"),
-                         prop, ntags + 3))
+                         &prop))
     {
         for(i = 0, tag = globalconf.screens[screen].tags; tag && i < ntags && prop[i]; i++, tag = tag->next)
             if(prop[i] == '1')
@@ -189,17 +187,18 @@ client_get_byname(client_t *list, char *name)
 void
 client_updatetitle(client_t *c)
 {
-    char buf[512];
+    char *name;
 
     if(!xutil_gettextprop(globalconf.connection, c->win,
                           xutil_intern_atom(globalconf.connection, "_NET_WM_NAME"),
-                          buf, ssizeof(buf)))
-        xutil_gettextprop(globalconf.connection, c->win,
-                          xutil_intern_atom(globalconf.connection, "WM_NAME"),
-                          buf, ssizeof(buf));
-    if(c->name)
-        p_delete(&c->name);
-    c->name = a_strndup(buf, ssizeof(buf));
+                          &name))
+        if(!xutil_gettextprop(globalconf.connection, c->win,
+                              xutil_intern_atom(globalconf.connection, "WM_NAME"),
+                              &name))
+            return;
+    
+    p_delete(&c->name);
+    c->name = name;
     titlebar_draw(c);
     widget_invalidate_cache(c->screen, WIDGET_CACHE_CLIENTS);
 }
diff --git a/common/xutil.c b/common/xutil.c
index 4c898f39e..864ec2ae3 100644
--- a/common/xutil.c
+++ b/common/xutil.c
@@ -35,12 +35,11 @@
  * \param w window
  * \param atom the atom
  * \param text buffer to fill
- * \param textlen buffer lenght
  * \return true on sucess, falsse on failure
  */
 bool
 xutil_gettextprop(xcb_connection_t *conn, xcb_window_t w, xcb_atom_t atom,
-                  char *text, ssize_t textlen)
+                  char **text)
 {
     xcb_get_property_cookie_t prop_c;
     xcb_get_property_reply_t *prop_r;
@@ -51,7 +50,7 @@ xutil_gettextprop(xcb_connection_t *conn, xcb_window_t w, xcb_atom_t atom,
                                         XCB_GET_PROPERTY_TYPE_ANY,
                                         0L, 1000000L);
 
-    if(!text || !textlen)
+    if(!text)
         return false;
 
     prop_r = xcb_get_property_reply(conn, prop_c, NULL);
@@ -71,17 +70,10 @@ xutil_gettextprop(xcb_connection_t *conn, xcb_window_t w, xcb_atom_t atom,
     if(prop_r->type == STRING ||
        prop_r->type == xutil_intern_atom(conn, "UTF8_STRING"))
     {
-        if((ssize_t) prop_r->value_len < textlen - 1)
-        {
-            /* use memcpy() because prop_val may not be \0 terminated */
-            memcpy(text, prop_val, prop_r->value_len);
-            text[prop_r->value_len] = '\0';
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            memcpy(text, prop_val, textlen - 2);
-            text[textlen - 1] = '\0';
-        }
+        *text = p_new(char, prop_r->value_len + 1);
+        /* use memcpy() because prop_val may not be \0 terminated */
+        memcpy(*text, prop_val, prop_r->value_len);
+        (*text)[prop_r->value_len] = '\0';
     }
 
     p_delete(&prop_r);
@@ -111,14 +103,14 @@ xutil_getlockmask(xcb_connection_t *conn, xcb_key_symbols_t *keysyms,
             kc = modmap[i * modmap_r->keycodes_per_modifier + j];
             mask = (1 << i);
 
-            if(numlockmask != NULL &&
-               kc == xcb_key_symbols_get_keycode(keysyms, XK_Num_Lock))
+            if(numlockmask != NULL
+               && kc == xcb_key_symbols_get_keycode(keysyms, XK_Num_Lock))
                 *numlockmask = mask;
-            else if(shiftlockmask != NULL &&
-                    kc == xcb_key_symbols_get_keycode(keysyms, XK_Shift_Lock))
+            else if(shiftlockmask != NULL
+                    && kc == xcb_key_symbols_get_keycode(keysyms, XK_Shift_Lock))
                 *shiftlockmask = mask;
-            else if(capslockmask != NULL &&
-                    kc == xcb_key_symbols_get_keycode(keysyms, XK_Caps_Lock))
+            else if(capslockmask != NULL
+                    && kc == xcb_key_symbols_get_keycode(keysyms, XK_Caps_Lock))
                 *capslockmask = mask;
         }
 
diff --git a/common/xutil.h b/common/xutil.h
index 800f39225..7c28a6ce9 100644
--- a/common/xutil.h
+++ b/common/xutil.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 /* XCB doesn't provide keysyms definition */
 #include <X11/keysym.h>
 
-bool xutil_gettextprop(xcb_connection_t *, xcb_window_t, xcb_atom_t, char *, ssize_t);
+bool xutil_gettextprop(xcb_connection_t *, xcb_window_t, xcb_atom_t, char **);
 void xutil_getlockmask(xcb_connection_t *, xcb_key_symbols_t *,
                        unsigned int *, unsigned int *, unsigned int *);
 
diff --git a/rules.c b/rules.c
index fa20b5b5d..45c9b5476 100644
--- a/rules.c
+++ b/rules.c
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ rule_t *
 rule_matching_client(client_t *c)
 {
     rule_t *r;
-    char *prop = NULL, buf[512];
+    char *prop = NULL, *buf = NULL;
     regmatch_t tmp;
     ssize_t len;
     class_hint_t *ch = NULL;
@@ -87,9 +87,11 @@ rule_matching_client(client_t *c)
            && r->xpropval_r
            && xutil_gettextprop(globalconf.connection, c->win,
                                 xutil_intern_atom(globalconf.connection, r->xprop),
-                                buf, ssizeof(buf)))
+                                &buf))
             ret = !regexec(r->xpropval_r, buf, 1, &tmp, 0);
 
+        p_delete(&buf);
+
         if(ret)
         {
             p_delete(&prop);