diff --git a/daemon/redis.c b/daemon/redis.c
index 1428aca33..747e30317 100644
--- a/daemon/redis.c
+++ b/daemon/redis.c
@@ -691,13 +691,12 @@ INLINE void json_builder_add_string_value_uri_enc(JsonBuilder *builder, const ch
 	str_uri_encode_len(enc, tmp, len);
 	json_builder_add_string_value(builder,enc);
 }
-INLINE char* json_reader_get_string_value_uri_enc(JsonReader *root_reader, int *lenp) {
-	const char *str = json_reader_get_string_value(root_reader);
-	char *ret;
-	int len = str_uri_decode_len(&ret, str, strlen(str));
-	if (lenp)
-		*lenp = len;
-	return ret; // must be free'd
+INLINE str *json_reader_get_string_value_uri_enc(JsonReader *root_reader) {
+	const char *s = json_reader_get_string_value(root_reader);
+	if (!s)
+		return NULL;
+	str *out = str_uri_decode_len(s, strlen(s));
+	return out; // must be free'd
 }
 
 static int json_get_hash(struct redis_hash *out, struct call* c,
@@ -706,7 +705,6 @@ static int json_get_hash(struct redis_hash *out, struct call* c,
 	static unsigned int MAXKEYLENGTH = 512;
 	char key_concatted[MAXKEYLENGTH];
 	int rc=0;
-	str tmpstr;
 
 	if (!c)
 		goto err;
@@ -737,10 +735,10 @@ static int json_get_hash(struct redis_hash *out, struct call* c,
 			rlog(LOG_ERROR, "Could not read json member: %s",*members);
 			goto err3;
 		}
-		str_init(&tmpstr,(char*)json_reader_get_string_value_uri_enc(c->root_reader,&tmpstr.len));
+		str *val = json_reader_get_string_value_uri_enc(c->root_reader);
 		char* tmp = strdup(*members);
 
-		if (g_hash_table_insert_check(out->ht, tmp, str_dup(&tmpstr)) != TRUE) {
+		if (g_hash_table_insert_check(out->ht, tmp, val) != TRUE) {
 			ilog(LOG_WARNING,"Key %s already exists", tmp);
 			goto err3;
 		}
@@ -880,7 +878,6 @@ static int json_build_list_cb(GQueue *q, struct call *c, const char *key,
 		unsigned int idx, struct redis_list *list,
 		int (*cb)(str *, GQueue *, struct redis_list *, void *), void *ptr)
 {
-	str s;
 	char key_concatted[256];
 
 	snprintf(key_concatted, 256, "%s-%u", key, idx);
@@ -890,14 +887,14 @@ static int json_build_list_cb(GQueue *q, struct call *c, const char *key,
 	for (int jidx=0; jidx < json_reader_count_elements(c->root_reader); ++jidx) {
 		if (!json_reader_read_element(c->root_reader,jidx))
 			rlog(LOG_ERROR,"Element in array not found.");
-		char *strp = s.s = json_reader_get_string_value_uri_enc(c->root_reader, &s.len);
-		if (!strp)
+		str *s = json_reader_get_string_value_uri_enc(c->root_reader);
+		if (!s)
 			rlog(LOG_ERROR,"String in json not found.");
-		if (cb(&s, q, list, ptr)) {
-			free(s.s);
+		if (cb(s, q, list, ptr)) {
+			free(s);
 			return -1;
 		}
-		free(strp);
+		free(s);
 		json_reader_end_element(c->root_reader);
 	}
 	json_reader_end_member (c->root_reader);
diff --git a/daemon/str.c b/daemon/str.c
index 21d99e81f..631e039c1 100644
--- a/daemon/str.c
+++ b/daemon/str.c
@@ -71,10 +71,10 @@ int str_uri_encode_len(char *out, const char *in, int len) {
 	return out - ori_out;
 }
 
-int str_uri_decode_len(char **out, const char *in, int in_len) {
+str *str_uri_decode_len(const char *in, int in_len) {
 	const char *end = in + in_len;
-	*out = malloc(in_len + 1);
-	char *outp = *out;
+	str *ret = str_alloc(in_len);
+	char *outp = ret->s;
 
 	while (in < end) {
 		if (*in != '%') {
@@ -83,9 +83,8 @@ int str_uri_decode_len(char **out, const char *in, int in_len) {
 		}
 
 		if (end - in < 3 || !g_ascii_isxdigit(in[1]) || !g_ascii_isxdigit(in[2])) {
-			free(*out);
-			*out = NULL;
-			return -1;
+			free(ret);
+			return NULL;
 		}
 
 		unsigned char c = g_ascii_xdigit_value(in[1]) << 4 | g_ascii_xdigit_value(in[2]);
@@ -94,5 +93,6 @@ int str_uri_decode_len(char **out, const char *in, int in_len) {
 	}
 
 	*outp = 0;
-	return outp - *out;
+	ret->len = outp - ret->s;
+	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/lib/str.h b/lib/str.h
index 6eaba3a73..4880ff6c1 100644
--- a/lib/str.h
+++ b/lib/str.h
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ INLINE str *str_init(str *out, char *s);
 INLINE str *str_init_len(str *out, char *s, int len);
 INLINE str *str_init_len_assert_len(str *out, char *s, int buflen, int len);
 #define str_init_len_assert(out, s, len) str_init_len_assert_len(out, s, sizeof(s), len)
+/* returns new str object with uninitialized buffer large enough to hold `len` characters (+1 for null byte) */
+INLINE str *str_alloc(int len);
 /* returns new str object allocated with malloc, including buffer */
 INLINE str *str_dup(const str *s);
 /* returns new str object allocated from chunk, including buffer */
@@ -90,8 +92,8 @@ void str_slice_free(void *);
 /* saves "in" into "out" pseudo-URI encoded. "out" point to a buffer with sufficient length. returns length */
 int str_uri_encode_len(char *out, const char *in, int in_len);
 INLINE int str_uri_encode(char *out, const str *in);
-/* reverse of the above. stores newly allocated buffer in *out. returns length */
-int str_uri_decode_len(char **out, const char *in, int 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, int in_len);
 
 
 
@@ -187,10 +189,16 @@ INLINE str *str_init_len_assert_len(str *out, char *s, int buflen, int len) {
 	assert(buflen >= len);
 	return str_init_len(out, s, len);
 }
-INLINE str *str_dup(const str *s) {
+INLINE str *str_alloc(int len) {
 	str *r;
-	r = malloc(sizeof(*r) + s->len + 1);
+	r = malloc(sizeof(*r) + len + 1);
 	r->s = ((char *) r) + sizeof(*r);
+	r->len = 0;
+	return r;
+}
+INLINE str *str_dup(const str *s) {
+	str *r;
+	r = str_alloc(s->len);
 	r->len = s->len;
 	memcpy(r->s, s->s, s->len);
 	r->s[s->len] = '\0';