diff --git a/src/util/string.c b/src/util/string.c
index ee1cfa15..b8865568 100644
--- a/src/util/string.c
+++ b/src/util/string.c
@@ -4,8 +4,13 @@
 #include "config.h"
 #endif
 
+#ifndef _GNU_SOURCE
+#define _GNU_SOURCE /* XXX: fseeko, ftello */
+#endif
+
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
@@ -325,6 +330,46 @@ add_string_to_string(struct string *string, struct string *from)
 	return add_bytes_to_string(string, from->source, from->length);
 }
 
+struct string *
+add_file_to_string(struct string *string, unsigned char *filename)
+{
+	FILE *file;
+	off_t filelen;
+	int newlength;
+
+	assertm(string && filename, "[add_file_to_string]");
+	if_assert_failed { return NULL; }
+
+	check_string_magic(string);
+
+	file = fopen(filename, "rb");
+	if (!file) return NULL;
+
+	if (fseeko(file, 0, SEEK_END)) goto err;
+
+	filelen = ftello(file);
+	if (filelen == -1) goto err;
+
+	if (fseeko(file, 0, SEEK_SET)) goto err;
+
+	newlength = string->length + filelen;
+	if (!realloc_string(string, newlength)) goto err;
+
+	string->length += fread(string->source + string->length, 1,
+	                        (size_t) filelen, file);
+	string->source[string->length] = 0;
+	fclose(file);
+
+	if (string->length != newlength) goto err;
+
+	return string;
+
+err:
+	fclose(file);
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 struct string *
 string_concat(struct string *string, ...)
 {
diff --git a/src/util/string.h b/src/util/string.h
index 6d8715bd..7390061c 100644
--- a/src/util/string.h
+++ b/src/util/string.h
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ struct string *add_to_string(struct string *string,
 			     const unsigned char *source);
 struct string *add_char_to_string(struct string *string, unsigned char character);
 struct string *add_string_to_string(struct string *to, struct string *from);
+struct string *add_file_to_string(struct string *string, unsigned char *filename);
 struct string *add_crlf_to_string(struct string *string);
 
 /* Adds each C string to @string until a terminating NULL is met. */
diff --git a/src/viewer/text/textarea.c b/src/viewer/text/textarea.c
index 680216b7..a5dc6ed4 100644
--- a/src/viewer/text/textarea.c
+++ b/src/viewer/text/textarea.c
@@ -314,32 +314,17 @@ save_textarea_file(unsigned char *value)
 static unsigned char *
 load_textarea_file(unsigned char *filename, size_t maxlength)
 {
-	unsigned char *value = NULL;
-	FILE *file = fopen(filename, "rb+");
-	off_t filelen = -1;
+	struct string file;
 
-	if (!file) return NULL;
+	if (!init_string(&file)
+	     || !add_file_to_string(&file, filename))
+		return NULL;
 
-	if (!fseeko(file, 0, SEEK_END)) {
-		filelen = ftello(file);
-		if (filelen != -1 && fseeko(file, 0, SEEK_SET))
-			filelen = -1;
-	}
-
-	if (filelen >= 0 && filelen <= maxlength) {
-		value = mem_alloc((size_t) (filelen + 1));
-		if (value) {
-			size_t bread;
-
-			bread = fread(value, 1, (size_t) filelen, file);
-			value[bread] = 0;
-		}
-	}
-
-	fclose(file);
 	unlink(filename);
 
-	return value;
+	if (file.length > maxlength) { done_string(&file); return NULL; }
+
+	return file.source;
 }
 
 void