diff --git a/phreeqcpp/inverse.cpp b/phreeqcpp/inverse.cpp
index a25b8a2c..9e5c1ccb 100644
--- a/phreeqcpp/inverse.cpp
+++ b/phreeqcpp/inverse.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ inverse_models(void)
  *   for any marked "new".
  */
 	int n/*, print1*/;
-	char string[MAX_LENGTH];
+	char string[MAX_LENGTH] = "";
 	if (count_inverse <= 0) return OK;
 	// Revert to previous headings after inverse modeling
 	std::vector<std::string> old_headings;
@@ -54,10 +54,10 @@ inverse_models(void)
  */
 			if (inverse[n].pat != NULL)
 			{
-				Utilities::strcat_safe(string, MAX_LENGTH, inverse[n].pat);
+				Utilities::strcpy_safe(string, MAX_LENGTH, inverse[n].pat);
 				if (replace(".pat", ".pat", string) != TRUE)
 				{
-					Utilities::strcat_safe(string, strlen(string), ".pat");
+					Utilities::strcat_safe(string, MAX_LENGTH, ".pat");
 				}
 				netpath_file = fopen(string, "w");
 				if (netpath_file == NULL)
@@ -4174,11 +4174,11 @@ print_total_multi(FILE * l_netpath_file, cxxSolution *solution_ptr,
 	LDBLE sum;
 	int i, found;
 
-	Utilities::strcat_safe(elts[0], MAX_LENGTH, elt0);
-	Utilities::strcat_safe(elts[1], MAX_LENGTH, elt1);
-	Utilities::strcat_safe(elts[2], MAX_LENGTH, elt2);
-	Utilities::strcat_safe(elts[3], MAX_LENGTH, elt3);
-	Utilities::strcat_safe(elts[4], MAX_LENGTH, elt4);
+	Utilities::strcpy_safe(elts[0], MAX_LENGTH, elt0);
+	Utilities::strcpy_safe(elts[1], MAX_LENGTH, elt1);
+	Utilities::strcpy_safe(elts[2], MAX_LENGTH, elt2);
+	Utilities::strcpy_safe(elts[3], MAX_LENGTH, elt3);
+	Utilities::strcpy_safe(elts[4], MAX_LENGTH, elt4);
 
 
 	sum = 0;