diff --git a/input.c b/input.c
index 5731ccd..e642a7a 100644
--- a/input.c
+++ b/input.c
@@ -102,24 +102,35 @@ static int nextarg( const char *prompt, char *buf, int size, int terminator) {
 		return gettokval( buf, size) ;
 }
 
-static char *newnextarg( const char *prompt, int terminator) {
-    /* if we are interactive, go get it! */
-    if( clexec == FALSE) {
-    	char	*buf ;
-    	int		size ;
+static newarg_t *newnextarg( const char *prompt, int size, int terminator) {
+	newarg_t *argp ;
 
-		size = term.t_ncol + 1 ;
-		buf = malloc( size) ;
-		if( buf != NULL) {
-        	if( TRUE != getstring( prompt, buf, size, terminator)) {
-        		free( buf) ;
-        		buf = NULL ;
-        	}
-        }
-        
-		return buf ;
-	} else
-		return getnewtokval() ;
+	argp = malloc( sizeof( newarg_t)) ;
+	if( argp != NULL) {
+	    /* if we are interactive, go get it! */
+	    if( clexec == FALSE) {
+			if( size <= 1) {
+				size = term.t_ncol - strlen( prompt) + 1 ;
+				if( size < 24)
+					size = 24 ;
+			}
+
+			argp->buf = malloc( size) ;
+			if( argp->buf != NULL) {
+	        	argp->status = getstring( prompt, argp->buf, size, terminator) ;
+	        	if( TRUE != argp->status) {
+	        		free( argp->buf) ;
+	        		argp->buf = NULL ;
+	        	}
+	        } else
+	        	argp->status = FALSE ;
+		} else {
+			argp->buf = getnewtokval() ;
+			argp->status = (argp->buf == NULL) ? FALSE : TRUE ;
+		}
+	}
+	
+	return argp ;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -138,8 +149,8 @@ int mlreplyt( const char *prompt, char *buf, int nbuf) {
     return nextarg( prompt, buf, nbuf, metac) ;
 }
 
-char *newmlreplyt( const char *prompt) {
-    return newnextarg( prompt, metac) ;
+newarg_t *newmlargt( const char *prompt, int size) {
+	return newnextarg( prompt, size, metac) ;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/input.h b/input.h
index f163c8d..85c1ef4 100644
--- a/input.h
+++ b/input.h
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@
 #include "bind.h"
 
 
+typedef struct {
+	int status ;
+	char *buf ;
+} newarg_t ;
+
 typedef enum {
 	STOP, PLAY, RECORD
 } kbdstate ;
@@ -25,7 +30,7 @@ extern const int nlc ;	/* end of input char */
 int mlyesno( const char *prompt) ;
 int mlreply( const char *prompt, char *buf, int nbuf) ;
 int mlreplyt( const char *prompt, char *buf, int nbuf) ;
-char *newmlreplyt( const char *prompt) ;
+newarg_t *newmlargt( const char *prompt, int size) ;
 int ectoc( int c) ;
 fn_t getname( void) ;
 int tgetc( void) ;
diff --git a/random.c b/random.c
index 1dcc0bb..742c465 100644
--- a/random.c
+++ b/random.c
@@ -1185,22 +1185,28 @@ int fmatch(int ch)
 }
 
 static int iovstring( int f, int n, const char *prompt, int (*fun)( char *)) {
+	newarg_t *argp ;
 	int status ;	/* status return code */
 	char *tstring ;	/* string to add */
 
 	/* ask for string to insert */
-	tstring = newmlreplyt( prompt) ;
-	if( tstring == NULL)
+	argp = newmlargt( prompt, 0) ; /* grab as big a token as screen allow */
+	if( argp == NULL)
 		return FALSE ;
 
+	status = argp->status ;
+	tstring = argp->buf ;
+	free( argp) ;
+	if( tstring == NULL)
+		return status ;
+
 	if( f == FALSE)
 		n = 1 ;
 	else if( n < 0)
 		n = -n ;
 
 	/* insert it */
-	status = TRUE ;
-	while( n-- && status)
+	while( n-- && status == TRUE)
 		status = fun( tstring) ;
 
 	free( tstring) ;