diff --git a/src/runtime/c/Makefile.am b/src/runtime/c/Makefile.am
index 8b94fb4db..c47a4fdcb 100644
--- a/src/runtime/c/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/runtime/c/Makefile.am
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ pgfinclude_HEADERS = \
 libpgf_la_SOURCES = \
 	db.cxx \
 	db.h \
+	text.cxx \
+	text.h \
 	pgf.cxx \
 	reader.cxx \
 	reader.h \
diff --git a/src/runtime/c/data.h b/src/runtime/c/data.h
index a90b882e3..0c1c24d00 100644
--- a/src/runtime/c/data.h
+++ b/src/runtime/c/data.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 #include "pgf.h"
 #include "db.h"
+#include "text.h"
 #include "namespace.h"
 #include "expr.h"
 
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ private:
 
 struct PGF_INTERNAL_DECL PgfFlag {
     PgfLiteral value;
-    char name[];
+    PgfText name;
 };
 
 typedef struct {
diff --git a/src/runtime/c/namespace.h b/src/runtime/c/namespace.h
index ab14b67c1..74014bf8e 100644
--- a/src/runtime/c/namespace.h
+++ b/src/runtime/c/namespace.h
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ Namespace<V> namespace_insert(Namespace<V> map, ref<V> value) {
     if (map == 0)
         return Node<V>::new_node(value);
 
-    int cmp = strcmp(value->name,map->value->name);
+    int cmp = textcmp(value->name,map->value->name);
     if (cmp < 0)
         return Node<V>::balanceL(map->value,
                                  namespace_insert(map->left, value),map->right);
diff --git a/src/runtime/c/reader.cxx b/src/runtime/c/reader.cxx
index 6e6768ffa..32e541056 100644
--- a/src/runtime/c/reader.cxx
+++ b/src/runtime/c/reader.cxx
@@ -82,9 +82,9 @@ uint64_t PgfReader::read_uint()
 	return u;
 }
 
-moffset PgfReader::read_name(size_t size)
+moffset PgfReader::read_name(size_t struct_size)
 {
-    size_t len = read_len();
+    size_t len  = read_len();
 
     char* buf = (char*) alloca(len*6+1);
 	char* p   = buf;
@@ -115,10 +115,14 @@ moffset PgfReader::read_name(size_t size)
 
         p += len;
 	}
+
+    size_t size = p-buf;
 	*p++ = 0;
 
-	moffset offs = current_db->malloc(size+(p-buf));
-	strcpy((char*) (current_base+offs+size), buf);
+	moffset offs = current_db->malloc(struct_size+size+1);
+    PgfText* ptext = (PgfText*) (current_base+offs+struct_size-sizeof(PgfText));
+    ptext->size = size;
+	memcpy(ptext->text, buf, size+1);
 
 	return offs;
 }
diff --git a/src/runtime/c/text.cxx b/src/runtime/c/text.cxx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dd1a8f78a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/runtime/c/text.cxx
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#include "data.h"
+
+PGF_INTERNAL
+int textcmp(PgfText &t1, PgfText &t2)
+{
+    for (size_t i = 0; ; i++) {
+        if (i >= t1.size)
+            return (i - t2.size);
+        if (i >= t2.size)
+            return 1;
+
+        if (t1.text[i] > t2.text[i])
+            return 1;
+        else if (t1.text[i] < t2.text[i])
+            return -1;
+
+        i++;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/runtime/c/text.h b/src/runtime/c/text.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dfaab88d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/runtime/c/text.h
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#ifndef TEXT_H
+#define TEXT_H
+
+typedef struct {
+    size_t size;
+    char text[];
+} PgfText;
+
+PGF_INTERNAL_DECL
+int textcmp(PgfText &t1, PgfText &t2);
+
+#endif