diff --git a/src/game/game_text.cpp b/src/game/game_text.cpp
index d3b58b9391..34feb8f119 100644
--- a/src/game/game_text.cpp
+++ b/src/game/game_text.cpp
@@ -102,14 +102,10 @@ struct StringListReader : StringReader {
 	{
 	}
 
-	char *ReadLine(char *buffer, const char *last) override
+	std::optional<std::string> ReadLine() override
 	{
-		if (this->p == this->end) return nullptr;
-
-		strecpy(buffer, this->p->c_str(), last);
-		this->p++;
-
-		return buffer;
+		if (this->p == this->end) return std::nullopt;
+		return *this->p++;
 	}
 };
 
diff --git a/src/strgen/strgen.cpp b/src/strgen/strgen.cpp
index f264964378..a2a8e79310 100644
--- a/src/strgen/strgen.cpp
+++ b/src/strgen/strgen.cpp
@@ -84,9 +84,11 @@ struct FileStringReader : StringReader {
 		this->input_stream.open(file, std::ifstream::binary);
 	}
 
-	char *ReadLine(char *buffer, const char *last) override
+	std::optional<std::string> ReadLine() override
 	{
-		return this->input_stream.getline(buffer, last - buffer) ? buffer : nullptr;
+		std::string result;
+		if (!std::getline(this->input_stream, result)) return std::nullopt;
+		return result;
 	}
 
 	void HandlePragma(char *str) override;
diff --git a/src/strgen/strgen.h b/src/strgen/strgen.h
index 593060bb15..e07c19b098 100644
--- a/src/strgen/strgen.h
+++ b/src/strgen/strgen.h
@@ -67,11 +67,9 @@ struct StringReader {
 
 	/**
 	 * Read a single line from the source of strings.
-	 * @param buffer The buffer to read the data in to.
-	 * @param last   The last element in the buffer.
-	 * @return The buffer, or nullptr if at the end of the file.
+	 * @return The line, or std::nullopt if at the end of the file.
 	 */
-	virtual char *ReadLine(char *buffer, const char *last) = 0;
+	virtual std::optional<std::string> ReadLine() = 0;
 
 	/**
 	 * Handle the pragma of the file.
diff --git a/src/strgen/strgen_base.cpp b/src/strgen/strgen_base.cpp
index b114dea3d5..36b6bfcd00 100644
--- a/src/strgen/strgen_base.cpp
+++ b/src/strgen/strgen_base.cpp
@@ -739,16 +739,13 @@ void StringReader::HandlePragma(char *str)
 	}
 }
 
-static void rstrip(char *buf)
+static void StripTrailingWhitespace(std::string &str)
 {
-	size_t i = strlen(buf);
-	while (i > 0 && (buf[i - 1] == '\r' || buf[i - 1] == '\n' || buf[i - 1] == ' ')) i--;
-	buf[i] = '\0';
+	str.erase(str.find_last_not_of("\r\n ") + 1);
 }
 
 void StringReader::ParseFile()
 {
-	char buf[2048];
 	_warnings = _errors = 0;
 
 	_translation = this->translation;
@@ -765,9 +762,12 @@ void StringReader::ParseFile()
 	strecpy(_lang.digit_decimal_separator, ".", lastof(_lang.digit_decimal_separator));
 
 	_cur_line = 1;
-	while (this->data.next_string_id < this->data.max_strings && this->ReadLine(buf, lastof(buf)) != nullptr) {
-		rstrip(buf);
-		this->HandleString(buf);
+	while (this->data.next_string_id < this->data.max_strings) {
+		std::optional<std::string> line = this->ReadLine();
+		if (!line.has_value()) return;
+
+		StripTrailingWhitespace(line.value());
+		this->HandleString(line.value().data());
 		_cur_line++;
 	}