diff --git a/misc_gui.c b/misc_gui.c
index 4811a82287..0b35bbcc3a 100644
--- a/misc_gui.c
+++ b/misc_gui.c
@@ -669,28 +669,20 @@ static void DrawStationCoverageText(const uint *accepts, int str_x, int str_y, u
 	char *b;
 
 	b = _userstring;
-	b[0] = 0x81;
-	b[1] = STR_000D_ACCEPTS;
-	b[2] = STR_000D_ACCEPTS >> 8;
-	b += 3;
+	b = InlineString(b, STR_000D_ACCEPTS);
 
 	for(i=0; i!=NUM_CARGO; i++,mask>>=1) {
 		if (accepts[i] >= 8 && (mask&1) ) {
 			StringID id = _cargoc.names_s[i];
-			b[0] = 0x81;
-			b[1] = (byte)(id & 255);
-			b[2] = (byte)(id >> 8);
-			b[3] = ',';
-			b[4] = ' ';
-			b += 5;
+			b = InlineString(b, id);
+			*b++ = ',';
+			*b++ = ' ';
 		}
 	}
 
 	if (b == &_userstring[3]) {
-		b[0] = 0x81;
-		b[1] = (char)STR_00D0_NOTHING;
-		b[2] = STR_00D0_NOTHING >> 8;
-		b[3] = 0;
+		b = InlineString(b, STR_00D0_NOTHING);
+		*b++ = '\0';
 	} else {
 		b[-2] = 0;
 	}
diff --git a/station_gui.c b/station_gui.c
index 702351c142..b98afe617c 100644
--- a/station_gui.c
+++ b/station_gui.c
@@ -401,27 +401,21 @@ static void DrawStationViewWindow(Window *w)
 		char *b;
 
 		b = _userstring;
-		b[0] = 0x81;
-		b[1] = STR_000C_ACCEPTS;
-		b[2] = STR_000C_ACCEPTS >> 8;
-		b += 3;
+		b = InlineString(b, STR_000C_ACCEPTS);
 
 		for(i=0; i!=NUM_CARGO; i++) {
 			if ((b - _userstring) + 5 > USERSTRING_LEN - 1)
 				break;
 			if (st->goods[i].waiting_acceptance & 0x8000) {
-				b[0] = 0x81;
-				WRITE_LE_UINT16(b+1, _cargoc.names_s[i]);
-				WRITE_LE_UINT16(b+3, 0x202C);
-				b += 5;
+				b = InlineString(b, _cargoc.names_s[i]);
+				WRITE_LE_UINT16(b, 0x202C);
+				b += 2;
 			}
 		}
 
 		if (b == &_userstring[3]) {
-			b[0] = 0x81;
-			b[1] = (char)STR_00D0_NOTHING;
-			b[2] = STR_00D0_NOTHING >> 8;
-			b[3] = 0;
+			b = InlineString(b, STR_00D0_NOTHING);
+			*b++ = '\0';
 		} else {
 			b[-2] = 0;
 		}
diff --git a/strings.h b/strings.h
index 8cf629255d..f3cd34d1df 100644
--- a/strings.h
+++ b/strings.h
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
 #ifndef STRINGS_H
 #define STRINGS_H
 
+static inline char* InlineString(char* buf, uint16 string)
+{
+	*buf++ = '\x81';
+	*buf++ = string & 0xFF;
+	*buf++ = string >> 8;
+	return buf;
+}
+
 char *GetString(char *buffr, uint16 string);
 
 void InjectDParam(int amount);