diff --git a/find.c b/find.c
index 9b876dc..9a427a2 100644
--- a/find.c
+++ b/find.c
@@ -977,10 +977,10 @@ find(char *path, Findhist *hist)
 		if (!strcmp(de->d_name, ".") || !strcmp(de->d_name, ".."))
 			continue;
 
-		p = pathbuf + strlcpy(pathbuf, path, pathcap);
+		p = pathbuf + estrlcpy(pathbuf, path, pathcap);
 		if (*--p != '/')
-			strlcat(pathbuf, "/", pathcap);
-		strlcat(pathbuf, de->d_name, pathcap);
+			estrlcat(pathbuf, "/", pathcap);
+		estrlcat(pathbuf, de->d_name, pathcap);
 		find(pathbuf, &cur);
 	}
 	closedir(dir); /* check return value? */
diff --git a/libutil/recurse.c b/libutil/recurse.c
index 1637d0c..c4e8043 100644
--- a/libutil/recurse.c
+++ b/libutil/recurse.c
@@ -66,12 +66,10 @@ recurse(const char *path, void *data, struct recursor *r)
 		}
 		if (!strcmp(d->d_name, ".") || !strcmp(d->d_name, ".."))
 			continue;
-		if (strlcpy(subpath, path, PATH_MAX) >= PATH_MAX)
-			eprintf("strlcpy: path too long\n");
-		if (path[strlen(path) - 1] != '/' && strlcat(subpath, "/", PATH_MAX) >= PATH_MAX)
-			eprintf("strlcat: path too long\n");
-		if (strlcat(subpath, d->d_name, PATH_MAX) >= PATH_MAX)
-			eprintf("strlcat: path too long\n");
+		estrlcpy(subpath, path, sizeof(subpath));
+		if (path[strlen(path) - 1] != '/')
+			estrlcat(subpath, "/", sizeof(subpath));
+		estrlcat(subpath, d->d_name, sizeof(subpath));
 		if ((r->flags & SAMEDEV) && statf(subpath, &dst) < 0) {
 			if (errno != ENOENT) {
 				weprintf("%s %s:", statf_name, subpath);
diff --git a/libutil/strlcat.c b/libutil/strlcat.c
index 9e2d251..bf263b8 100644
--- a/libutil/strlcat.c
+++ b/libutil/strlcat.c
@@ -50,3 +50,14 @@ strlcat(char *dst, const char *src, size_t siz)
 	*d = '\0';
 	return(dlen + (s - src)); /* count does not include NUL */
 }
+
+size_t
+estrlcat(char *dst, const char *src, size_t siz)
+{
+	size_t ret;
+
+	if ((ret = strlcat(dst, src, siz)) >= siz)
+		eprintf("strlcat: input string too long\n");
+
+	return ret;
+}
diff --git a/libutil/strlcpy.c b/libutil/strlcpy.c
index 388b426..44b618a 100644
--- a/libutil/strlcpy.c
+++ b/libutil/strlcpy.c
@@ -46,3 +46,14 @@ strlcpy(char *dst, const char *src, size_t siz)
 	}
 	return(s - src - 1); /* count does not include NUL */
 }
+
+size_t
+estrlcpy(char *dst, const char *src, size_t siz)
+{
+	size_t ret;
+
+	if ((ret = strlcpy(dst, src, siz)) >= siz)
+		eprintf("strlcpy: input string too long\n");
+
+	return ret;
+}
diff --git a/logger.c b/logger.c
index 0f8a763..80dcdc7 100644
--- a/logger.c
+++ b/logger.c
@@ -80,9 +80,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		sz += argc;
 		buf = ecalloc(1, sz);
 		for (i = 0; i < argc; i++) {
-			strlcat(buf, argv[i], sz);
+			estrlcat(buf, argv[i], sz);
 			if (i + 1 < argc)
-				strlcat(buf, " ", sz);
+				estrlcat(buf, " ", sz);
 		}
 		syslog(priority, "%s", buf);
 	}
diff --git a/mktemp.c b/mktemp.c
index 8dbb210..b4ecaf1 100644
--- a/mktemp.c
+++ b/mktemp.c
@@ -39,19 +39,14 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if ((p = getenv("TMPDIR")))
 		tmpdir = p;
 
-	if (strlcpy(tmp, template, sizeof(tmp)) >= sizeof(tmp))
-		eprintf("path too long\n");
+	estrlcpy(tmp, template, sizeof(tmp));
 	p = dirname(tmp);
 	if (p[0] != '.') {
-		if (strlcpy(path, template, sizeof(path)) >= sizeof(path))
-			eprintf("path too long\n");
+		estrlcpy(path, template, sizeof(path));
 	} else {
-		if (strlcpy(path, tmpdir, sizeof(path)) >= sizeof(path))
-			eprintf("path too long\n");
-		if (strlcat(path, "/", sizeof(path)) >= sizeof(path))
-			eprintf("path too long\n");
-		if (strlcat(path, template, sizeof(path)) >= sizeof(path))
-			eprintf("path too long\n");
+		estrlcpy(path, tmpdir, sizeof(path));
+		estrlcat(path, "/", sizeof(path));
+		estrlcat(path, template, sizeof(path));
 	}
 
 	if (dflag) {
diff --git a/readlink.c b/readlink.c
index e19b6c9..9c6c789 100644
--- a/readlink.c
+++ b/readlink.c
@@ -56,8 +56,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			arg[2] = '\0';
 		} else
 			arg[0] = '\0';
-		if (strlcat(arg, argv[0], PATH_MAX) >= PATH_MAX)
-			eprintf("path too long\n");
+		estrlcat(arg, argv[0], sizeof(arg));
 		while ((p = strchr(p, '/'))) {
 			*p = '\0';
 			if (!realpath(arg, b)) {
@@ -75,8 +74,7 @@ mdone:
 				/* drop the extra '/' on root */
 				lp += (argv[0][0] == '/' &&
 				       lp - arg == 1);
-				if (strlcat(b, lp, PATH_MAX) >= PATH_MAX)
-					eprintf("path too long\n");
+				estrlcat(b, lp, sizeof(arg));
 			}
 		}
 		break;
diff --git a/sed.c b/sed.c
index f341947..04f847f 100644
--- a/sed.c
+++ b/sed.c
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ strnacat(String *dst, char *src, size_t n)
 		resize((void **)&dst->str, &dst->cap, 1, len * 2, NULL);
 	if (new)
 		*dst->str = '\0';
-	strlcat(dst->str, src, len);
+	estrlcat(dst->str, src, len);
 }
 
 void
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ strnacpy(String *dst, char *src, size_t n)
 	len = strlen(dst->str) + MIN(n, len) + 1;
 	if (dst->cap < len)
 		resize((void **)&dst->str, &dst->cap, 1, len * 2, NULL);
-	strlcpy(dst->str, src, len);
+	estrlcpy(dst->str, src, len);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/split.c b/split.c
index 1401bfd..b68635f 100644
--- a/split.c
+++ b/split.c
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	plen = strlen(prefix);
 	if (plen + slen > NAME_MAX)
 		eprintf("names cannot exceed %d bytes\n", NAME_MAX);
-	strlcpy(name, prefix, sizeof(name));
+	estrlcpy(name, prefix, sizeof(name));
 
 	if (file && strcmp(file, "-") != 0) {
 		if (!(in = fopen(file, "r")))
diff --git a/util.h b/util.h
index bccf57f..39d7d0d 100644
--- a/util.h
+++ b/util.h
@@ -48,8 +48,10 @@ char *strcasestr(const char *, const char *);
 
 #undef strlcat
 size_t strlcat(char *, const char *, size_t);
+size_t estrlcat(char *, const char *, size_t);
 #undef strlcpy
 size_t strlcpy(char *, const char *, size_t);
+size_t estrlcpy(char *, const char *, size_t);
 
 #undef strsep
 char *strsep(char **, const char *);