diff --git a/src/basic/strbuf.c b/src/basic/strbuf.c
index 6d43955bb1..c81ba8a487 100644
--- a/src/basic/strbuf.c
+++ b/src/basic/strbuf.c
@@ -107,10 +107,11 @@ static void bubbleinsert(struct strbuf_node *node,
 /* add string, return the index/offset into the buffer */
 ssize_t strbuf_add_string(struct strbuf *str, const char *s, size_t len) {
         uint8_t c;
-        struct strbuf_child_entry *child;
-        struct strbuf_node *node;
         ssize_t off;
 
+        assert(str);
+        assert(s || len == 0);
+
         if (!str->root)
                 return -EINVAL;
 
@@ -123,10 +124,8 @@ ssize_t strbuf_add_string(struct strbuf *str, const char *s, size_t len) {
         }
         str->in_len += len;
 
-        node = str->root;
+        struct strbuf_node *node = str->root;
         for (size_t depth = 0; depth <= len; depth++) {
-                struct strbuf_child_entry search;
-
                 /* match against current node */
                 off = node->value_off + node->value_len - len;
                 if (depth == len || (node->value_len >= len && memcmp(str->buf + off, s, len) == 0)) {
@@ -138,7 +137,7 @@ ssize_t strbuf_add_string(struct strbuf *str, const char *s, size_t len) {
                 c = s[len - 1 - depth];
 
                 /* lookup child node */
-                search.c = c;
+                struct strbuf_child_entry *child, search = { .c = c };
                 child = typesafe_bsearch(&search, node->children, node->children_count, strbuf_children_cmp);
                 if (!child)
                         break;
@@ -165,13 +164,11 @@ ssize_t strbuf_add_string(struct strbuf *str, const char *s, size_t len) {
         };
 
         /* extend array, add new entry, sort for bisection */
-        child = reallocarray(node->children, node->children_count + 1, sizeof(struct strbuf_child_entry));
-        if (!child)
+        if (!GREEDY_REALLOC(node->children, node->children_count + 1))
                 return -ENOMEM;
 
         str->nodes_count++;
 
-        node->children = child;
         bubbleinsert(node, c, TAKE_PTR(node_child));
 
         return off;