diff --git a/src/utils.c b/src/utils.c
index 3f424b38e5b827882378756d0138f514ba1bb1c3..f315cde09b989bf0bad68f1a72579327d1db3cd3 100644
--- a/src/utils.c
+++ b/src/utils.c
@@ -9,11 +9,9 @@
 
 void getword(char *buf, char *wrd)
 {
-	char *str1;
-	char *str2;
-
-	str1 = malloc(strlen(buf) + 1);
-	str2 = malloc(strlen(buf) + 1);
+	size_t len = strlen(buf);
+	char *str1 = (char *) malloc(sizeof(char) * (len + 1));
+	char *str2 = (char *) malloc(sizeof(char) * (len + 1));
 	strcpy(str1, strltrim(strrtrim(strcpy(str2, buf))));
 	strcpy(buf, str1);
 	free(str1);