diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 0d200286..f01b88fd 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -371,7 +371,6 @@ AC_CHECK_LIB([expect], [exp_expectl], [AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_EXPECT], [true])],
     [AC_MSG_NOTICE([libexpect not found, will not be able to run functional tests])])
 
 ## Default parameters
-AM_CFLAGS="$AM_CFLAGS -Wall -Wno-deprecated-declarations -std=gnu99"
 AM_CFLAGS="$AM_CFLAGS -Wall -Wno-deprecated-declarations -std=gnu99 -ggdb3"
 AM_LDFLAGS="$AM_LDFLAGS -export-dynamic"
 
@@ -380,9 +379,10 @@ AS_IF([test "x$PACKAGE_STATUS" = xdevelopment],
 AS_IF([test "x$PLATFORM" = xosx],
     [AM_CFLAGS="$AM_CFLAGS -Qunused-arguments"])
 
-AM_CFLAGS="$AM_CFLAGS $PTHREAD_CFLAGS $glib_CFLAGS $gio_CFLAGS $curl_CFLAGS ${SQLITE_CFLAGS} $libstrophe_CFLAGS"
+AM_CFLAGS="$AM_CFLAGS $PTHREAD_CFLAGS $glib_CFLAGS $gio_CFLAGS $curl_CFLAGS ${SQLITE_CFLAGS}"
 AM_CFLAGS="$AM_CFLAGS $libnotify_CFLAGS ${GTK_CFLAGS} $python_CFLAGS"
 AM_CFLAGS="$AM_CFLAGS -DTHEMES_PATH=\"\\\"$THEMES_PATH\\\"\" -DICONS_PATH=\"\\\"$ICONS_PATH\\\"\" -DGLOBAL_PYTHON_PLUGINS_PATH=\"\\\"$GLOBAL_PYTHON_PLUGINS_PATH\\\"\" -DGLOBAL_C_PLUGINS_PATH=\"\\\"$GLOBAL_C_PLUGINS_PATH\\\"\""
+AM_CFLAGS="$AM_CFLAGS $CFLAGS"
 LIBS="$glib_LIBS $gio_LIBS $PTHREAD_LIBS $curl_LIBS $libnotify_LIBS $python_LIBS ${GTK_LIBS} ${SQLITE_LIBS} $LIBS"
 
 AC_SUBST(AM_LDFLAGS)
diff --git a/src/common.h b/src/common.h
index dee4a092..3987133a 100644
--- a/src/common.h
+++ b/src/common.h
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@
 
 #define ARRAY_SIZE(x) (sizeof(x) / sizeof(x[0]))
 
+#define PROF_STRINGIFY_(n) #n
+#define PROF_STRINGIFY(n)  PROF_STRINGIFY_(n)
+
 void auto_free_gchar(gchar** str);
 #define auto_gchar __attribute__((__cleanup__(auto_free_gchar)))
 void auto_free_gcharv(gchar*** args);
@@ -60,6 +63,9 @@ void auto_free_char(char** str);
 #define STR_MAYBE_NULL(p) (p)
 #endif
 
+/* Our own define of MB_CUR_MAX but this time at compile time */
+#define PROF_MB_CUR_MAX 8
+
 // assume malloc stores at most 8 bytes for size of allocated memory
 // and page size is at least 4KB
 #define READ_BUF_SIZE 4088
diff --git a/src/database.c b/src/database.c
index ce936170..80439b9a 100644
--- a/src/database.c
+++ b/src/database.c
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ log_database_get_limits_info(const gchar* const contact_barejid, gboolean is_las
 // null the current time is used. from_start gets first few messages if true
 // otherwise the last ones. Flip flips the order of the results
 GSList*
-log_database_get_previous_chat(const gchar* const contact_barejid, char* start_time, char* end_time, gboolean from_start, gboolean flip)
+log_database_get_previous_chat(const gchar* const contact_barejid, const char* start_time, char* end_time, gboolean from_start, gboolean flip)
 {
     sqlite3_stmt* stmt = NULL;
     const char* jid = connection_get_fulljid();
diff --git a/src/database.h b/src/database.h
index 3b5fd647..1e73c874 100644
--- a/src/database.h
+++ b/src/database.h
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ void log_database_add_incoming(ProfMessage* message);
 void log_database_add_outgoing_chat(const char* const id, const char* const barejid, const char* const message, const char* const replace_id, prof_enc_t enc);
 void log_database_add_outgoing_muc(const char* const id, const char* const barejid, const char* const message, const char* const replace_id, prof_enc_t enc);
 void log_database_add_outgoing_muc_pm(const char* const id, const char* const barejid, const char* const message, const char* const replace_id, prof_enc_t enc);
-GSList* log_database_get_previous_chat(const gchar* const contact_barejid, char* start_time, char* end_time, gboolean from_start, gboolean flip);
+GSList* log_database_get_previous_chat(const gchar* const contact_barejid, const char* start_time, char* end_time, gboolean from_start, gboolean flip);
 ProfMessage* log_database_get_limits_info(const gchar* const contact_barejid, gboolean is_last);
 void log_database_close(void);
 
diff --git a/src/tools/editor.c b/src/tools/editor.c
index 0efb4d6b..4cd70d9d 100644
--- a/src/tools/editor.c
+++ b/src/tools/editor.c
@@ -54,19 +54,18 @@ get_message_from_editor(gchar* message, gchar** returned_message)
     /* Make sure that there's no junk in the return-pointer in error cases */
     *returned_message = NULL;
 
-    gchar* filename = NULL;
+    auto_gchar gchar* filename = NULL;
     GError* glib_error = NULL;
     auto_char char* jid = connection_get_barejid();
     if (jid) {
         filename = files_file_in_account_data_path(DIR_EDITOR, jid, "compose.md");
     } else {
         log_debug("[Editor] could not get JID");
-        gchar* data_dir = files_get_data_path(DIR_EDITOR);
+        auto_gchar gchar* data_dir = files_get_data_path(DIR_EDITOR);
         if (!create_dir(data_dir)) {
             return TRUE;
         }
         filename = g_strdup_printf("%s/compose.md", data_dir);
-        g_free(data_dir);
     }
     if (!filename) {
         log_error("[Editor] something went wrong while creating compose file");
@@ -83,21 +82,17 @@ get_message_from_editor(gchar* message, gchar** returned_message)
         if (glib_error) {
             g_error_free(glib_error);
         }
-        g_free(filename);
         return TRUE;
     }
 
-    char* editor = prefs_get_string(PREF_COMPOSE_EDITOR);
-    gchar* editor_with_filename = g_strdup_printf("%s %s", editor, filename);
-    gchar** editor_argv = g_strsplit(editor_with_filename, " ", 0);
-
-    g_free(editor_with_filename);
+    auto_gchar gchar* editor = prefs_get_string(PREF_COMPOSE_EDITOR);
+    auto_gchar gchar* editor_with_filename = g_strdup_printf("%s %s", editor, filename);
+    auto_gcharv gchar** editor_argv = g_strsplit(editor_with_filename, " ", 0);
 
     // Fork / exec
     pid_t pid = fork();
     if (pid == 0) {
         int x = execvp(editor_argv[0], editor_argv);
-        g_strfreev(editor_argv);
         if (x == -1) {
             log_error("[Editor] Failed to exec %s", editor);
         }
@@ -115,8 +110,6 @@ get_message_from_editor(gchar* message, gchar** returned_message)
             if (glib_error) {
                 g_error_free(glib_error);
             }
-            g_free(filename);
-            g_free(editor);
             return TRUE;
         }
         /* Remove all trailing new-line characters */
@@ -127,10 +120,7 @@ get_message_from_editor(gchar* message, gchar** returned_message)
         } else {
             log_debug("[Editor] deleted file: %s", filename);
         }
-        g_free(filename);
     }
 
-    g_free(editor);
-
     return FALSE;
 }
diff --git a/src/ui/chatwin.c b/src/ui/chatwin.c
index 0c540998..b470dbd6 100644
--- a/src/ui/chatwin.c
+++ b/src/ui/chatwin.c
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@ _chatwin_history(ProfChatWin* chatwin, const char* const contact_barejid)
 // first entry's timestamp in the buffer is used. Flip true to prepend to buffer.
 // Timestamps should be in iso8601
 gboolean
-chatwin_db_history(ProfChatWin* chatwin, char* start_time, char* end_time, gboolean flip)
+chatwin_db_history(ProfChatWin* chatwin, const char* start_time, char* end_time, gboolean flip)
 {
     if (!end_time) {
         end_time = buffer_size(((ProfWin*)chatwin)->layout->buffer) == 0 ? NULL : g_date_time_format_iso8601(buffer_get_entry(((ProfWin*)chatwin)->layout->buffer, 0)->time);
diff --git a/src/ui/inputwin.c b/src/ui/inputwin.c
index bc689d5f..9b652f1c 100644
--- a/src/ui/inputwin.c
+++ b/src/ui/inputwin.c
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 #define _XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED
 #include "config.h"
 
+#include <assert.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <sys/select.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -140,6 +141,11 @@ static int _inp_rl_send_to_editor(int count, int key);
 void
 create_input_window(void)
 {
+    /* MB_CUR_MAX is evaluated at runtime depending on the current
+     * locale, therefore we check that our own version is big enough
+     * and bail out if it isn't.
+     */
+    assert(MB_CUR_MAX <= PROF_MB_CUR_MAX);
 #ifdef NCURSES_REENTRANT
     set_escdelay(25);
 #else
@@ -331,7 +337,7 @@ _inp_write(char* line, int offset)
 
     for (size_t i = 0; line[i] != '\0'; i++) {
         char* c = &line[i];
-        char retc[MB_CUR_MAX];
+        char retc[PROF_MB_CUR_MAX] = { 0 };
 
         size_t ch_len = mbrlen(c, MB_CUR_MAX, NULL);
         if ((ch_len == (size_t)-2) || (ch_len == (size_t)-1)) {
diff --git a/src/ui/ui.h b/src/ui/ui.h
index d9534ed5..79fafd75 100644
--- a/src/ui/ui.h
+++ b/src/ui/ui.h
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ void chatwin_set_incoming_char(ProfChatWin* chatwin, const char* const ch);
 void chatwin_unset_incoming_char(ProfChatWin* chatwin);
 void chatwin_set_outgoing_char(ProfChatWin* chatwin, const char* const ch);
 void chatwin_unset_outgoing_char(ProfChatWin* chatwin);
-gboolean chatwin_db_history(ProfChatWin* chatwin, char* start_time, char* end_time, gboolean flip);
+gboolean chatwin_db_history(ProfChatWin* chatwin, const char* start_time, char* end_time, gboolean flip);
 
 // MUC window
 ProfMucWin* mucwin_new(const char* const barejid);
diff --git a/src/xmpp/iq.c b/src/xmpp/iq.c
index 4f6eea40..eb72178d 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/iq.c
+++ b/src/xmpp/iq.c
@@ -2761,7 +2761,7 @@ _mam_rsm_id_handler(xmpp_stanza_t* const stanza, void* const userdata)
                 // Convert to iso8601
                 start_str[strlen(start_str) - 3] = '\0';
             }
-            auto_char char* end_str = NULL;
+            char* end_str = NULL;
             if (data->end_datestr) {
                 end_str = strdup(data->end_datestr);
                 // Convert to iso8601
diff --git a/src/xmpp/stanza.c b/src/xmpp/stanza.c
index 88a7ab6c..bbc15c13 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/stanza.c
+++ b/src/xmpp/stanza.c
@@ -2757,6 +2757,19 @@ stanza_attach_correction(xmpp_ctx_t* ctx, xmpp_stanza_t* stanza, const char* con
     return stanza;
 }
 
+static xmpp_stanza_t*
+_text_stanza(xmpp_ctx_t* ctx, const char* name, const char* text)
+{
+    xmpp_stanza_t* res = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
+    xmpp_stanza_set_name(res, name);
+
+    xmpp_stanza_t* t = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
+    xmpp_stanza_set_text(t, text);
+    xmpp_stanza_add_child_ex(res, t, 0);
+
+    return res;
+}
+
 xmpp_stanza_t*
 stanza_create_mam_iq(xmpp_ctx_t* ctx, const char* const jid, const char* const startdate, const char* const enddate, const char* const firstid, const char* const lastid)
 {
@@ -2780,145 +2793,67 @@ stanza_create_mam_iq(xmpp_ctx_t* ctx, const char* const jid, const char* const s
     xmpp_stanza_set_attribute(field_form_type, STANZA_ATTR_VAR, "FORM_TYPE");
     xmpp_stanza_set_type(field_form_type, "hidden");
 
-    xmpp_stanza_t* value_mam = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
-    xmpp_stanza_set_name(value_mam, STANZA_NAME_VALUE);
+    xmpp_stanza_t* value_mam = _text_stanza(ctx, STANZA_NAME_VALUE, STANZA_NS_MAM2);
 
-    xmpp_stanza_t* mam_text = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
-    xmpp_stanza_set_text(mam_text, STANZA_NS_MAM2);
-    xmpp_stanza_add_child(value_mam, mam_text);
-
-    xmpp_stanza_add_child(field_form_type, value_mam);
+    xmpp_stanza_add_child_ex(field_form_type, value_mam, 0);
 
     // field 'with'
     xmpp_stanza_t* field_with = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
     xmpp_stanza_set_name(field_with, STANZA_NAME_FIELD);
     xmpp_stanza_set_attribute(field_with, STANZA_ATTR_VAR, "with");
 
-    xmpp_stanza_t* value_with = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
-    xmpp_stanza_set_name(value_with, STANZA_NAME_VALUE);
+    xmpp_stanza_t* value_with = _text_stanza(ctx, STANZA_NAME_VALUE, jid);
 
-    xmpp_stanza_t* with_text = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
-    xmpp_stanza_set_text(with_text, jid);
-    xmpp_stanza_add_child(value_with, with_text);
-
-    xmpp_stanza_add_child(field_with, value_with);
-
-    // field 'start'
-    xmpp_stanza_t *field_start, *value_start, *start_date_text;
-    if (startdate) {
-        field_start = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
-        xmpp_stanza_set_name(field_start, STANZA_NAME_FIELD);
-        xmpp_stanza_set_attribute(field_start, STANZA_ATTR_VAR, "start");
-
-        value_start = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
-        xmpp_stanza_set_name(value_start, STANZA_NAME_VALUE);
-
-        start_date_text = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
-        xmpp_stanza_set_text(start_date_text, startdate);
-        xmpp_stanza_add_child(value_start, start_date_text);
-
-        xmpp_stanza_add_child(field_start, value_start);
-    }
-
-    xmpp_stanza_t *field_end, *value_end, *end_date_text;
-    if (enddate) {
-        field_end = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
-        xmpp_stanza_set_name(field_end, STANZA_NAME_FIELD);
-        xmpp_stanza_set_attribute(field_end, STANZA_ATTR_VAR, "end");
-
-        value_end = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
-        xmpp_stanza_set_name(value_end, STANZA_NAME_VALUE);
-
-        end_date_text = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
-        xmpp_stanza_set_text(end_date_text, enddate);
-        xmpp_stanza_add_child(value_end, end_date_text);
-
-        xmpp_stanza_add_child(field_end, value_end);
-    }
+    xmpp_stanza_add_child_ex(field_with, value_with, 0);
 
     // 4.3.2 set/rsm
-    xmpp_stanza_t *set, *max, *max_text;
-    set = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
+    xmpp_stanza_t* set = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
     xmpp_stanza_set_name(set, STANZA_TYPE_SET);
     xmpp_stanza_set_ns(set, STANZA_NS_RSM);
 
-    max = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
-    xmpp_stanza_set_name(max, STANZA_NAME_MAX);
+    xmpp_stanza_t* max = _text_stanza(ctx, STANZA_NAME_MAX, PROF_STRINGIFY(MESSAGES_TO_RETRIEVE));
+    xmpp_stanza_add_child_ex(set, max, 0);
 
-    max_text = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
-    auto_gchar gchar* txt = g_strdup_printf("%d", MESSAGES_TO_RETRIEVE);
-    xmpp_stanza_set_text(max_text, txt);
-
-    xmpp_stanza_add_child(max, max_text);
-    xmpp_stanza_add_child(set, max);
-
-    xmpp_stanza_t *after, *after_text;
     if (lastid) {
-        after = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
-        xmpp_stanza_set_name(after, STANZA_NAME_AFTER);
-
-        after_text = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
-        xmpp_stanza_set_text(after_text, lastid);
-
-        xmpp_stanza_add_child(after, after_text);
-        xmpp_stanza_add_child(set, after);
+        xmpp_stanza_t* after = _text_stanza(ctx, STANZA_NAME_AFTER, lastid);
+        xmpp_stanza_add_child_ex(set, after, 0);
     }
 
-    xmpp_stanza_t *before, *before_text;
     if (firstid) {
-        before = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
-        xmpp_stanza_set_name(before, STANZA_NAME_BEFORE);
-
-        before_text = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
-        xmpp_stanza_set_text(before_text, firstid);
-
-        xmpp_stanza_add_child(before, before_text);
-        xmpp_stanza_add_child(set, before);
+        xmpp_stanza_t* before = _text_stanza(ctx, STANZA_NAME_BEFORE, firstid);
+        xmpp_stanza_add_child_ex(set, before, 0);
     }
 
     // add and release
-    xmpp_stanza_add_child(iq, query);
-    xmpp_stanza_add_child(query, x);
-    xmpp_stanza_add_child(x, field_form_type);
-    xmpp_stanza_add_child(x, field_with);
+    xmpp_stanza_add_child_ex(iq, query, 0);
+    xmpp_stanza_add_child_ex(query, x, 0);
+    xmpp_stanza_add_child_ex(x, field_form_type, 0);
+    xmpp_stanza_add_child_ex(x, field_with, 0);
 
+    // field 'start'
     if (startdate) {
-        xmpp_stanza_add_child(x, field_start);
-        xmpp_stanza_release(field_start);
-        xmpp_stanza_release(value_start);
-        xmpp_stanza_release(start_date_text);
+        xmpp_stanza_t* field_start = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
+        xmpp_stanza_set_name(field_start, STANZA_NAME_FIELD);
+        xmpp_stanza_set_attribute(field_start, STANZA_ATTR_VAR, "start");
+
+        xmpp_stanza_t* value_start = _text_stanza(ctx, STANZA_NAME_VALUE, startdate);
+
+        xmpp_stanza_add_child_ex(field_start, value_start, 0);
+        xmpp_stanza_add_child_ex(x, field_start, 0);
     }
 
     if (enddate) {
-        xmpp_stanza_add_child(x, field_end);
-        xmpp_stanza_release(field_end);
-        xmpp_stanza_release(value_end);
-        xmpp_stanza_release(end_date_text);
+        xmpp_stanza_t* field_end = xmpp_stanza_new(ctx);
+        xmpp_stanza_set_name(field_end, STANZA_NAME_FIELD);
+        xmpp_stanza_set_attribute(field_end, STANZA_ATTR_VAR, "end");
+
+        xmpp_stanza_t* value_end = _text_stanza(ctx, STANZA_NAME_VALUE, enddate);
+
+        xmpp_stanza_add_child_ex(field_end, value_end, 0);
+        xmpp_stanza_add_child_ex(x, field_end, 0);
     }
 
-    xmpp_stanza_add_child(query, set);
-    xmpp_stanza_release(set);
-    xmpp_stanza_release(max_text);
-    xmpp_stanza_release(max);
-
-    if (lastid) {
-        xmpp_stanza_release(after_text);
-        xmpp_stanza_release(after);
-    }
-
-    if (firstid) {
-        xmpp_stanza_release(before_text);
-        xmpp_stanza_release(before);
-    }
-
-    xmpp_stanza_release(mam_text);
-    xmpp_stanza_release(with_text);
-    xmpp_stanza_release(value_mam);
-    xmpp_stanza_release(value_with);
-    xmpp_stanza_release(field_form_type);
-    xmpp_stanza_release(field_with);
-    xmpp_stanza_release(x);
-    xmpp_stanza_release(query);
+    xmpp_stanza_add_child_ex(query, set, 0);
 
     return iq;
 }