diff --git a/src/GLES2/GLSLCombiner_gles2.cpp b/src/GLES2/GLSLCombiner_gles2.cpp
index 0363ff3a..08970ac0 100644
--- a/src/GLES2/GLSLCombiner_gles2.cpp
+++ b/src/GLES2/GLSLCombiner_gles2.cpp
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ void DestroyShaderCombiner() {
 
 ShaderCombiner::ShaderCombiner(Combiner & _color, Combiner & _alpha, const gDPCombine & _combine) : m_combine(_combine)
 {
-	char strCombiner[2048];
+	std::string strCombiner;
 	m_nInputs = compileCombiner(_color, _alpha, strCombiner);
 
 	if (usesTexture()) {
diff --git a/src/OGL3X/GLSLCombiner_ogl3x.cpp b/src/OGL3X/GLSLCombiner_ogl3x.cpp
index f4bee1df..316e9451 100644
--- a/src/OGL3X/GLSLCombiner_ogl3x.cpp
+++ b/src/OGL3X/GLSLCombiner_ogl3x.cpp
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ ShaderCombiner::ShaderCombiner() : m_bNeedUpdate(true)
 
 ShaderCombiner::ShaderCombiner(Combiner & _color, Combiner & _alpha, const gDPCombine & _combine) : m_combine(_combine), m_bNeedUpdate(true)
 {
-	char strCombiner[2048];
+	std::string strCombiner;
 	m_nInputs = compileCombiner(_color, _alpha, strCombiner);
 
 	const bool bUseLod = usesLOD();
diff --git a/src/ShaderUtils.cpp b/src/ShaderUtils.cpp
index 5698ec9c..ba9b381a 100644
--- a/src/ShaderUtils.cpp
+++ b/src/ShaderUtils.cpp
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ void _correctSecondStageParams(CombinerStage & _stage) {
 }
 
 static
-int _compileCombiner(const CombinerStage & _stage, const char** _Input, char * _strCombiner) {
+int _compileCombiner(const CombinerStage & _stage, const char** _Input, std::string & _strShader) {
 	char buf[128];
 	bool bBracketOpen = false;
 	int nRes = 0;
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ int _compileCombiner(const CombinerStage & _stage, const char** _Input, char * _
 		switch (_stage.op[i].op) {
 		case LOAD:
 			sprintf(buf, "(%s ", _Input[_stage.op[i].param1]);
-			strcat(_strCombiner, buf);
+			_strShader += buf;
 			bBracketOpen = true;
 			nRes |= 1 << _stage.op[i].param1;
 			break;
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ int _compileCombiner(const CombinerStage & _stage, const char** _Input, char * _
 			}
 			else
 				sprintf(buf, "- %s", _Input[_stage.op[i].param1]);
-			strcat(_strCombiner, buf);
+			_strShader += buf;
 			nRes |= 1 << _stage.op[i].param1;
 			break;
 		case ADD:
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ int _compileCombiner(const CombinerStage & _stage, const char** _Input, char * _
 			}
 			else
 				sprintf(buf, "+ %s", _Input[_stage.op[i].param1]);
-			strcat(_strCombiner, buf);
+			_strShader += buf;
 			nRes |= 1 << _stage.op[i].param1;
 			break;
 		case MUL:
@@ -224,12 +224,12 @@ int _compileCombiner(const CombinerStage & _stage, const char** _Input, char * _
 			}
 			else
 				sprintf(buf, "*%s", _Input[_stage.op[i].param1]);
-			strcat(_strCombiner, buf);
+			_strShader += buf;
 			nRes |= 1 << _stage.op[i].param1;
 			break;
 		case INTER:
 			sprintf(buf, "mix(%s, %s, %s)", _Input[_stage.op[0].param2], _Input[_stage.op[0].param1], _Input[_stage.op[0].param3]);
-			strcat(_strCombiner, buf);
+			_strShader += buf;
 			nRes |= 1 << _stage.op[i].param1;
 			nRes |= 1 << _stage.op[i].param2;
 			nRes |= 1 << _stage.op[i].param3;
@@ -240,21 +240,21 @@ int _compileCombiner(const CombinerStage & _stage, const char** _Input, char * _
 		}
 	}
 	if (bBracketOpen)
-		strcat(_strCombiner, ")");
-	strcat(_strCombiner, "; \n");
+		_strShader.append(")");
+	_strShader.append("; \n");
 	return nRes;
 }
 
-int compileCombiner(Combiner & _color, Combiner & _alpha, char * _strShader)
+int compileCombiner(Combiner & _color, Combiner & _alpha, std::string & _strShader)
 {
 	if (gDP.otherMode.cycleType == G_CYC_1CYCLE) {
 		_correctFirstStageParams(_alpha.stage[0]);
 		_correctFirstStageParams(_color.stage[0]);
 	}
-	strcpy(_strShader, "  alpha1 = ");
+	_strShader.append("  alpha1 = ");
 	int nInputs = _compileCombiner(_alpha.stage[0], AlphaInput, _strShader);
 
-	strcat(_strShader,
+	_strShader.append(
 		"  if (uEnableAlphaTest != 0) {							\n"
 		"    lowp float alphaTestValue = (uAlphaCompareMode == 3) ? snoise() : uAlphaTestValue;	\n"
 		"    lowp float alphaValue = alpha1;					\n"
@@ -269,24 +269,24 @@ int compileCombiner(Combiner & _color, Combiner & _alpha, char * _strShader)
 		"  }													\n"
 		);
 
-	strcat(_strShader, "  color1 = ");
+	_strShader.append("  color1 = ");
 	nInputs |= _compileCombiner(_color.stage[0], ColorInput, _strShader);
-	strcat(_strShader, fragment_shader_blender);
+	_strShader.append(fragment_shader_blender);
 
-	strcat(_strShader, "  combined_color = vec4(color1, alpha1); \n");
+	_strShader.append("  combined_color = vec4(color1, alpha1); \n");
 	if (_alpha.numStages == 2) {
-		strcat(_strShader, "  alpha2 = ");
+		_strShader.append("  alpha2 = ");
 		_correctSecondStageParams(_alpha.stage[1]);
 		nInputs |= _compileCombiner(_alpha.stage[1], AlphaInput, _strShader);
 	}
 	else
-		strcat(_strShader, "  alpha2 = alpha1; \n");
+		_strShader.append("  alpha2 = alpha1; \n");
 	if (_color.numStages == 2) {
-		strcat(_strShader, "  color2 = ");
+		_strShader.append("  color2 = ");
 		_correctSecondStageParams(_color.stage[1]);
 		nInputs |= _compileCombiner(_color.stage[1], ColorInput, _strShader);
 	}
 	else
-		strcat(_strShader, "  color2 = color1; \n");
+		_strShader.append("  color2 = color1; \n");
 	return nInputs;
 }
diff --git a/src/ShaderUtils.h b/src/ShaderUtils.h
index d1ac762f..0f92394d 100644
--- a/src/ShaderUtils.h
+++ b/src/ShaderUtils.h
@@ -8,6 +8,6 @@ GLuint createShaderProgram(const char * _strVertex, const char * _strFragment);
 bool checkShaderCompileStatus(GLuint obj);
 bool checkProgramLinkStatus(GLuint obj);
 void logErrorShader(GLenum _shaderType, const std::string & _strShader);
-int compileCombiner(Combiner & _color, Combiner & _alpha, char * _strShader);
+int compileCombiner(Combiner & _color, Combiner & _alpha, std::string & _strShader);
 
 #endif // SHADER_UTILS_H