diff --git a/libbb/bb_askpass.c b/libbb/bb_askpass.c
index 1927ba9e9..c2580b9eb 100644
--- a/libbb/bb_askpass.c
+++ b/libbb/bb_askpass.c
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 /* vi: set sw=4 ts=4: */
 /*
  * Ask for a password
- * I use a static buffer in this function.  Plan accordingly.
  *
  * Copyright (C) 1999-2004 by Erik Andersen <andersen@codepoet.org>
  *
@@ -23,8 +22,8 @@ char* FAST_FUNC bb_ask(const int fd, int timeout, const char *prompt)
 {
 	/* Was static char[BIGNUM] */
 	enum { sizeof_passwd = 128 };
-	static char *passwd;
 
+	char *passwd;
 	char *ret;
 	int i;
 	struct sigaction sa, oldsa;
@@ -62,8 +61,7 @@ char* FAST_FUNC bb_ask(const int fd, int timeout, const char *prompt)
 		alarm(timeout);
 	}
 
-	if (!passwd)
-		passwd = xmalloc(sizeof_passwd);
+	passwd = auto_string(xmalloc(sizeof_passwd));
 	ret = passwd;
 	i = 0;
 	while (1) {
diff --git a/libbb/human_readable.c b/libbb/human_readable.c
index 0b2eb777e..5c7fc076f 100644
--- a/libbb/human_readable.c
+++ b/libbb/human_readable.c
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@ const char* FAST_FUNC make_human_readable_str(unsigned long long val,
 		'\0', 'K', 'M', 'G', 'T', 'P', 'E', 'Z', 'Y'
 	};
 
-	static char *str;
-
 	unsigned frac; /* 0..9 - the fractional digit */
 	const char *u;
 	const char *fmt;
@@ -81,12 +79,7 @@ const char* FAST_FUNC make_human_readable_str(unsigned long long val,
 #endif
 	}
 
-	if (!str) {
-		/* sufficient for any width of val */
-		str = xmalloc(sizeof(val)*3 + 2 + 3);
-	}
-	sprintf(str, fmt, val, frac, *u);
-	return str;
+	return auto_string(xasprintf(fmt, val, frac, *u));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/miscutils/devfsd.c b/miscutils/devfsd.c
index 5a6aec6bd..9256567cc 100644
--- a/miscutils/devfsd.c
+++ b/miscutils/devfsd.c
@@ -1142,19 +1142,19 @@ static void signal_handler(int sig)
 
 static const char *get_variable(const char *variable, void *info)
 {
-	static char sbuf[sizeof(int)*3 + 2]; /* sign and NUL */
 	static char *hostname;
 
 	struct get_variable_info *gv_info = info;
 	const char *field_names[] = {
-			"hostname", "mntpt", "devpath", "devname",
-			"uid", "gid", "mode", hostname, mount_point,
-			gv_info->devpath, gv_info->devname, NULL
+			"hostname", "mntpt", "devpath", "devname", "uid", "gid", "mode",
+			NULL, mount_point, gv_info->devpath, gv_info->devname, NULL
 	};
 	int i;
 
 	if (!hostname)
 		hostname = safe_gethostname();
+	field_names[7] = hostname;
+
 	/* index_in_str_array returns i>=0  */
 	i = index_in_str_array(field_names, variable);
 
@@ -1164,12 +1164,11 @@ static const char *get_variable(const char *variable, void *info)
 		return field_names[i + 7];
 
 	if (i == 4)
-		sprintf(sbuf, "%u", gv_info->info->uid);
-	else if (i == 5)
-		sprintf(sbuf, "%u", gv_info->info->gid);
-	else if (i == 6)
-		sprintf(sbuf, "%o", gv_info->info->mode);
-	return sbuf;
+		return auto_string(xasprintf("%u", gv_info->info->uid));
+	if (i == 5)
+		return auto_string(xasprintf("%u", gv_info->info->gid));
+	/* i == 6 */
+	return auto_string(xasprintf("%o", gv_info->info->mode));
 }   /*  End Function get_variable  */
 
 static void service(struct stat statbuf, char *path)
diff --git a/networking/interface.c b/networking/interface.c
index b0572d04e..24bd13c57 100644
--- a/networking/interface.c
+++ b/networking/interface.c
@@ -89,13 +89,9 @@ struct in6_ifreq {
 /* Display an Internet socket address. */
 static const char* FAST_FUNC INET_sprint(struct sockaddr *sap, int numeric)
 {
-	static char *buff; /* defaults to NULL */
-
 	if (sap->sa_family == 0xFFFF || sap->sa_family == 0)
 		return "[NONE SET]";
-	free(buff);
-	buff = INET_rresolve((struct sockaddr_in *) sap, numeric, 0xffffff00);
-	return buff;
+	return auto_string(INET_rresolve((struct sockaddr_in *) sap, numeric, 0xffffff00));
 }
 
 #ifdef UNUSED_AND_BUGGY
@@ -171,13 +167,9 @@ static const struct aftype inet_aftype = {
 /* dirty! struct sockaddr usually doesn't suffer for inet6 addresses, fst. */
 static const char* FAST_FUNC INET6_sprint(struct sockaddr *sap, int numeric)
 {
-	static char *buff;
-
 	if (sap->sa_family == 0xFFFF || sap->sa_family == 0)
 		return "[NONE SET]";
-	free(buff);
-	buff = INET6_rresolve((struct sockaddr_in6 *) sap, numeric);
-	return buff;
+	return auto_string(INET6_rresolve((struct sockaddr_in6 *) sap, numeric));
 }
 
 #ifdef UNUSED
@@ -223,13 +215,11 @@ static const struct aftype inet6_aftype = {
 /* Display an UNSPEC address. */
 static char* FAST_FUNC UNSPEC_print(unsigned char *ptr)
 {
-	static char *buff;
-
+	char *buff;
 	char *pos;
 	unsigned int i;
 
-	if (!buff)
-		buff = xmalloc(sizeof(struct sockaddr) * 3 + 1);
+	buff = auto_string(xmalloc(sizeof(struct sockaddr) * 3 + 1));
 	pos = buff;
 	for (i = 0; i < sizeof(struct sockaddr); i++) {
 		/* careful -- not every libc's sprintf returns # bytes written */
@@ -712,14 +702,12 @@ static const struct hwtype loop_hwtype = {
 /* Display an Ethernet address in readable format. */
 static char* FAST_FUNC ether_print(unsigned char *ptr)
 {
-	static char *buff;
-
-	free(buff);
+	char *buff;
 	buff = xasprintf("%02X:%02X:%02X:%02X:%02X:%02X",
 			 (ptr[0] & 0377), (ptr[1] & 0377), (ptr[2] & 0377),
 			 (ptr[3] & 0377), (ptr[4] & 0377), (ptr[5] & 0377)
 		);
-	return buff;
+	return auto_string(buff);
 }
 
 static const struct hwtype ether_hwtype = {