diff --git a/common/mathlib.cc b/common/mathlib.cc
index d592c8d5..6f8860ea 100644
--- a/common/mathlib.cc
+++ b/common/mathlib.cc
@@ -73,23 +73,20 @@ SetPlanePts(const vec3_t planepts[3], vec3_t normal, vec_t *dist)
 }
 
 /*
- * VecStr - handy shortcut for printf, not thread safe, obviously
+ * VecStr - handy shortcut for printf
  */
-const char *
+std::string
 VecStr(const vec3_t vec)
 {
-    static char buffers[8][20];
-    static int current = 0;
-    char *buf;
+    char buf[128];
 
-    buf = buffers[current++ & 7];
-    q_snprintf(buf, sizeof(buffers[0]), "%i %i %i",
-             (int)vec[0], (int)vec[1], (int)vec[2]);
+    q_snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%i %i %i",
+              (int)vec[0], (int)vec[1], (int)vec[2]);
 
     return buf;
 }
 
-const char * //mxd
+std::string //mxd
 VecStr(const qvec3f vec)
 {
     vec3_t v;
@@ -97,21 +94,18 @@ VecStr(const qvec3f vec)
     return VecStr(v);
 }
 
-const char *
+std::string
 VecStrf(const vec3_t vec)
 {
-    static char buffers[8][20];
-    static int current = 0;
-    char *buf;
-
-    buf = buffers[current++ & 7];
-    q_snprintf(buf, sizeof(buffers[0]), "%.2f %.2f %.2f",
+    char buf[128];
+    
+    q_snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%.2f %.2f %.2f",
              vec[0], vec[1], vec[2]);
 
     return buf;
 }
 
-const char * //mxd
+std::string //mxd
 VecStrf(const qvec3f vec)
 {
     vec3_t v;
diff --git a/include/common/mathlib.hh b/include/common/mathlib.hh
index ca575ac8..769ecdac 100644
--- a/include/common/mathlib.hh
+++ b/include/common/mathlib.hh
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <array>
 #include <utility>
 #include <memory> // for unique_ptr
+#include <string>
 
 #include <common/qvec.hh>
 
@@ -245,11 +246,10 @@ ProjectPointOntoPlane(const vec3_t normal, const vec_t dist, vec3_t point)
 bool SetPlanePts(const vec3_t planepts[3], vec3_t normal, vec_t *dist);
 
 /* Shortcut for output of warnings/errors */
-//FIXME: change from static buffers to returning std::string for thread safety
-const char *VecStr(const vec3_t vec);
-const char *VecStrf(const vec3_t vec);
-const char *VecStr(const qvec3f vec); //mxd
-const char *VecStrf(const qvec3f vec); //mxd
+std::string VecStr(const vec3_t vec);
+std::string VecStrf(const vec3_t vec);
+std::string VecStr(const qvec3f vec); //mxd
+std::string VecStrf(const qvec3f vec); //mxd
 
 // Maps uniform random variables U and V in [0, 1] to uniformly distributed points on a sphere
 void UniformPointOnSphere(vec3_t dir, float u, float v);
diff --git a/light/entities.cc b/light/entities.cc
index c211e8d3..3572d85e 100644
--- a/light/entities.cc
+++ b/light/entities.cc
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ CheckEntityFields(const globalconfig_t &cfg, light_t *entity)
     //mxd. Warn about unsupported _falloff / delay combos...
     if(entity->falloff.floatValue() > 0.0f && entity->getFormula() != LF_LINEAR) {
         logprint("WARNING: _falloff is currently only supported on linear (delay 0) lights\n"
-            "   %s at (%s)\n", entity->classname(), VecStr(*entity->origin.vec3Value()));
+            "   %s at (%s)\n", entity->classname(), VecStr(*entity->origin.vec3Value()).c_str());
         entity->falloff.setFloatValue(0.0f);
     }
 
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ CheckEntityFields(const globalconfig_t &cfg, light_t *entity)
                      "   %s at (%s)\n"
                      "   (further formula warnings will be supressed)\n",
                      entity->getFormula(), entity->classname(),
-                     VecStr(*entity->origin.vec3Value()));
+                     VecStr(*entity->origin.vec3Value()).c_str());
         }
         entity->formula.setFloatValue(LF_LINEAR);
     }
diff --git a/light/ltface.cc b/light/ltface.cc
index 23bdf8b6..982bffa7 100644
--- a/light/ltface.cc
+++ b/light/ltface.cc
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ faceextents_t::faceextents_t(const bsp2_dface_t *face, const mbsp_t *bsp, float
                   "   surface normal (%s)\n",
                   Face_GetNum(bsp, face), i ? "t" : "s", m_texsize[i], m_lightmapscale,
                   texname, qv::to_string(point).c_str(),
-                  VecStrf(plane.normal));
+                  VecStrf(plane.normal).c_str());
         }
     }
 }
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ CalcFaceExtents(const bsp2_dface_t *face,
                   "   texture %s at (%s)\n"
                   "   surface normal (%s)\n",
                   (int)(face - bsp->dfaces), i ? "t" : "s", surf->texsize[i], surf->lightmapscale,
-                  texname, VecStr(worldpoint), VecStrf(plane->normal));
+                  texname, VecStr(worldpoint).c_str(), VecStrf(plane->normal).c_str());
         }
     }
 }
@@ -2985,7 +2985,7 @@ WriteLightmaps(const mbsp_t *bsp, bsp2_dface_t *face, facesup_t *facesup, const
         if (sorted.size() == MAXLIGHTMAPS) {
             logprint("WARNING: Too many light styles on a face\n"
                      "         lightmap point near (%s)\n",
-                     VecStr(lightsurf->points[0]));
+                     VecStr(lightsurf->points[0]).c_str());
             break;
         }
         
diff --git a/light/surflight.cc b/light/surflight.cc
index 3b5c598e..f222d199 100644
--- a/light/surflight.cc
+++ b/light/surflight.cc
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ MakeSurfaceLightsThread(void *arg)
             if (info->flags & Q2_SURF_LIGHT) {
                 vec3_t wc;
                 WindingCenter(WindingFromFace(bsp, face), wc);
-                logprint("WARNING: surface light '%s' at [%s] has 0 intensity.\n", Face_TextureName(bsp, face), VecStr(wc));
+                logprint("WARNING: surface light '%s' at [%s] has 0 intensity.\n", Face_TextureName(bsp, face), VecStr(wc).c_str());
             }
             continue;
         }
@@ -195,4 +195,4 @@ MakeSurfaceLights(const globalconfig_t &cfg, const mbsp_t *bsp)
 
     make_surface_lights_args_t args { bsp,  &cfg };
     RunThreadsOn(0, bsp->numfaces, MakeSurfaceLightsThread, static_cast<void *>(&args));
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}