diff --git a/libtransmission/fdlimit.cc b/libtransmission/fdlimit.cc
index f2cbafc1d..be7f84f4e 100644
--- a/libtransmission/fdlimit.cc
+++ b/libtransmission/fdlimit.cc
@@ -511,8 +511,7 @@ tr_socket_t tr_fdSocketCreate(tr_session* session, int domain, int type)
 
         if ((s == TR_BAD_SOCKET) && (sockerrno != EAFNOSUPPORT))
         {
-            char err_buf[512];
-            tr_logAddError(_("Couldn't create socket: %s"), tr_net_strerror(err_buf, sizeof(err_buf), sockerrno));
+            tr_logAddError(_("Couldn't create socket: %s"), tr_net_strerror(sockerrno).c_str());
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/libtransmission/net.cc b/libtransmission/net.cc
index e20c47b88..0a7ff56e5 100644
--- a/libtransmission/net.cc
+++ b/libtransmission/net.cc
@@ -44,26 +44,19 @@ tr_address const tr_in6addr_any = { TR_AF_INET6, { IN6ADDR_ANY_INIT } };
 
 tr_address const tr_inaddr_any = { TR_AF_INET, { { { { INADDR_ANY } } } } };
 
-char* tr_net_strerror(char* buf, size_t buflen, int err)
+std::string tr_net_strerror(int err)
 {
-    *buf = '\0';
-
 #ifdef _WIN32
 
-    DWORD len = FormatMessageA(FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM, nullptr, err, 0, buf, buflen, nullptr);
-
-    while (len > 0 && buf[len - 1] >= '\0' && buf[len - 1] <= ' ')
-    {
-        buf[--len] = '\0';
-    }
+    auto buf = std::array<char, 512>{};
+    auto const len = FormatMessageA(FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM, nullptr, err, 0, std::data(buf), std::size(buf), nullptr);
+    return std::string{ tr_strvStrip(std::data(buf)) };
 
 #else
 
-    tr_strlcpy(buf, tr_strerror(err), buflen);
+    return std::string{ tr_strerror(err) };
 
 #endif
-
-    return buf;
 }
 
 char const* tr_address_and_port_to_string(char* buf, size_t buflen, tr_address const* addr, tr_port port)
@@ -242,9 +235,7 @@ void tr_netSetTOS([[maybe_unused]] tr_socket_t s, [[maybe_unused]] int tos, tr_a
 
         if (setsockopt(s, IPPROTO_IP, IP_TOS, (void const*)&tos, sizeof(tos)) == -1)
         {
-            char err_buf[512];
-            tr_net_strerror(err_buf, sizeof(err_buf), sockerrno);
-            tr_logAddNamedInfo("Net", "Can't set TOS '%d': %s", tos, err_buf);
+            tr_logAddNamedInfo("Net", "Can't set TOS '%d': %s", tos, tr_net_strerror(sockerrno).c_str());
         }
 #endif
     }
@@ -253,9 +244,7 @@ void tr_netSetTOS([[maybe_unused]] tr_socket_t s, [[maybe_unused]] int tos, tr_a
 #if defined(IPV6_TCLASS) && !defined(_WIN32)
         if (setsockopt(s, IPPROTO_IPV6, IPV6_TCLASS, (void const*)&tos, sizeof(tos)) == -1)
         {
-            char err_buf[512];
-            tr_net_strerror(err_buf, sizeof(err_buf), sockerrno);
-            tr_logAddNamedInfo("Net", "Can't set IPv6 QoS '%d': %s", tos, err_buf);
+            tr_logAddNamedInfo("Net", "Can't set IPv6 QoS '%d': %s", tos, tr_net_strerror(sockerrno).c_str());
         }
 #endif
     }
@@ -272,12 +261,11 @@ void tr_netSetCongestionControl([[maybe_unused]] tr_socket_t s, [[maybe_unused]]
 
     if (setsockopt(s, IPPROTO_TCP, TCP_CONGESTION, (void const*)algorithm, strlen(algorithm) + 1) == -1)
     {
-        char err_buf[512];
         tr_logAddNamedInfo(
             "Net",
             "Can't set congestion control algorithm '%s': %s",
             algorithm,
-            tr_net_strerror(err_buf, sizeof(err_buf), sockerrno));
+            tr_net_strerror(sockerrno).c_str());
     }
 
 #endif
@@ -338,7 +326,6 @@ struct tr_peer_socket tr_netOpenPeerSocket(tr_session* session, tr_address const
     static int const domains[NUM_TR_AF_INET_TYPES] = { AF_INET, AF_INET6 };
     struct sockaddr_storage sock;
     struct sockaddr_storage source_sock;
-    char err_buf[512];
 
     if (!tr_address_is_valid_for_peers(addr, port))
     {
@@ -361,7 +348,7 @@ struct tr_peer_socket tr_netOpenPeerSocket(tr_session* session, tr_address const
             tr_logAddInfo(
                 "Unable to set SO_RCVBUF on socket %" PRIdMAX ": %s",
                 (intmax_t)s,
-                tr_net_strerror(err_buf, sizeof(err_buf), sockerrno));
+                tr_net_strerror(sockerrno).c_str());
         }
     }
 
@@ -384,7 +371,7 @@ struct tr_peer_socket tr_netOpenPeerSocket(tr_session* session, tr_address const
             _("Couldn't set source address %s on %" PRIdMAX ": %s"),
             tr_address_to_string(source_addr),
             (intmax_t)s,
-            tr_net_strerror(err_buf, sizeof(err_buf), sockerrno));
+            tr_net_strerror(sockerrno).c_str());
         tr_netClose(session, s);
         return ret;
     }
@@ -405,7 +392,7 @@ struct tr_peer_socket tr_netOpenPeerSocket(tr_session* session, tr_address const
                 tr_address_to_string(addr),
                 (int)ntohs(port),
                 tmperrno,
-                tr_net_strerror(err_buf, sizeof(err_buf), tmperrno));
+                tr_net_strerror(tmperrno).c_str());
         }
 
         tr_netClose(session, s);
@@ -517,8 +504,7 @@ static tr_socket_t tr_netBindTCPImpl(tr_address const* addr, tr_port port, bool
             char const* const fmt = hint == nullptr ? _("Couldn't bind port %d on %s: %s") :
                                                       _("Couldn't bind port %d on %s: %s (%s)");
 
-            char err_buf[512];
-            tr_logAddError(fmt, port, tr_address_to_string(addr), tr_net_strerror(err_buf, sizeof(err_buf), err), hint);
+            tr_logAddError(fmt, port, tr_address_to_string(addr), tr_net_strerror(err).c_str(), hint);
         }
 
         tr_netCloseSocket(fd);
diff --git a/libtransmission/net.h b/libtransmission/net.h
index 0359ade28..70140ae64 100644
--- a/libtransmission/net.h
+++ b/libtransmission/net.h
@@ -156,6 +156,6 @@ void tr_netSetTOS(tr_socket_t sock, int tos, tr_address_type type);
  * @brief get a human-representable string representing the network error.
  * @param err an errno on Unix/Linux and an WSAError on win32)
  */
-char* tr_net_strerror(char* buf, size_t buflen, int err);
+std::string tr_net_strerror(int err);
 
 unsigned char const* tr_globalIPv6(tr_session const* session);
diff --git a/libtransmission/peer-io.cc b/libtransmission/peer-io.cc
index 47699b9c1..8c1165ab9 100644
--- a/libtransmission/peer-io.cc
+++ b/libtransmission/peer-io.cc
@@ -313,9 +313,7 @@ static void event_read_cb(evutil_socket_t fd, short /*event*/, void* vio)
             what |= BEV_EVENT_ERROR;
         }
 
-        char errstr[512];
-        tr_net_strerror(errstr, sizeof(errstr), e);
-        dbgmsg(io, "event_read_cb err: res:%d, what:%hd, errno:%d (%s)", res, what, e, errstr);
+        dbgmsg(io, "event_read_cb err: res:%d, what:%hd, errno:%d (%s)", res, what, e, tr_net_strerror(e).c_str());
 
         if (io->gotError != nullptr)
         {
@@ -326,12 +324,10 @@ static void event_read_cb(evutil_socket_t fd, short /*event*/, void* vio)
 
 static int tr_evbuffer_write(tr_peerIo* io, int fd, size_t howmuch)
 {
-    char errstr[256];
-
     EVUTIL_SET_SOCKET_ERROR(0);
     int const n = evbuffer_write_atmost(io->outbuf, fd, howmuch);
     int const e = EVUTIL_SOCKET_ERROR();
-    dbgmsg(io, "wrote %d to peer (%s)", n, (n == -1 ? tr_net_strerror(errstr, sizeof(errstr), e) : ""));
+    dbgmsg(io, "wrote %d to peer (%s)", n, (n == -1 ? tr_net_strerror(e).c_str() : ""));
 
     return n;
 }
@@ -404,9 +400,8 @@ RESCHEDULE:
     return;
 
 FAIL:
-    char errstr[1024];
-    tr_net_strerror(errstr, sizeof(errstr), e);
-    dbgmsg(io, "event_write_cb got an error. res is %d, what is %hd, errno is %d (%s)", res, what, e, errstr);
+    auto const errmsg = tr_net_strerror(e);
+    dbgmsg(io, "event_write_cb got an err. res:%d, what:%hd, errno:%d (%s)", res, what, e, errmsg.c_str());
 
     if (io->gotError != nullptr)
     {
@@ -1253,8 +1248,7 @@ static int tr_peerIoTryRead(tr_peerIo* io, size_t howmuch)
             res = evbuffer_read(io->inbuf, io->socket.handle.tcp, (int)howmuch);
             int const e = EVUTIL_SOCKET_ERROR();
 
-            char errstr[512];
-            dbgmsg(io, "read %d from peer (%s)", res, res == -1 ? tr_net_strerror(errstr, sizeof(errstr), e) : "");
+            dbgmsg(io, "read %d from peer (%s)", res, res == -1 ? tr_net_strerror(e).c_str() : "");
 
             if (evbuffer_get_length(io->inbuf) != 0)
             {
@@ -1270,8 +1264,7 @@ static int tr_peerIoTryRead(tr_peerIo* io, size_t howmuch)
                     what |= BEV_EVENT_EOF;
                 }
 
-                tr_net_strerror(errstr, sizeof(errstr), e);
-                dbgmsg(io, "tr_peerIoTryRead err: res:%d what:%hd, errno:%d (%s)", res, what, e, errstr);
+                dbgmsg(io, "tr_peerIoTryRead err: res:%d what:%hd, errno:%d (%s)", res, what, e, tr_net_strerror(e).c_str());
 
                 io->gotError(io, what, io->userData);
             }
@@ -1319,11 +1312,9 @@ static int tr_peerIoTryWrite(tr_peerIo* io, size_t howmuch)
 
             if (n < 0 && io->gotError != nullptr && e != 0 && e != EPIPE && e != EAGAIN && e != EINTR && e != EINPROGRESS)
             {
-                char errstr[512];
                 short const what = BEV_EVENT_WRITING | BEV_EVENT_ERROR;
 
-                tr_net_strerror(errstr, sizeof(errstr), e);
-                dbgmsg(io, "tr_peerIoTryWrite err: res:%d, what:%hd, errno:%d (%s)", n, what, e, errstr);
+                dbgmsg(io, "tr_peerIoTryWrite err: res:%d, what:%hd, errno:%d (%s)", n, what, e, tr_net_strerror(e).c_str());
                 io->gotError(io, what, io->userData);
             }
 
diff --git a/libtransmission/tr-udp.cc b/libtransmission/tr-udp.cc
index 35dedecff..8b9952c77 100644
--- a/libtransmission/tr-udp.cc
+++ b/libtransmission/tr-udp.cc
@@ -37,14 +37,13 @@ static void set_socket_buffers(tr_socket_t fd, bool large)
     int sbuf = 0;
     socklen_t rbuf_len = sizeof(rbuf);
     socklen_t sbuf_len = sizeof(sbuf);
-    char err_buf[512];
 
     int size = large ? RECV_BUFFER_SIZE : SMALL_BUFFER_SIZE;
     int rc = setsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVBUF, reinterpret_cast<char const*>(&size), sizeof(size));
 
     if (rc < 0)
     {
-        tr_logAddNamedError("UDP", "Failed to set receive buffer: %s", tr_net_strerror(err_buf, sizeof(err_buf), sockerrno));
+        tr_logAddNamedError("UDP", "Failed to set receive buffer: %s", tr_net_strerror(sockerrno).c_str());
     }
 
     size = large ? SEND_BUFFER_SIZE : SMALL_BUFFER_SIZE;
@@ -52,7 +51,7 @@ static void set_socket_buffers(tr_socket_t fd, bool large)
 
     if (rc < 0)
     {
-        tr_logAddNamedError("UDP", "Failed to set send buffer: %s", tr_net_strerror(err_buf, sizeof(err_buf), sockerrno));
+        tr_logAddNamedError("UDP", "Failed to set send buffer: %s", tr_net_strerror(sockerrno).c_str());
     }
 
     if (large)