diff --git a/src/console.cpp b/src/console.cpp
index d3d908935a..fa977469ed 100644
--- a/src/console.cpp
+++ b/src/console.cpp
@@ -47,13 +47,13 @@ void IConsoleInit()
 	IConsoleStdLibRegister();
 }
 
-static void IConsoleWriteToLogFile(const char *string)
+static void IConsoleWriteToLogFile(const std::string &string)
 {
 	if (_iconsole_output_file != nullptr) {
 		/* if there is an console output file ... also print it there */
 		const char *header = GetLogPrefix();
 		if ((strlen(header) != 0 && fwrite(header, strlen(header), 1, _iconsole_output_file) != 1) ||
-				fwrite(string, strlen(string), 1, _iconsole_output_file) != 1 ||
+				fwrite(string.c_str(), string.size(), 1, _iconsole_output_file) != 1 ||
 				fwrite("\n", 1, 1, _iconsole_output_file) != 1) {
 			fclose(_iconsole_output_file);
 			_iconsole_output_file = nullptr;
@@ -104,23 +104,20 @@ void IConsolePrint(TextColour colour_code, const std::string &string)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	/* Create a copy of the string, strip if of colours and invalid
+	/* Create a copy of the string, strip it of colours and invalid
 	 * characters and (when applicable) assign it to the console buffer */
-	char *str = stredup(string.c_str());
-	StrMakeValidInPlace(str);
+	std::string str = StrMakeValid(string);
 
 	if (_network_dedicated) {
 		NetworkAdminConsole("console", str);
 		fmt::print("{}{}\n", GetLogPrefix(), str);
 		fflush(stdout);
 		IConsoleWriteToLogFile(str);
-		free(str); // free duplicated string since it's not used anymore
 		return;
 	}
 
 	IConsoleWriteToLogFile(str);
 	IConsoleGUIPrint(colour_code, str);
-	free(str);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/console_gui.cpp b/src/console_gui.cpp
index 1d4e9b29c7..497c430489 100644
--- a/src/console_gui.cpp
+++ b/src/console_gui.cpp
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ static void IConsoleHistoryNavigate(int direction)
  * @param colour_code the colour of the command. Red in case of errors, etc.
  * @param str the message entered or output on the console (notice, error, etc.)
  */
-void IConsoleGUIPrint(TextColour colour_code, char *str)
+void IConsoleGUIPrint(TextColour colour_code, const std::string &str)
 {
 	_iconsole_buffer.push_front(IConsoleLine(str, colour_code));
 	SetWindowDirty(WC_CONSOLE, 0);
diff --git a/src/console_internal.h b/src/console_internal.h
index 19e798c19e..8137a49b6d 100644
--- a/src/console_internal.h
+++ b/src/console_internal.h
@@ -86,6 +86,6 @@ bool GetArgumentInteger(uint32 *value, const char *arg);
 
 void IConsoleGUIInit();
 void IConsoleGUIFree();
-void IConsoleGUIPrint(TextColour colour_code, char *string);
+void IConsoleGUIPrint(TextColour colour_code, const std::string &string);
 
 #endif /* CONSOLE_INTERNAL_H */