diff --git a/src/kernel/order.c b/src/kernel/order.c
index 05a4ac4ba..4cdc20e9f 100644
--- a/src/kernel/order.c
+++ b/src/kernel/order.c
@@ -68,29 +68,17 @@ keyword_t getkeyword(const order * ord)
  * keywords are expanded to their full length.
  */
 char* get_command(const order *ord, const struct locale *lang, char *sbuffer, size_t size) {
-    char *bufp = sbuffer;
     order_data *od = NULL;
     const char * text;
     keyword_t kwd = ORD_KEYWORD(ord);
-    int bytes;
+    sbstring sbs;
 
+    sbs_init(&sbs, sbuffer, size);
     if (ord->command & CMD_QUIET) {
-        if (size > 0) {
-            *bufp++ = '!';
-            --size;
-        }
-        else {
-            WARN_STATIC_BUFFER();
-        }
+        sbs_strcpy(&sbs, "!");
     }
     if (ord->command & CMD_PERSIST) {
-        if (size > 0) {
-            *bufp++ = '@';
-            --size;
-        }
-        else {
-            WARN_STATIC_BUFFER();
-        }
+        sbs_strcat(&sbs, "@");
     }
 
     if (ord->id < 0) {
@@ -102,39 +90,19 @@ char* get_command(const order *ord, const struct locale *lang, char *sbuffer, si
         text = OD_STRING(od);
     }
     if (kwd != NOKEYWORD) {
-        if (size > 0) {
-            const char *str = (const char *)LOC(lang, keyword(kwd));
-            assert(str);
-            if (text) --size;
-            bytes = (int)str_strlcpy(bufp, str, size);
-            if (wrptr(&bufp, &size, bytes) != 0) {
-                WARN_STATIC_BUFFER();
-            }
-            if (text) *bufp++ = ' ';
-        }
-        else {
-            WARN_STATIC_BUFFER();
+        const char *str = (const char *)LOC(lang, keyword(kwd));
+        assert(str);
+        sbs_strcat(&sbs, str);
+        if (text) {
+            sbs_strcat(&sbs, " ");
         }
     }
     if (text) {
-        bytes = (int)str_strlcpy(bufp, (const char *)text, size);
-        if (wrptr(&bufp, &size, bytes) != 0) {
-            WARN_STATIC_BUFFER();
-            if (bufp - sbuffer >= 6) {
-                bufp -= 6;
-                while (bufp > sbuffer && (*bufp & 0x80) != 0) {
-                    ++size;
-                    --bufp;
-                }
-                memcpy(bufp, "[...]", 6);   /* TODO: make sure this only happens in eval_command */
-                bufp += 6;
-            }
-        }
+        sbs_strcat(&sbs, text);
     }
     if (od) {
         odata_release(od);
     }
-    if (size > 0) *bufp = 0;
     return sbuffer;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util/strings.c b/src/util/strings.c
index 06bd43b3a..656a7729b 100644
--- a/src/util/strings.c
+++ b/src/util/strings.c
@@ -261,5 +261,8 @@ void sbs_strcat(struct sbstring *sbs, const char *str)
 void sbs_strcpy(struct sbstring *sbs, const char *str)
 {
     size_t len = str_strlcpy(sbs->begin, str, sbs->size);
-    sbs->end += len;
+    if (len >= sbs->size) {
+        len = sbs->size - 1;
+    }
+    sbs->end = sbs->begin + len;
 }
diff --git a/src/util/strings.test.c b/src/util/strings.test.c
index 523d01dbd..8d80183b7 100644
--- a/src/util/strings.test.c
+++ b/src/util/strings.test.c
@@ -105,9 +105,10 @@ static void test_sbstring(CuTest * tc)
     CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "Hodor", sbs.begin);
     sbs_strcpy(&sbs, "12345678901234567890");
     CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "123456789012345", sbs.begin);
+    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, sbs.begin + sbs.size - 1, sbs.end);
     sbs_strcat(&sbs, "12345678901234567890");
     CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "123456789012345", sbs.begin);
-    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, buffer, sbs.begin);
+    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, buffer, sbs.begin);
 }
 
 CuSuite *get_strings_suite(void)