diff --git a/src/lib/commands/xdump.c b/src/lib/commands/xdump.c
index 2e1f11ba..e778e048 100644
--- a/src/lib/commands/xdump.c
+++ b/src/lib/commands/xdump.c
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ xdprval(struct valstr *val, char *sep)
 static void
 xdflds(struct castr ca[], void *ptr)
 {
-    int i, j;
+    int i, j, n;
     struct valstr val;
     char *sep = "";
 
@@ -338,11 +338,12 @@ xdflds(struct castr ca[], void *ptr)
 	    continue;
 	if (ca[i].ca_flags & NSC_EXTRA)
 	    continue;
+	n = ca[i].ca_type != NSC_STRINGY ? ca[i].ca_len : 0;
 	j = 0;
 	do {
 	    xdeval(&val, ca[i].ca_type, ptr, ca[i].ca_off, j);
 	    sep = xdprval(&val, sep);
-	} while (++j < ca[i].ca_len);
+	} while (++j < n);
     }
 }
 
@@ -359,7 +360,7 @@ xdfldnam(struct castr ca[])
 	if (ca[i].ca_flags & NSC_EXTRA)
 	    continue;
 	pr("%s%s", sep, ca[i].ca_name);
-	if (ca[i].ca_len)
+	if (ca[i].ca_len && ca[i].ca_type != NSC_STRINGY)
 	    pr(" %d", ca[i].ca_len);
 	sep = " ";
     }
diff --git a/src/lib/global/nsc.c b/src/lib/global/nsc.c
index 288cf906..6fcfabde 100644
--- a/src/lib/global/nsc.c
+++ b/src/lib/global/nsc.c
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ struct castr ship_ca[] = {
     {NSC_TIME, 0, 0, fldoff(shpstr, shp_access), "access"},
     {NSC_TIME, 0, 0, fldoff(shpstr, shp_timestamp), "timestamp"},
     /* FIXME sail stuff missing */
-    {NSC_STRINGY, 0, 0, fldoff(shpstr, shp_name), "name"},
+    {NSC_STRINGY, 0, MAXSHPNAMLEN, fldoff(shpstr, shp_name), "name"},
     {NSC_UCHAR, 0, 0, fldoff(shpstr, shp_fuel), "fuel"},
     {NSC_UCHAR, 0, 0, fldoff(shpstr, shp_nchoppers), "nchoppers"},
     {NSC_UCHAR, 0, 0, fldoff(shpstr, shp_nxlight), "nxlight"},