diff --git a/src/elogd.c b/src/elogd.c
index ae606888..dd40e23d 100755
--- a/src/elogd.c
+++ b/src/elogd.c
@@ -9105,29 +9105,40 @@ void rsicon(char *name, char *comment, char *elcode)
 void compare_attributes(LOGBOOK * lbs, int message_id, char attrib[MAX_N_ATTR][NAME_LENGTH], int *n)
 {
    int status, i, n_reply;
-   char reply_to[MAX_REPLY_TO * 10], attr[MAX_N_ATTR][NAME_LENGTH], list[MAX_N_ATTR][NAME_LENGTH];
+   char reply_to[MAX_REPLY_TO * 10], *attr, *list;
 
-   status = el_retrieve(lbs, message_id, NULL, attr_list, attr, lbs->n_attr,
+   attr = xmalloc(MAX_N_ATTR * NAME_LENGTH);
+   assert(attr);
+   status = el_retrieve(lbs, message_id, NULL, attr_list, (char (*)[NAME_LENGTH]) attr, lbs->n_attr,
                         NULL, NULL, NULL, reply_to, NULL, NULL, NULL);
-   if (status != EL_SUCCESS)
+   if (status != EL_SUCCESS) {
+      xfree(attr);
       return;
+   }
 
    if (*n == 0)
       memcpy(attrib, attr, sizeof(attr));
    else {
       for (i = 0; i < lbs->n_attr; i++)
-         if (!strieq(attrib[i], attr[i]))
+         if (!strieq(attrib[i], attr+i*NAME_LENGTH))
             sprintf(attrib[i], "- %s -", loc("keep original values"));
    }
    (*n)++;
    if (isparam("elmode") && strieq(getparam("elmode"), "threaded")) {
 
+      list = xmalloc(MAX_N_ATTR * NAME_LENGTH);
+      assert(list);
+
       // go through all replies in threaded mode
-      n_reply = strbreak(reply_to, list, MAX_N_ATTR, ",", FALSE);
+      n_reply = strbreak(reply_to, (char (*)[NAME_LENGTH]) list, MAX_N_ATTR, ",", FALSE);
       for (i = 0; i < n_reply; i++) {
-         compare_attributes(lbs, atoi(list[i]), attrib, n);
+         compare_attributes(lbs, atoi(list+i*NAME_LENGTH), attrib, n);
+
+      xfree(list);
       }
    }
+
+   xfree(attr);
 }
 
 /*------------------------------------------------------------------*/