diff --git a/src/network/core/tcp_game.h b/src/network/core/tcp_game.h
index 1752fee3fc..9e03a7be8d 100644
--- a/src/network/core/tcp_game.h
+++ b/src/network/core/tcp_game.h
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ public:
 
 	NetworkRecvStatus ReceivePackets();
 
-	const char *ReceiveCommand(Packet &p, CommandPacket &cp);
+	std::optional<std::string_view> ReceiveCommand(Packet &p, CommandPacket &cp);
 	void SendCommand(Packet &p, const CommandPacket &cp);
 
 	bool IsPendingDeletion() const { return this->is_pending_deletion; }
diff --git a/src/network/network_admin.h b/src/network/network_admin.h
index 808852a393..4133aa4a33 100644
--- a/src/network/network_admin.h
+++ b/src/network/network_admin.h
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ public:
 	 * Get the name used by the listener.
 	 * @return the name to show in debug logs and the like.
 	 */
-	static const char *GetName()
+	static std::string_view GetName()
 	{
 		return "admin";
 	}
diff --git a/src/network/network_client.cpp b/src/network/network_client.cpp
index 38a5cc26cb..d27abd6ddf 100644
--- a/src/network/network_client.cpp
+++ b/src/network/network_client.cpp
@@ -915,14 +915,14 @@ NetworkRecvStatus ClientNetworkGameSocketHandler::Receive_SERVER_COMMAND(Packet
 	if (this->status != STATUS_ACTIVE) return NETWORK_RECV_STATUS_MALFORMED_PACKET;
 
 	CommandPacket cp;
-	const char *err = this->ReceiveCommand(p, cp);
+	auto err = this->ReceiveCommand(p, cp);
 	cp.frame    = p.Recv_uint32();
 	cp.my_cmd   = p.Recv_bool();
 
 	Debug(net, 9, "Client::Receive_SERVER_COMMAND(): cmd={}, frame={}", cp.cmd, cp.frame);
 
-	if (err != nullptr) {
-		IConsolePrint(CC_WARNING, "Dropping server connection due to {}.", err);
+	if (err.has_value()) {
+		IConsolePrint(CC_WARNING, "Dropping server connection due to {}.", *err);
 		return NETWORK_RECV_STATUS_MALFORMED_PACKET;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/network/network_command.cpp b/src/network/network_command.cpp
index 092ac1811f..09015783ea 100644
--- a/src/network/network_command.cpp
+++ b/src/network/network_command.cpp
@@ -358,22 +358,22 @@ void NetworkDistributeCommands()
  * Receives a command from the network.
  * @param p the packet to read from.
  * @param cp the struct to write the data to.
- * @return an error message. When nullptr there has been no error.
+ * @return An error message, or std::nullopt there has been no error.
  */
-const char *NetworkGameSocketHandler::ReceiveCommand(Packet &p, CommandPacket &cp)
+std::optional<std::string_view> NetworkGameSocketHandler::ReceiveCommand(Packet &p, CommandPacket &cp)
 {
 	cp.company = (CompanyID)p.Recv_uint8();
 	cp.cmd     = static_cast<Commands>(p.Recv_uint16());
-	if (!IsValidCommand(cp.cmd))               return "invalid command";
+	if (!IsValidCommand(cp.cmd)) return "invalid command";
 	if (GetCommandFlags(cp.cmd).Test(CommandFlag::Offline)) return "single-player only command";
 	cp.err_msg = p.Recv_uint16();
 	cp.data    = _cmd_dispatch[cp.cmd].Sanitize(p.Recv_buffer());
 
 	uint8_t callback = p.Recv_uint8();
-	if (callback >= _callback_table.size() || _cmd_dispatch[cp.cmd].Unpack[callback] == nullptr)  return "invalid callback";
+	if (callback >= _callback_table.size() || _cmd_dispatch[cp.cmd].Unpack[callback] == nullptr) return "invalid callback";
 
 	cp.callback = _callback_table[callback];
-	return nullptr;
+	return std::nullopt;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/network/network_server.cpp b/src/network/network_server.cpp
index c9de31045d..6e9459c646 100644
--- a/src/network/network_server.cpp
+++ b/src/network/network_server.cpp
@@ -1066,18 +1066,17 @@ NetworkRecvStatus ServerNetworkGameSocketHandler::Receive_CLIENT_COMMAND(Packet
 	Debug(net, 9, "client[{}] Receive_CLIENT_COMMAND()", this->client_id);
 
 	CommandPacket cp;
-	const char *err = this->ReceiveCommand(p, cp);
+	auto err = this->ReceiveCommand(p, cp);
 
 	if (this->HasClientQuit()) return NETWORK_RECV_STATUS_CLIENT_QUIT;
 
 	NetworkClientInfo *ci = this->GetInfo();
 
-	if (err != nullptr) {
-		IConsolePrint(CC_WARNING, "Dropping client #{} (IP: {}) due to {}.", ci->client_id, this->GetClientIP(), err);
+	if (err.has_value()) {
+		IConsolePrint(CC_WARNING, "Dropping client #{} (IP: {}) due to {}.", ci->client_id, this->GetClientIP(), *err);
 		return this->SendError(NETWORK_ERROR_NOT_EXPECTED);
 	}
 
-
 	if (GetCommandFlags(cp.cmd).Test(CommandFlag::Server) && ci->client_id != CLIENT_ID_SERVER) {
 		IConsolePrint(CC_WARNING, "Kicking client #{} (IP: {}) due to calling a server only command {}.", ci->client_id, this->GetClientIP(), cp.cmd);
 		return this->SendError(NETWORK_ERROR_KICKED);
@@ -1925,7 +1924,7 @@ std::string_view ServerNetworkGameSocketHandler::GetClientIP()
 /** Show the status message of all clients on the console. */
 void NetworkServerShowStatusToConsole()
 {
-	static const char * const stat_str[] = {
+	static const std::string_view stat_str[] = {
 		"inactive",
 		"authorizing",
 		"identifying client",
@@ -1943,9 +1942,8 @@ void NetworkServerShowStatusToConsole()
 		NetworkClientInfo *ci = cs->GetInfo();
 		if (ci == nullptr) continue;
 		uint lag = NetworkCalculateLag(cs);
-		const char *status;
 
-		status = (cs->status < (ptrdiff_t)lengthof(stat_str) ? stat_str[cs->status] : "unknown");
+		std::string_view status = (cs->status < (ptrdiff_t)lengthof(stat_str) ? stat_str[cs->status] : "unknown");
 		IConsolePrint(CC_INFO, "Client #{}  name: '{}'  status: '{}'  frame-lag: {}  company: {}  IP: {}",
 			cs->client_id, ci->client_name, status, lag,
 			ci->client_playas + (Company::IsValidID(ci->client_playas) ? 1 : 0),
diff --git a/src/network/network_server.h b/src/network/network_server.h
index caef5b53bf..7a4528dc30 100644
--- a/src/network/network_server.h
+++ b/src/network/network_server.h
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ public:
 	 * Get the name used by the listener.
 	 * @return the name to show in debug logs and the like.
 	 */
-	static const char *GetName()
+	static std::string_view GetName()
 	{
 		return "server";
 	}