diff --git a/src/hardware/hw_main.c b/src/hardware/hw_main.c
index 6294508d6..753510f4b 100644
--- a/src/hardware/hw_main.c
+++ b/src/hardware/hw_main.c
@@ -6658,23 +6658,19 @@ skip_lump:
 
 					if (PK3)
 					{
-						shader_lumpname = Z_Malloc(strlen(value) + 12, PU_STATIC, NULL);
-						strcpy(shader_lumpname, "Shaders/sh_");
-						strcat(shader_lumpname, value);
+						shader_lumpname = xva("Shaders/sh_%s", value);
 						shader_lumpnum = W_CheckNumForFullNamePK3(shader_lumpname, wadnum, 0);
 					}
 					else
 					{
-						shader_lumpname = Z_Malloc(strlen(value) + 4, PU_STATIC, NULL);
-						strcpy(shader_lumpname, "SH_");
-						strcat(shader_lumpname, value);
-						shader_lumpnum = W_CheckNumForNamePwad(shader_lumpname, wadnum, 0);
+						shader_lumpname = xva("SH_%.5s", value);
+						shader_lumpnum = W_CheckNumForLongNamePwad(shader_lumpname, wadnum, 0);
 					}
 
 					if (shader_lumpnum == LUMPERROR)
 					{
 						CONS_Alert(CONS_ERROR, "HWR_LoadCustomShadersFromFile: Missing shader source %s (file %s, line %d)\n", shader_lumpname, wadfiles[wadnum]->filename, linenum);
-						Z_Free(shader_lumpname);
+						free(shader_lumpname);
 						continue;
 					}
 
@@ -6685,7 +6681,7 @@ skip_lump:
 					HWD.pfnLoadCustomShader(shaderxlat[i].id, shader_source, shader_size, (shadertype == 2));
 
 					Z_Free(shader_source);
-					Z_Free(shader_lumpname);
+					free(shader_lumpname);
 				}
 			}
 
diff --git a/src/w_wad.h b/src/w_wad.h
index 53d6a90de..8f7491c16 100644
--- a/src/w_wad.h
+++ b/src/w_wad.h
@@ -133,18 +133,7 @@ const char *W_CheckFullNameForNum(lumpnum_t lumpnum);
 
 UINT16 W_FindNextEmptyInPwad(UINT16 wad, UINT16 startlump); // checks only in one pwad
 
-// helper for old functions that use 8-char names
-// careful, you might be dealing with a non-terminated string!
-static inline const char *W_ShortName(const char *name)
-{
-	static char shortname[8+1];
-	strncpy(shortname, name, 8);
-	shortname[8] = '\0';
-	return shortname;
-}
-
 UINT16 W_CheckNumForMapPwad(const char *name, UINT32 hash, UINT16 wad, UINT16 startlump);
-#define W_CheckNumForNamePwad(name, wad, start) W_CheckNumForLongNamePwad(W_ShortName(name), wad, start)
 UINT16 W_CheckNumForLongNamePwad(const char *name, UINT16 wad, UINT16 startlump);
 UINT16 W_CheckNumForNamePrefixPwad(const char *name, size_t namelen, UINT16 wad, UINT16 startlump);
 UINT16 W_CheckNumForNameMultiPrefixPwad(const lumpprefixes_t *prefixes, size_t numprefixes, UINT16 wad, UINT16 startlump);