diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 3a0392f..6210bb1 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
     * Convert build system to plain Make.
     * Start removing references to FreeNode. 
     * Move the repeated copyright banners out to a single header. 
+    * Replace some of the macros with actual function calls. 
 
 2005-04-01 Riccardo Mottola <rmottola@users.sf.net>
     * network.c : removed useless statement
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 484ab61..c2600d4 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -61,46 +61,73 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv[])
     Widget userForm;
 
     /* Menu Stuff */
+    XmString filestr, userstr, prefstr, savconstr, quitstr, whostr, cliverstr, opstr, deopstr, abtstr, cmdstr;
     Widget menuBar, helpMenu;
 
+    filestr   = XmStringCreateLocalized("File");
+    userstr   = XmStringCreateLocalized("User");
+    prefstr   = XmStringCreateLocalized("Preferences...");
+    savconstr = XmStringCreateLocalized("Save Conversation");
+    quitstr   = XmStringCreateLocalized("Quit");
+    whostr    = XmStringCreateLocalized("Whois");
+    cliverstr = XmStringCreateLocalized("Client version");
+    opstr     = XmStringCreateLocalized("Op");
+    deopstr   = XmStringCreateLocalized("Deop");
+    abtstr    = XmStringCreateLocalized("About");
+    cmdstr    = XmStringCreateLocalized("Commands");
+    
     topWidget = XtVaAppInitialize(&nebulaIrcAppContext, "Nebula IRC", NULL, 0, &argc, argv, NULL, NULL);
 
     mainWindow = XtVaCreateManagedWidget("main_window",	xmMainWindowWidgetClass, topWidget, XmNcommandWindowLocation, XmCOMMAND_BELOW_WORKSPACE, XmNwidth, 600, XmNheight, 500, NULL);
 
     menuBar = XmVaCreateSimpleMenuBar(mainWindow, "menubar",
-	XmVaCASCADEBUTTON, XmStringCreateLocalized("File"), 'F',
-	XmVaCASCADEBUTTON, XmStringCreateLocalized("User"), 'U',
+	XmVaCASCADEBUTTON, filestr, 'F',
+	XmVaCASCADEBUTTON, userstr, 'U',
 	NULL);
     
     XmVaCreateSimplePulldownMenu(menuBar, "file_menu", 0,
 	fileMenuCall,
-	XmVaPUSHBUTTON, XmStringCreateLocalized("Preferences..."), 'P', NULL, NULL,
-	XmVaPUSHBUTTON, XmStringCreateLocalized("Save Conversation"), 'S', NULL, NULL,
-	XmVaPUSHBUTTON, XmStringCreateLocalized("Quit"), 'Q', NULL, NULL,
+	XmVaPUSHBUTTON, prefstr, 'P', NULL, NULL,
+	XmVaPUSHBUTTON, savconstr, 'S', NULL, NULL,
+	XmVaPUSHBUTTON, quitstr, 'Q', NULL, NULL,
 	NULL);
 
+
     XmVaCreateSimplePulldownMenu(menuBar, "user_menu", 1,
 	userMenuCall,
-	XmVaPUSHBUTTON, XmStringCreateLocalized("Whois"), 'W', NULL, NULL,
-	XmVaPUSHBUTTON, XmStringCreateLocalized("Client version"), '\0', NULL, NULL,
-	XmVaPUSHBUTTON, XmStringCreateLocalized("Op"), 'O', NULL, NULL,
-	XmVaPUSHBUTTON, XmStringCreateLocalized("Deop"), 'D', NULL, NULL,
+	XmVaPUSHBUTTON, whostr, 'W', NULL, NULL,
+	XmVaPUSHBUTTON, cliverstr, '\0', NULL, NULL,
+	XmVaPUSHBUTTON, opstr, 'O', NULL, NULL,
+	XmVaPUSHBUTTON, deopstr, 'D', NULL, NULL,
 	NULL);
 
     helpMenu = XtVaCreateManagedWidget("Help",
 	xmCascadeButtonWidgetClass, menuBar,
 	XmNmnemonic, 'H',
 	NULL);
+
     XmVaCreateSimplePulldownMenu(menuBar, "Help", 2,
 	helpMenuCall,
-	XmVaPUSHBUTTON,  XmStringCreateLocalized("About..."), 'A', NULL, NULL,
-	XmVaPUSHBUTTON,  XmStringCreateLocalized("Commands"), 'C', NULL, NULL,
+	XmVaPUSHBUTTON, abtstr, 'A', NULL, NULL,
+	XmVaPUSHBUTTON, cmdstr, 'C', NULL, NULL,
 	NULL);
 
     XtVaSetValues(menuBar, XmNmenuHelpWidget, helpMenu, NULL);
     
     XtManageChild(menuBar);
-    
+
+    XmStringFree(filestr);
+    XmStringFree(userstr);
+    XmStringFree(prefstr);
+    XmStringFree(savconstr);
+    XmStringFree(quitstr);
+    XmStringFree(whostr);
+    XmStringFree(cliverstr);
+    XmStringFree(opstr);
+    XmStringFree(deopstr);
+    XmStringFree(abtstr);
+    XmStringFree(cmdstr);
+
     mainForm = XtVaCreateWidget("form", xmFormWidgetClass, mainWindow, XmNfractionBase, 3, NULL);
 
     userForm = XtVaCreateWidget("userform", xmFormWidgetClass, mainForm,
diff --git a/src/main.h b/src/main.h
index 24416fd..9b26ba4 100644
--- a/src/main.h
+++ b/src/main.h
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@
  * This file is part of the nebula irc client                            *
  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */
 
-#include <netdb.h>      /* for MAXHOSTNAMELEN */
-#include <sys/param.h>  /* for MAXHOSTNAMELEN on other systems */
+#include <sys/param.h>  /* for MAXHOSTNAMELEN */
 
 #define PREF_FILE_NAME ".nebula.rc"