diff --git a/scsh/syslog1.c b/scsh/syslog1.c
index 92b9a2b..f7330f5 100644
--- a/scsh/syslog1.c
+++ b/scsh/syslog1.c
@@ -272,16 +272,35 @@ s48_extract_syslog_mask(s48_value sch_syslog_mask)
  * ### Must still prevent cores.
  */
 
+#define MAX_SYSLOG_IDENT 256 /* should be ample */
 static int syslog_open = 0;
+static char syslog_ident[MAX_SYSLOG_IDENT];
 
 static s48_value
 sch_openlog(s48_value sch_ident,
 	    s48_value sch_options,
 	    s48_value sch_facility)
 {
+  int i;
+  char *syslog_ident_arg;
+
   if (syslog_open)
     s48_raise_string_os_error("syslog is already open");
-  openlog(s48_extract_string(sch_ident), 
+
+
+  /* sch_ident may be copied to a different location by GC,
+     and openlog doesn't copy the input string, at least not
+     on every system.  That's just great. */
+
+  /* strncpy doesn't really do what we want */
+  syslog_ident_arg = s48_extract_string(sch_ident);
+  for (i = 0;
+       (i < MAX_SYSLOG_IDENT-1) && (syslog_ident_arg[i] != '\0');
+       ++i)
+    syslog_ident[i] = syslog_ident_arg[i];
+  syslog_ident[i] = '\0';
+
+  openlog(syslog_ident, 
 	  s48_extract_syslog_options(sch_options), 
 	  s48_extract_syslog_facility(sch_facility));
   syslog_open = 1;