diff --git a/src/cas/generic/casClient.cc b/src/cas/generic/casClient.cc
index 883f62fe9..d3efc8b6d 100644
--- a/src/cas/generic/casClient.cc
+++ b/src/cas/generic/casClient.cc
@@ -575,11 +575,7 @@ caStatus casClient::logBadIdWithFileAndLineno ( const caHdrLargeArray * mp,
 void casClient::dumpMsg ( const caHdrLargeArray *mp, 
                          const void *dp, const char *pFormat, ... )
 {
-    casChannelI *pciu;
-    char        pName[64u];
-    char        pPVName[64u];
-    va_list     theArgs;
-        
+    va_list theArgs;
     if ( pFormat ) {
         va_start ( theArgs, pFormat );
         errlogPrintf ( "CAS: " );
@@ -587,10 +583,12 @@ void casClient::dumpMsg ( const caHdrLargeArray *mp,
         va_end ( theArgs );
     }
 
+    char pName[64u];
     this->hostName (pName, sizeof (pName));
 
-    pciu = this->resIdToChannel(mp->m_cid);
+    casChannelI * pciu = this->resIdToChannel(mp->m_cid);
 
+    char pPVName[64u];
     if (pciu) {
         strncpy(pPVName, pciu->getPVI().getName(), sizeof(pPVName));
         if (&pciu->getClient()!=this) {
@@ -601,10 +599,16 @@ void casClient::dumpMsg ( const caHdrLargeArray *mp,
     else {
         sprintf(pPVName,"%u", mp->m_cid);
     }
-    errlogPrintf(  
+
+    char pUserName[32];
+    this->userName ( pUserName, sizeof ( pUserName) );
+    char pHostName[32];
+    this->hostName ( pHostName, sizeof ( pHostName) );
+
+    errlogPrintf (  
 "CAS: %s on %s at %s: cmd=%d cid=%s typ=%d cnt=%d psz=%d avail=%x\n",
-        this->userName(),
-        this->hostName(),
+        pUserName,
+        pHostName,
         pName,
         mp->m_cmmd,
         pPVName,
@@ -617,15 +621,3 @@ void casClient::dumpMsg ( const caHdrLargeArray *mp,
         errlogPrintf("CAS: The string written: %s \n", (char *)dp);
     }
 }
-
-//
-// 
-//
-const char *casClient::hostName() const 
-{
-        return "?";
-}
-const char *casClient::userName() const 
-{
-        return "?";
-}
diff --git a/src/cas/generic/casDGClient.cc b/src/cas/generic/casDGClient.cc
index 5dcef7741..1432712b6 100644
--- a/src/cas/generic/casDGClient.cc
+++ b/src/cas/generic/casDGClient.cc
@@ -602,7 +602,16 @@ caNetAddr casDGClient::fetchLastRecvAddr () const
 //
 // casDGClient::hostName()
 //
-void casDGClient::hostName (char *pBufIn, unsigned bufSizeIn) const
+void casDGClient::hostName ( char *pBufIn, unsigned bufSizeIn ) const
 {
-    this->lastRecvAddr.stringConvert (pBufIn, bufSizeIn);
+    this->lastRecvAddr.stringConvert ( pBufIn, bufSizeIn );
 }
+
+void casDGClient::userName ( char * pBuf, unsigned bufSizeIn ) const
+{
+    if ( bufSizeIn ) {
+        strncpy ( pBuf, "?", bufSizeIn );
+        pBuf[bufSizeIn - 1] = '\0';
+    }
+}
+
diff --git a/src/cas/generic/casStrmClient.cc b/src/cas/generic/casStrmClient.cc
index 4954990df..955599576 100644
--- a/src/cas/generic/casStrmClient.cc
+++ b/src/cas/generic/casStrmClient.cc
@@ -1852,17 +1852,13 @@ caStatus casStrmClient::read (smartGDDPointer &pDescRet)
 //
 // casStrmClient::userName() 
 //
-const char *casStrmClient::userName() const
+void casStrmClient::userName ( char * pBuf, unsigned bufSize ) const
 {
-	return this->pUserName?this->pUserName:"?";
-}
-
-//
-// casStrmClient::hostName() 
-//
-const char *casStrmClient::hostName() const
-{
-	return this->pHostName?this->pHostName:"?";
+    if ( bufSize ) {
+        const char *pName = this->pUserName ? this->pUserName : "?";
+        strncpy ( pBuf, pName, bufSize );
+        pBuf [bufSize-1] = '\0';
+    }
 }
 
 //
diff --git a/src/cas/generic/server.h b/src/cas/generic/server.h
index 489c7f8c6..2d989a8d8 100644
--- a/src/cas/generic/server.h
+++ b/src/cas/generic/server.h
@@ -570,11 +570,7 @@ private:
 	virtual caStatus hostNameAction ();
 	virtual caStatus echoAction ();
 
-	//
-	// obtain the user name and host from the derived class
-	//
-	virtual const char *hostName() const;
-	virtual const char *userName() const;
+	virtual void userName ( char * pBuf, unsigned bufSize ) const = 0;
 
 	//
 	// static members
@@ -624,19 +620,15 @@ public:
 	caStatus monitorResponse ( casChannelI & chan, const caHdrLargeArray & msg, 
 		const smartConstGDDPointer & pDesc, const caStatus status );
 
-	caStatus noReadAccessEvent(casClientMon *);
+	caStatus noReadAccessEvent( casClientMon * );
 
-	//
-	// obtain the user name and host 
-	//
-	const char *hostName () const;
-	const char *userName () const;
 
-	caStatus disconnectChan (caResId id);
+	caStatus disconnectChan ( caResId id );
 
-	unsigned getDebugLevel() const;
+	unsigned getDebugLevel () const;
 
-    virtual void hostName (char *pBuf, unsigned bufSize) const = 0;
+    virtual void hostName ( char * pBuf, unsigned bufSize ) const = 0;
+	void userName ( char * pBuf, unsigned bufSize ) const;
 
 protected:
 
@@ -739,20 +731,20 @@ public:
 	//
 	void sendBeacon ( ca_uint32_t beaconNumber );
 
-    virtual void sendBeaconIO (char &msg, bufSizeT length, 
-        aitUint16 &portField, aitUint32 &addrField) = 0;
+    virtual void sendBeaconIO ( char &msg, bufSizeT length, 
+        aitUint16 &portField, aitUint32 &addrField ) = 0;
 
-	void destroy();
+	void destroy ();
 
-	unsigned getDebugLevel() const;
+	unsigned getDebugLevel () const;
 
-    void hostName (char *pBuf, unsigned bufSize) const;
+    void hostName ( char * pBuf, unsigned bufSize ) const;
+	void userName ( char * pBuf, unsigned bufSize ) const;
 
 	caNetAddr fetchLastRecvAddr () const;
 
     virtual caNetAddr serverAddress () const = 0;
 
-
 protected:
 
 	casProcCond eventSysProcess()