diff --git a/src/musrview.cpp b/src/musrview.cpp
index eddb1eab6..1cc9e567f 100644
--- a/src/musrview.cpp
+++ b/src/musrview.cpp
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   std::stringstream errMsg;
 
   memset(fileName, '\0', sizeof(fileName));
+  memset(graphicsExtension, '\0', sizeof(graphicsExtension));
 
   // add default shared library path /usr/local/lib if not already persent
   const char *dsp = gSystem->GetDynamicPath();
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   for (int i=1; i<argc; i++) {
     if (strstr(argv[i], ".msr") || strstr(argv[i], ".mlog")) {
       if (strlen(fileName) == 0) {
-        strcpy(fileName, argv[i]);
+        strncpy(fileName, argv[i], sizeof(fileName));
       } else {
         std::cerr << std::endl << "**ERROR** only one file name allowed." << std::endl;
         show_syntax = true;
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
                !strcmp(argv[i], "--xpm") || !strcmp(argv[i], "--root")) {
 
       graphicsOutput = true;
-      strcpy(graphicsExtension, argv[i]+2);
+      strncpy(graphicsExtension, argv[i]+2, sizeof(graphicsExtension));
     } else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "--ascii")) {
       asciiOutput = true;
     } else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "--timeout")) {
@@ -220,13 +221,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
   // read startup file
   char startup_path_name[128];
+  memset(startup_path_name, '\0', sizeof(startup_path_name));
   std::unique_ptr<TSAXParser> saxParser = std::make_unique<TSAXParser>();
   std::unique_ptr<PStartupHandler> startupHandler = std::make_unique<PStartupHandler>();
   if (!startupHandler->StartupFileFound()) {
     std::cerr << std::endl << ">> musrview **WARNING** couldn't find " << startupHandler->GetStartupFilePath().Data();
     std::cerr << std::endl;
   } else {
-    strcpy(startup_path_name, startupHandler->GetStartupFilePath().Data());
+    strncpy(startup_path_name, startupHandler->GetStartupFilePath().Data(), sizeof(startup_path_name));
     saxParser->ConnectToHandler("PStartupHandler", startupHandler.get());
     //status = saxParser->ParseFile(startup_path_name);
     // parsing the file as above seems to lead to problems in certain environments;
@@ -345,7 +347,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     TApplication app("App", &cc, args.data());
 
     std::vector<PMusrCanvas*> canvasVector;
-    PMusrCanvas *musrCanvas;
+    PMusrCanvas *musrCanvas = nullptr;
 
     bool ok = true;
     for (unsigned int i=0; i<msrHandler->GetMsrPlotList()->size(); i++) {
@@ -364,12 +366,21 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
                                      graphicsOutput||asciiOutput,
                                      fourier, avg, theoAtData);
 
+      if (musrCanvas == nullptr) {
+        errMsg << ">> musrview **SEVERE ERROR** Couldn't invoke all necessary objects, will quit.\n";
+        std::cerr << errMsg.str();
+        if (show_errMsgBox)
+          musrview_error_msg(errMsg.str());
+        ok = false;
+        break;
+      }
       if (!musrCanvas->IsValid()) {
         errMsg << ">> musrview **SEVERE ERROR** Couldn't invoke all necessary objects, will quit.\n";
         std::cerr << errMsg.str();
         if (show_errMsgBox)
           musrview_error_msg(errMsg.str());
         ok = false;
+        delete musrCanvas;
         break;
       }