diff --git a/source/src/audiomanager.cpp b/source/src/audiomanager.cpp
index dd92c883..26019560 100644
--- a/source/src/audiomanager.cpp
+++ b/source/src/audiomanager.cpp
@@ -978,10 +978,8 @@ void getmapsoundlist() // create a list of mapsound filenames
             }
         }
     }
-    if(res.length()) res.last() = '\0';
-    else res.add('\0');
     files.deletearrays();
-    result(res.getbuf());
+    resultcharvector(res, -1);
 }
 COMMAND(getmapsoundlist, "");
 
diff --git a/source/src/autodownload.cpp b/source/src/autodownload.cpp
index f9f50d62..acdf174e 100644
--- a/source/src/autodownload.cpp
+++ b/source/src/autodownload.cpp
@@ -60,9 +60,7 @@ void getpckserver() // return a table of all package servers with four columns
         loopv(pckservers) cvecprintf(res, "\"%s\" %d %d %d\n", pckservers[i]->host, pckservers[i]->priority, pckservers[i]->ping, pckservers[i]->resolved);
         sem_pckservers.post();
     }
-    if(res.length()) res.last() = '\0';
-    else res.add('\0');
-    result(res.getbuf());
+    resultcharvector(res, -1);
 }
 COMMAND(getpckserver, "");
 
diff --git a/source/src/command.cpp b/source/src/command.cpp
index f217fdb6..21996432 100644
--- a/source/src/command.cpp
+++ b/source/src/command.cpp
@@ -335,32 +335,29 @@ const char *getalias(const char *name)
 }
 void _getalias(char *name)
 {
-    string o;
+    string o = "";
+    const char *res = o;
     ident *id = idents->access(name);
-    const char *action = getalias(name);
     if(id)
     {
         switch(id->type)
         {
             case ID_VAR:
                 formatstring(o)("%d", *id->storage.i);
-                result(o);
                 break;
             case ID_FVAR:
                 formatstring(o)("%.3f", *id->storage.f);
-                result(o);
                 break;
             case ID_SVAR:
                 if(id->getfun) ((void (__cdecl *)())id->getfun)();
-                formatstring(o)("%s", *id->storage.s);
-                result(o);
+                res = *id->storage.s;
                 break;
             case ID_ALIAS:
-                result(action ? action : "");
+                if(id->action) res = id->action;
                 break;
-            default: break;
         }
     }
+    result(res);
 }
 COMMANDN(getalias, _getalias, "s");
 
@@ -536,6 +533,12 @@ void floatret(float v, bool neat)
 void result(const char *s) { commandret = newstring(s); }
 COMMAND(result, "s");
 
+void resultcharvector(const vector<char> &res, int adj)     // use char vector as result, optionally remove some bytes at the end
+{
+    adj += res.length();
+    commandret = adj <= 0 ? newstring("", 0) : newstring(res.getbuf(), (size_t) adj);
+}
+
 #if 0
 // seer : script evaluation excessive recursion
 static int seer_count = 0; // count calls to executeret, check time every n1 (100) calls
@@ -1168,14 +1171,8 @@ COMMANDF(concatword, "w", (const char *s) { result(s); });
 
 void format(char **args, int numargs)
 {
-    if(numargs < 1)
-    {
-        result("");
-        return;
-    }
-
     vector<char> s;
-    char *f = args[0];
+    const char *f = numargs > 0 ? args[0] : "";
     while(*f)
     {
         int c = *f++;
@@ -1192,8 +1189,7 @@ void format(char **args, int numargs)
         }
         else s.add(c);
     }
-    s.add('\0');
-    result(s.getbuf());
+    resultcharvector(s, 0);
 }
 COMMAND(format, "v");
 
@@ -1581,9 +1577,7 @@ void enumalias(char *prefix)
     enumerate(*idents, ident, id, if(id.type == ID_ALIAS && id.persist && !id.isconst && !id.istemp && !strncmp(id.name, prefix, np)) sids.add(&id); );
     sids.sort(sortident);
     loopv(sids) cvecprintf(res, "%s %s\n", sids[i]->name, sids[i]->name + np);
-    if(res.length()) res.last() = '\0';
-    else res.add('\0');
-    result(res.getbuf());
+    resultcharvector(res, -1);
 }
 COMMAND(enumalias, "s");
 
diff --git a/source/src/console.cpp b/source/src/console.cpp
index d2124c1c..691f738e 100644
--- a/source/src/console.cpp
+++ b/source/src/console.cpp
@@ -180,35 +180,32 @@ keym *findbindc(int code)
 
 void findkey(int *code)
 {
-    for (int i = 0; i < keyms.length(); i++)
+    const char *res = "-255";
+    loopv(keyms)
     {
-        if(keyms[i].code==*code)
+        if(keyms[i].code == *code)
         {
-            defformatstring(out)("%s", keyms[i].name);
-            result(out);
-            return;
+            res = keyms[i].name;
+            break;
         }
     }
-    result("-255");
-    return;
+    result(res);
 }
+COMMAND(findkey, "i");
 
 void findkeycode(const char* s)
 {
-     for (int i = 0; i < keyms.length(); i++)
-     {
-         if(strcmp(s, keyms[i].name) == 0)
-         {
-             defformatstring(out)("%d", keyms[i].code);
-             result(out);
-             return;
-         }
-     }
-     result("-255");
-     return;
+    int res = -255;
+    loopv(keyms)
+    {
+        if(!strcmp(s, keyms[i].name))
+        {
+            res = keyms[i].code;
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+    intret(res);
 }
-
-COMMAND(findkey, "i");
 COMMAND(findkeycode, "s");
 
 keym *keypressed = NULL;
@@ -265,8 +262,7 @@ void searchbinds(const char *action, int type)
             names.put(keyms[i].name, strlen(keyms[i].name));
         }
     }
-    names.add('\0');
-    result(names.getbuf());
+    resultcharvector(names, 0);
 }
 
 COMMANDF(keybind, "s", (const char *key) { keybind(key, keym::ACTION_DEFAULT); } );
diff --git a/source/src/docs.cpp b/source/src/docs.cpp
index 0a3dedea..1077fe7a 100644
--- a/source/src/docs.cpp
+++ b/source/src/docs.cpp
@@ -248,9 +248,7 @@ void docfind(char *search, int *silent)
             }
         }
     }
-    if(res.length()) res.last() = '\0';
-    else res.add('\0');
-    result(res.getbuf());
+    resultcharvector(res, -1);
 }
 COMMAND(docfind, "si");
 
diff --git a/source/src/protos.h b/source/src/protos.h
index da37df22..e04e65b2 100644
--- a/source/src/protos.h
+++ b/source/src/protos.h
@@ -1006,6 +1006,7 @@ extern void intret(int v);
 extern const char *floatstr(float v, bool neat = false);
 extern void floatret(float v, bool neat = false);
 extern void result(const char *s);
+extern void resultcharvector(const vector<char> &res, int adj);
 extern void exec(const char *cfgfile);
 extern bool execfile(const char *cfgfile);
 extern int listlen(const char *s);
diff --git a/source/src/rendermodel.cpp b/source/src/rendermodel.cpp
index 991da688..ebf7147e 100644
--- a/source/src/rendermodel.cpp
+++ b/source/src/rendermodel.cpp
@@ -543,10 +543,8 @@ void listallmapmodelattributes(char **args, int numargs) // create a list of map
         loopvj(a) if(a[j] < MMA_NUM) cvecprintf(res, " %s", escapestring(mmas[i]->n[a[j]]));
         res.add('\n');
     }
-    if(res.length()) res.last() = '\0';
-    else res.add('\0');
     loopv(emmas) { delstring(emmas[i]->n[MMA_KEYWORDS]); delete emmas[i]; } // only delete what was exploded
-    result(res.getbuf());
+    resultcharvector(res, -1);
 }
 COMMAND(listallmapmodelattributes, "v");
 
diff --git a/source/src/texture.cpp b/source/src/texture.cpp
index 6064db70..fd82ff1c 100644
--- a/source/src/texture.cpp
+++ b/source/src/texture.cpp
@@ -930,13 +930,11 @@ void gettexturelist(char *_filter, char *_exclude, char *_exts) // create a list
         }
         res.add('\n');
     }
-    if(res.length()) res.last() = '\0';
-    else res.add('\0');
     filter.deletearrays();
     exclude.deletearrays();
     exts.deletearrays();
     files.deletearrays();
-    result(res.getbuf());
+    resultcharvector(res, -1);
 }
 COMMAND(gettexturelist, "sss");
 
@@ -1015,8 +1013,7 @@ void textureslotusagelist(char *what)
     vector<char> res;
     if(onlymostvisible) cvecprintf(res, "wall %d floor %d ceiling %d \"upper wall\" %d ", mostvisible[0], mostvisible[1], mostvisible[2], mostvisible[3]);
     else loopi(256) cvecprintf(res, "%d %d ", used[i], visible[i]);
-    res.last() = '\0';
-    result(res.getbuf());
+    resultcharvector(res, -1);
 }
 COMMAND(textureslotusagelist, "s");
 
diff --git a/source/src/world.cpp b/source/src/world.cpp
index f6c94907..0fc55ffa 100644
--- a/source/src/world.cpp
+++ b/source/src/world.cpp
@@ -313,9 +313,7 @@ void getdeletedentities()
         int t = e.type < MAXENTTYPES ? e.type : NOTUSED;
         cvecprintf(res,"%s %d %d %d  %s\n", entnames[t], e.x, e.y, e.z, formatentityattributes(e));
     }
-    if(res.length()) res.last() = '\0';
-    else res.add('\0');
-    result(res.getbuf());
+    resultcharvector(res, -1);
 }
 COMMAND(getdeletedentities, "");
 
@@ -518,9 +516,7 @@ void enumentities(char *type)
     vector<char> res;
     int t = getlistindex(type, entnames, false, -1);
     loopv(ents) if(ents[i].type == t) cvecprintf(res, "%d ", i);
-    if(!res.length()) res.add('\0');
-    else res.last() = '\0';
-    result(res.getbuf());
+    resultcharvector(res, -1);
 }
 COMMAND(enumentities, "s");
 
@@ -554,9 +550,7 @@ void enumtodoentities()
 {
     vector<char> res;
     loopv(todoents) cvecprintf(res, "%d %s\n", todoents[i], escapestring(todoentdescs[i], true));
-    if(!res.length()) res.add('\0');
-    else res.last() = '\0';
-    result(res.getbuf());
+    resultcharvector(res, -1);
 }
 COMMAND(enumtodoentities, "");
 
@@ -1024,8 +1018,7 @@ void mapareacheck(char *what) // "vdelta" | "steepest" | "total" | "pprest" | "p
             cvecprintf(res, "%d %d %d  %d %d %.5g\n", x, y, z, ms.ppa[i], ms.ppv[i], ms.ppa[i] ? float(ms.ppv[i]) / ms.ppa[i] : 0.0f);
         }
     }
-    res.last() = '\0';
-    result(res.getbuf());
+    resultcharvector(res, -1);
 }
 
 COMMAND(mapareacheck, "s");
diff --git a/source/src/zip.cpp b/source/src/zip.cpp
index ea934b36..9bd01c4e 100644
--- a/source/src/zip.cpp
+++ b/source/src/zip.cpp
@@ -620,9 +620,7 @@ void zipmodlist(char *which) // "active", "inactive", "all"(default)
         }
         files.deletearrays();
     }
-    if(res.length()) res.last() = '\0';
-    else res.add('\0');
-    result(res.getbuf());
+    resultcharvector(res, -1);
 }
 COMMAND(zipmodlist, "s");
 
@@ -664,9 +662,7 @@ void zipmodgetdesc(char *name) // open zip, read desc.txt and mount preview pict
         }
         zipmanualclose(mz);
     }
-    if(res.length()) res.last() = '\0';
-    else res.add('\0');
-    result(res.getbuf());
+    resultcharvector(res, -1);
 }
 COMMAND(zipmodgetdesc, "s");
 
@@ -683,9 +679,7 @@ void zipmodgetfiles(char *name) // open zip, read list of files
         loopv(files) cvecprintf(res, "%s\n", escapestring(files[i]));
         zipmanualclose(mz);
     }
-    if(res.length()) res.last() = '\0';
-    else res.add('\0');
-    result(res.getbuf());
+    resultcharvector(res, -1);
 }
 COMMAND(zipmodgetfiles, "s");