diff --git a/arguments.c b/arguments.c
index 9f080f52..16ad5110 100644
--- a/arguments.c
+++ b/arguments.c
@@ -127,77 +127,73 @@ args_free(struct args *args)
 	free(args);
 }
 
-/* Print a set of arguments. */
-size_t
-args_print(struct args *args, char *buf, size_t len)
+/* Add to string. */
+static void printflike(3, 4)
+args_print_add(char **buf, size_t *len, const char *fmt, ...)
 {
-	size_t		 	 off, used;
+	va_list  ap;
+	char	*s;
+	size_t	 slen;
+
+	va_start(ap, fmt);
+	slen = xvasprintf(&s, fmt, ap);
+	va_end(ap);
+
+	*len += slen;
+	*buf = xrealloc(*buf, *len);
+
+	strlcat(*buf, s, *len);
+	free(s);
+}
+
+/* Print a set of arguments. */
+char *
+args_print(struct args *args)
+{
+	size_t		 	 len;
+	char			*buf;
 	int			 i;
-	const char		*quotes;
 	struct args_entry	*entry;
 
-	/* There must be at least one byte at the start. */
-	if (len == 0)
-		return (0);
-	off = 0;
+	len = 1;
+	buf = xcalloc(1, len);
 
 	/* Process the flags first. */
-	buf[off++] = '-';
 	RB_FOREACH(entry, args_tree, &args->tree) {
 		if (entry->value != NULL)
 			continue;
 
-		if (off == len - 1) {
-			buf[off] = '\0';
-			return (len);
-		}
-		buf[off++] = entry->flag;
-		buf[off] = '\0';
+		if (*buf == '\0')
+			args_print_add(&buf, &len, "-");
+		args_print_add(&buf, &len, "%c", entry->flag);
 	}
-	if (off == 1)
-		buf[--off] = '\0';
 
 	/* Then the flags with arguments. */
 	RB_FOREACH(entry, args_tree, &args->tree) {
 		if (entry->value == NULL)
 			continue;
 
-		if (off >= len) {
-			/* snprintf will have zero terminated. */
-			return (len);
-		}
-
-		if (strchr(entry->value, ' ') != NULL)
-			quotes = "\"";
+		if (*buf != '\0')
+			args_print_add(&buf, &len, " -%c ", entry->flag);
 		else
-			quotes = "";
-		used = xsnprintf(buf + off, len - off, "%s-%c %s%s%s",
-		    off != 0 ? " " : "", entry->flag, quotes, entry->value,
-		    quotes);
-		if (used > len - off)
-			used = len - off;
-		off += used;
+			args_print_add(&buf, &len, "-%c ", entry->flag);
+		if (strchr(entry->value, ' ') != NULL)
+			args_print_add(&buf, &len, "\"%s\"", entry->value);
+		else
+			args_print_add(&buf, &len, "%s", entry->value);
 	}
 
 	/* And finally the argument vector. */
 	for (i = 0; i < args->argc; i++) {
-		if (off >= len) {
-			/* snprintf will have zero terminated. */
-			return (len);
-		}
-
+		if (*buf != '\0')
+			args_print_add(&buf, &len, " ");
 		if (strchr(args->argv[i], ' ') != NULL)
-			quotes = "\"";
+			args_print_add(&buf, &len, "\"%s\"", args->argv[i]);
 		else
-			quotes = "";
-		used = xsnprintf(buf + off, len - off, "%s%s%s%s",
-		    off != 0 ? " " : "", quotes, args->argv[i], quotes);
-		if (used > len - off)
-			used = len - off;
-		off += used;
+			args_print_add(&buf, &len, "%s", args->argv[i]);
 	}
 
-	return (off);
+	return (buf);
 }
 
 /* Return if an argument is present. */
diff --git a/cmd-list-keys.c b/cmd-list-keys.c
index 4355f24e..f0a59c0b 100644
--- a/cmd-list-keys.c
+++ b/cmd-list-keys.c
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ cmd_list_keys_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 	struct key_binding	*bd;
 	const char		*key, *tablename, *r;
 	char			*cp, tmp[BUFSIZ];
-	size_t			 used;
 	int			 repeat, width, tablewidth, keywidth;
 
 	if (self->entry == &cmd_list_commands_entry)
@@ -115,11 +114,9 @@ cmd_list_keys_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 			strlcat(tmp, " ", sizeof tmp);
 			free(cp);
 
-			used = strlen(tmp);
-			if (used < (sizeof tmp) - 1) {
-				cmd_list_print(bd->cmdlist, tmp + used,
-				    (sizeof tmp) - used);
-			}
+			cp = cmd_list_print(bd->cmdlist);
+			strlcat(tmp, cp, sizeof tmp);
+			free(cp);
 
 			cmdq_print(cmdq, "bind-key %s", tmp);
 		}
diff --git a/cmd-list.c b/cmd-list.c
index 0c75ed49..59fc7796 100644
--- a/cmd-list.c
+++ b/cmd-list.c
@@ -99,25 +99,28 @@ cmd_list_free(struct cmd_list *cmdlist)
 	free(cmdlist);
 }
 
-size_t
-cmd_list_print(struct cmd_list *cmdlist, char *buf, size_t len)
+char *
+cmd_list_print(struct cmd_list *cmdlist)
 {
 	struct cmd	*cmd;
-	size_t		 off, used;
+	char		*buf, *this;
+	size_t		 len;
+
+	len = 1;
+	buf = xcalloc(1, len);
 
-	off = 0;
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(cmd, &cmdlist->list, qentry) {
-		if (off >= len)
-			break;
-		off += cmd_print(cmd, buf + off, len - off);
-		if (off >= len)
-			break;
-		if (TAILQ_NEXT(cmd, qentry) != NULL) {
-			used = xsnprintf(buf + off, len - off, " ; ");
-			if (used > len - off)
-				used = len - off;
-			off += used;
-		}
+		this = cmd_print(cmd);
+
+		len += strlen(this) + 3;
+		buf = xrealloc(buf, len);
+
+		strlcat(buf, this, len);
+		if (TAILQ_NEXT(cmd, qentry) != NULL)
+			strlcat(buf, " ; ", len);
+
+		free(this);
 	}
-	return (off);
+
+	return (buf);
 }
diff --git a/cmd-queue.c b/cmd-queue.c
index 2d896212..c85fb048 100644
--- a/cmd-queue.c
+++ b/cmd-queue.c
@@ -184,11 +184,12 @@ cmdq_continue_one(struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 {
 	struct cmd	*cmd = cmdq->cmd;
 	enum cmd_retval	 retval;
-	char		 tmp[1024];
+	char		*s;
 	int		 flags = !!(cmd->flags & CMD_CONTROL);
 
-	cmd_print(cmd, tmp, sizeof tmp);
-	log_debug("cmdq %p: %s", cmdq, tmp);
+	s = cmd_print(cmd);
+	log_debug("cmdq %p: %s", cmdq, s);
+	free(s);
 
 	cmdq->time = time(NULL);
 	cmdq->number++;
diff --git a/cmd.c b/cmd.c
index badfcb4a..21e0f0c3 100644
--- a/cmd.c
+++ b/cmd.c
@@ -383,21 +383,19 @@ usage:
 	return (NULL);
 }
 
-size_t
-cmd_print(struct cmd *cmd, char *buf, size_t len)
+char *
+cmd_print(struct cmd *cmd)
 {
-	size_t	off, used;
+	char	*out, *s;
 
-	off = xsnprintf(buf, len, "%s ", cmd->entry->name);
-	if (off + 1 < len) {
-		used = args_print(cmd->args, buf + off, len - off - 1);
-		if (used == 0)
-			off--;
-		else
-			off += used;
-		buf[off] = '\0';
-	}
-	return (off);
+	s = args_print(cmd->args);
+	if (*s != '\0')
+		xasprintf(&out, "%s %s", cmd->entry->name, s);
+	else
+		out = xstrdup(cmd->entry->name);
+	free(s);
+
+	return (out);
 }
 
 /* Adjust current mouse position for a pane. */
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 6a9f0cb4..0e746d3b 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1667,7 +1667,7 @@ RB_PROTOTYPE(args_tree, args_entry, entry, args_cmp);
 struct args	*args_create(int, ...);
 struct args	*args_parse(const char *, int, char **);
 void		 args_free(struct args *);
-size_t		 args_print(struct args *, char *, size_t);
+char		*args_print(struct args *);
 int		 args_has(struct args *, u_char);
 void		 args_set(struct args *, u_char, const char *);
 const char	*args_get(struct args *, u_char);
@@ -1696,7 +1696,7 @@ char	       **cmd_copy_argv(int, char **);
 void		 cmd_free_argv(int, char **);
 char		*cmd_stringify_argv(int, char **);
 struct cmd	*cmd_parse(int, char **, const char *, u_int, char **);
-size_t		 cmd_print(struct cmd *, char *, size_t);
+char		*cmd_print(struct cmd *);
 int		 cmd_mouse_at(struct window_pane *, struct mouse_event *,
 		     u_int *, u_int *, int);
 struct winlink	*cmd_mouse_window(struct mouse_event *, struct session **);
@@ -1712,7 +1712,7 @@ enum cmd_retval	 cmd_attach_session(struct cmd_q *, const char *, int, int,
 /* cmd-list.c */
 struct cmd_list	*cmd_list_parse(int, char **, const char *, u_int, char **);
 void		 cmd_list_free(struct cmd_list *);
-size_t		 cmd_list_print(struct cmd_list *, char *, size_t);
+char		*cmd_list_print(struct cmd_list *);
 
 /* cmd-queue.c */
 struct cmd_q	*cmdq_new(struct client *);