diff --git a/dlib/dlib.cc b/dlib/dlib.cc
index 6e6a6b4..395d75f 100644
--- a/dlib/dlib.cc
+++ b/dlib/dlib.cc
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <time.h>
 
+#include <Alepha/AutoRAII.h>
+
 #include "dlib.hh"
 
 static bool dLib_show_msg = TRUE;
@@ -902,17 +904,27 @@ void dLib_show_messages(bool show)
 /**
  * Return the current working directory in a new string
  */
-char *dGetcwd (void)
+std::optional< std::string >
+dGetcwd_string()
+{
+	auto owned= Alepha::AutoRAII< char * >{ dGetcwd, dFree };
+	const char *const ptr= owned;
+
+	if( not ptr ) return std::nullopt;
+	return ptr;
+}
+
+CharPtrNoStringConversion dGetcwd (void)
 {
   size_t size = 128;
 
   while (1) {
       char *buffer = dNew(char, size);
       if (getcwd (buffer, size) == buffer)
-        return buffer;
+        return { buffer };
       dFree (buffer);
       if (errno != ERANGE)
-        return 0;
+        return {};
       size *= 2;
   }
 }
@@ -920,7 +932,17 @@ char *dGetcwd (void)
 /**
  * Return the home directory in a static string (don't free)
  */
-char *dGethomedir (void)
+std::optional< std::string >
+dGethomedir_string()
+{
+	auto owned= Alepha::AutoRAII< char * >{ dGethomedir, dFree };
+	const char *const ptr= owned;
+
+	if( not ptr ) return std::nullopt;
+	return ptr;
+}
+
+CharPtrNoStringConversion dGethomedir (void)
 {
    static char *homedir = NULL;
 
@@ -935,7 +957,7 @@ char *dGethomedir (void)
          homedir = dStrdup("/");
       }
    }
-   return homedir;
+   return { homedir };
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/dlib/dlib.hh b/dlib/dlib.hh
index 91341d3..712d636 100644
--- a/dlib/dlib.hh
+++ b/dlib/dlib.hh
@@ -190,8 +190,11 @@ void dLib_show_messages(bool show);
 /*
  *- Misc utility functions ----------------------------------------------------
  */
-char *dGetcwd(void);
-char *dGethomedir(void);
+CharPtrNoStringConversion dGetcwd();
+std::optional< std::string > dGetcwd_string();
+CharPtrNoStringConversion dGethomedir();
+std::optional< std::string > dGethomedir_string();
+
 std::optional< std::string > dGetline_string(FILE *stream);
 char *dGetline_unsafe(FILE *stream);
 std::optional< std::string > dGetline(FILE *stream);
diff --git a/dpid/dpid.cc b/dpid/dpid.cc
index 30c2304..d4edff2 100644
--- a/dpid/dpid.cc
+++ b/dpid/dpid.cc
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ char *SharedKey = NULL;
  */
 void cleanup(void)
 {
-   std::string fname = dGethomedir() + "/"s + dotDILLO_DPID_COMM_KEYS;
+   std::string fname = dGethomedir_string().value() + "/"s + dotDILLO_DPID_COMM_KEYS;
    unlink(fname.c_str());
 }
 
diff --git a/src/styleengine.cc b/src/styleengine.cc
index 75e0473..35be711 100644
--- a/src/styleengine.cc
+++ b/src/styleengine.cc
@@ -1069,7 +1069,7 @@ void StyleEngine::init () {
 
 void StyleEngine::buildUserStyle () {
    using namespace std::literals::string_literals;
-   std::string filename = dGethomedir() + "/.flenser/style.css"s;
+   std::string filename = dGethomedir_string().value() + "/.flenser/style.css"s;
 
    const std::string style= a_Misc_file2dstr(filename.c_str());
    if (not style.empty()) {