diff --git a/src/database.c b/src/database.c
index addf45c..cb3f683 100644
--- a/src/database.c
+++ b/src/database.c
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
   memset((buf), 0x0, (len)); \
   bytes = pread((db)->fd, (buf), (len), (off)); \
   if (errno) { \
-    (db)->errstr = strerror(errno); \
+    strncpy((db)->error, strerror(errno), sizeof(db->error)); \
     return -1; \
   }
 
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
   errno = 0; \
   bytes = pwrite((db)->fd, (buf), (len), (off)); \
   if (errno) { \
-    (db)->errstr = strerror(errno); \
+    strncpy((db)->error, strerror(errno), sizeof(db->error)); \
     return -1; \
   }
 
@@ -75,13 +75,13 @@ int imdb_open(imdb_db_t *db, const char *path, int write)
 
   errno = 0;
   if (stat(path, &st) == -1) {
-    db->errstr = strerror(errno);
+    strncpy(db->error, strerror(errno), sizeof(db->error));
     return -1;
   }
 
   errno = 0;
   if ((db->fd = open(path, write ? O_RDWR : O_RDONLY)) == -1) {
-    db->errstr = strerror(errno);
+    strncpy(db->error, strerror(errno), sizeof(db->error));
     return -1;
   }
   db->write = write;
@@ -90,19 +90,19 @@ int imdb_open(imdb_db_t *db, const char *path, int write)
   DB_READ(db, buf, IMDB_REC_LEN, 0);
 
   if (bytes != IMDB_REC_LEN) {
-    db->errstr = "Empty or damaged database file";
+    strncpy(db->error, "Empty or damaged database file", sizeof(db->error));
     return -1;
   }
   if (memcmp("IMDB", buf, 4) != 0) {
-    db->errstr = "Not a database file";
+    strncpy(db->error, "Not a database file", sizeof(db->error));
     return -1;
   }
   if (atoi(buf + 6) != IMDB_VERSION) {
-    db->errstr = "Database version mismatch";
+    strncpy(db->error, "Database version mismatch", sizeof(db->error));
     return -1;
   }
   if (memcmp("CAPS", buf + 10, 4) != 0) {
-    db->errstr = "Can't read database capabilities";
+    strncpy(db->error, "Can't read database capabilities", sizeof(db->error));
     return -1;
   }
   memcpy(db->caps, buf + 16, sizeof(char) * 8);
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ int imdb_close(imdb_db_t *db)
 
   errno = 0;
   if (close(db->fd) != 0) {
-    db->errstr = strerror(errno);
+    strncpy(db->error, strerror(errno), sizeof(db->error));
     return -1;
   }
   db->fd = -1;
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ imdb_search(imdb_db_t     * const db,
   blk.records = blk_size;
 
   if (imdb_read_rec(db, sample) < 1) {
-    db->errstr = "Can't read source sample";
+    strncpy(db->error, "Can't read source sample", sizeof(db->error));
     return -1;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/database.h b/src/database.h
index 337fca1..2820622 100644
--- a/src/database.h
+++ b/src/database.h
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ typedef struct {
   int fd;
   int write;
   char path[PATH_MAX];
-  const char *errstr;
-  unsigned char caps[8];
+  char error[256];
+  char caps[8];
 } imdb_db_t;
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/imdb-query.c b/src/imdb-query.c
index 6d3df8b..50f564d 100644
--- a/src/imdb-query.c
+++ b/src/imdb-query.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ int search_similar(imdb_db_t *db, uint64_t number, float maxdiff)
 
   sample.num = number;
   if ((ret = imdb_search(db, &sample, &search, &matches)) < 0) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", db->errstr);
+    fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", db->error);
     return 1;
   }
 
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
   }
 
   if (imdb_open(&db, db_path, 0) == -1) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "database open: %s\n", db.errstr);
+    fprintf(stderr, "database open: %s\n", db.error);
     exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/imdb-write.c b/src/imdb-write.c
index eefe44a..de1e217 100644
--- a/src/imdb-write.c
+++ b/src/imdb-write.c
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
   }
 
   if (mode != init && imdb_open(&db, db_path, 1) != 0) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "can't open database: %s\n", db.errstr);
+    fprintf(stderr, "can't open database: %s\n", db.error);
     exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
   }
 
@@ -81,13 +81,13 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
       }
       if (imdb_write_rec(&db, &rec) < 1) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", db.errstr);
+        fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", db.error);
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
       }
       break;
     case del :
       if (imdb_write_rec(&db, &rec) < 1) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", db.errstr);
+        fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", db.error);
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
       }
       break;