diff --git a/daemon/redis.c b/daemon/redis.c
index ad703ea13..22595fae4 100644
--- a/daemon/redis.c
+++ b/daemon/redis.c
@@ -2310,33 +2310,33 @@ err:
 #define JSON_ADD_LIST_STRING(f,...) do { \
 		int len = snprintf(tmp,sizeof(tmp), f, __VA_ARGS__); \
 		char enc[len * 3 + 1]; \
-		str_uri_encode_len(enc, tmp, len); \
-		parser->list_add_str_dup(inner, &STR_NC(enc)); \
+		str encstr = str_uri_encode_len(enc, tmp, len); \
+		parser->list_add_str_dup(inner, &encstr); \
 	} while (0)
 #define JSON_SET_NSTRING(a,b,c,...) do { \
 		int len = snprintf(tmp,sizeof(tmp), c, __VA_ARGS__); \
 		char enc[len * 3 + 1]; \
-		str_uri_encode_len(enc, tmp, len); \
+		str encstr = str_uri_encode_len(enc, tmp, len); \
 		snprintf(tmp,sizeof(tmp), a,b); \
-		parser->dict_add_str_dup(inner, tmp, &STR_NC(enc)); \
+		parser->dict_add_str_dup(inner, tmp, &encstr); \
 	} while (0)
 #define JSON_SET_NSTRING_CSTR(a,b,d) JSON_SET_NSTRING_LEN(a, b, strlen(d), d)
 #define JSON_SET_NSTRING_LEN(a,b,l,d) do { \
 		char enc[l * 3 + 1]; \
-		str_uri_encode_len(enc, d, l); \
+		str encstr = str_uri_encode_len(enc, d, l); \
 		snprintf(tmp,sizeof(tmp), a,b); \
-		parser->dict_add_str_dup(inner, tmp, &STR_NC(enc)); \
+		parser->dict_add_str_dup(inner, tmp, &encstr); \
 	} while (0)
 #define JSON_SET_SIMPLE(a,c,...) do { \
 		int len = snprintf(tmp,sizeof(tmp), c, __VA_ARGS__); \
 		char enc[len * 3 + 1]; \
-		str_uri_encode_len(enc, tmp, len); \
-		parser->dict_add_str_dup(inner, a, &STR_NC(enc)); \
+		str encstr = str_uri_encode_len(enc, tmp, len); \
+		parser->dict_add_str_dup(inner, a, &encstr); \
 	} while (0)
 #define JSON_SET_SIMPLE_LEN(a,l,d) do { \
 		char enc[l * 3 + 1]; \
-		str_uri_encode_len(enc, d, l); \
-		parser->dict_add_str_dup(inner, a, &STR_NC(enc)); \
+		str encstr = str_uri_encode_len(enc, d, l); \
+		parser->dict_add_str_dup(inner, a, &encstr); \
 	} while (0)
 #define JSON_SET_SIMPLE_CSTR(a,d) parser->dict_add_str_dup(inner, a, &STR(d))
 #define JSON_SET_SIMPLE_STR(a,d) parser->dict_add_str_dup(inner, a, d)
diff --git a/lib/str.c b/lib/str.c
index 69c896b72..152f5c79d 100644
--- a/lib/str.c
+++ b/lib/str.c
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ char *rand_hex_str(char *rand_str, int num_bytes) {
 
 
 static const char *hex_chars = "0123456789abcdef";
-size_t str_uri_encode_len(char *out, const char *in, size_t len) {
+str str_uri_encode_len(char *out, const char *in, size_t len) {
 	const char *end = in + len;
 	char *ori_out = out;
 
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ size_t str_uri_encode_len(char *out, const char *in, size_t len) {
 	}
 
 	*out = 0;
-	return out - ori_out;
+	return STR_LEN(ori_out, out - ori_out);
 }
 
 str *str_uri_decode_len(const char *in, size_t in_len) {
diff --git a/lib/str.h b/lib/str.h
index f5f2baf79..3d15ec29e 100644
--- a/lib/str.h
+++ b/lib/str.h
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ INLINE str *str_slice_dup(const str *);
 INLINE void str_slice_free(str *);
 
 /* saves "in" into "out" pseudo-URI encoded. "out" point to a buffer with sufficient length. returns length */
-size_t str_uri_encode_len(char *out, const char *in, size_t in_len);
+str str_uri_encode_len(char *out, const char *in, size_t in_len);
 /* reverse of the above. returns newly allocated str + buffer as per str_alloc (must be free'd) */
 str *str_uri_decode_len(const char *in, size_t in_len);