diff --git a/res/core/en/strings.xml b/res/core/en/strings.xml
index e21954ebe..a85bb5a4f 100644
--- a/res/core/en/strings.xml
+++ b/res/core/en/strings.xml
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@
     <text locale="en">Wall</text>
   </string>
   <string name="wall1_trail">
-    <text locale="de">a solid wall</text>
+    <text locale="en">a solid wall</text>
   </string>
   <string name="hall1_trail">
     <text locale="en">the %s</text>
diff --git a/src/kernel/messages.c b/src/kernel/messages.c
index 9adb32abe..086ec2134 100644
--- a/src/kernel/messages.c
+++ b/src/kernel/messages.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ arg_set(variant args[], const message_type * mtype, const char *buffer,
   if (i != mtype->nparameters) {
     args[i] = v;
   } else {
-    fprintf(stderr, "invalid parameter %s for message type %s\n", buffer,
+    log_error("invalid parameter %s for message type %s\n", buffer,
       mtype->name);
     assert(!"program aborted.");
   }
diff --git a/src/util/base36.c b/src/util/base36.c
index 8407c3fc4..58e521a78 100644
--- a/src/util/base36.c
+++ b/src/util/base36.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 
 #include <platform.h>
 #include "base36.h"
+#include "log.h"
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <assert.h>
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ int atoi36(const char *str)
 
 const char *itoab(int i, int base)
 {
+    const int maxlen = 20;
     static char **as = NULL; // FIXME: static return value
     char *s, *dst;
     static int index = 0;         /* STATIC_XCALL: used across calls */
@@ -63,34 +65,45 @@ const char *itoab(int i, int base)
 
     if (!as) {
         int j;
-        char *x = (char *)calloc(sizeof(char), 8 * 4);      /* STATIC_LEAK: malloc in static variable */
+        char *x = (char *)calloc(sizeof(char), maxlen * 4);      /* STATIC_LEAK: malloc in static variable */
         as = (char **)calloc(sizeof(char *), 4);
         for (j = 0; j != 4; ++j)
-            as[j] = x + j * 8;
+            as[j] = x + j * maxlen;
     }
     s = as[index];
     index = (index + 1) & 3;      /* quick for % 4 */
-    dst = s + 7;
+    dst = s + maxlen - 1;
     (*dst--) = 0;
     if (i != 0) {
         if (i < 0) {
             i = -i;
             neg = 1;
         }
-        while (i) {
+        while (i && dst>=s) {
             int x = i % base;
             i = i / base;
-            if (x < 10)
+            if (x < 10) {
                 *(dst--) = (char)('0' + x);
-            else if ('a' + x - 10 == 'l')
+            }
+            else if ('a' + x - 10 == 'l') {
                 *(dst--) = 'L';
-            else
+            } 
+            else {
                 *(dst--) = (char)('a' + (x - 10));
+            }
+        }
+        if (dst > s) {
+            if (neg) {
+                *(dst) = '-';
+            }
+            else {
+                ++dst;
+            }
+        }
+        else {
+            log_error("static buffer exhauset, itoab(%d, %d)", i, base);
+            assert(i == 0 || !"itoab: static buffer exhausted");
         }
-        if (neg)
-            *(dst) = '-';
-        else
-            ++dst;
     }
     else
         *dst = '0';
diff --git a/src/util/base36.test.c b/src/util/base36.test.c
index 3d19f94df..b2e6fcbac 100644
--- a/src/util/base36.test.c
+++ b/src/util/base36.test.c
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ static void test_itoa36(CuTest * tc)
 {
   CuAssertStrEquals(tc, itoa36(0), "0");
   CuAssertStrEquals(tc, itoa10(INT_MAX), "2147483647");
+  CuAssertStrEquals(tc, itoab(INT_MAX, 8), "17777777777");
+  CuAssertStrEquals(tc, itoab(INT_MAX, 4), "1333333333333333");
   CuAssertStrEquals(tc, itoab(-1, 5), "-1");
   CuAssertStrEquals(tc, itoa36(-1), "-1");
   CuAssertStrEquals(tc, itoa36(-10), "-a");