diff --git a/src/gettext.h b/src/gettext.h
--- a/src/gettext.h
+++ b/src/gettext.h
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 #ifndef _LIBGETTEXT_H
 #define _LIBGETTEXT_H 1
 
+#include <memory>
+
 /* Get declarations of GNU message catalog functions.  */
 # include <libintl.h>
 // libintl.h redefines inline which causes MSVC to abort compilation with the message
@@ -112,7 +114,8 @@
     const char *translation;
     int translation_found;
 #if _LIBGETTEXT_HAVE_VARIABLE_SIZE_ARRAYS
-    char msg_ctxt_id[msgctxt_len + msgid_len];
+    std::unique_ptr<char[]> msg_ctxt_id(new char[msgctxt_len + msgid_len]);
+    memset(msg_ctxt_id.get(),'\n',msgctxt_len + msgid_len);
 #else
     char buf[1024];
     char *msg_ctxt_id =
@@ -122,12 +125,12 @@
     if (msg_ctxt_id != nullptr)
 #endif
     {
-        memcpy(msg_ctxt_id, msgctxt, msgctxt_len - 1);
+        memcpy(msg_ctxt_id.get(), msgctxt, msgctxt_len - 1);
         msg_ctxt_id[msgctxt_len - 1] = '\004';
-        memcpy(msg_ctxt_id + msgctxt_len, msgid, msgid_len);
-        translation = dgettext(domain, msg_ctxt_id);
+        memcpy(msg_ctxt_id.get() + msgctxt_len, msgid, msgid_len);
+        translation = dgettext(domain, msg_ctxt_id.get());
         /* Test must occur before msg_ctxt_id freed */
-        translation_found = translation != msg_ctxt_id;
+        translation_found = translation != msg_ctxt_id.get();
 #if !_LIBGETTEXT_HAVE_VARIABLE_SIZE_ARRAYS
         if (msg_ctxt_id != buf) {
             free(msg_ctxt_id);
@@ -162,7 +165,8 @@
     const char *translation;
     int translation_found;
 #if _LIBGETTEXT_HAVE_VARIABLE_SIZE_ARRAYS
-    char msg_ctxt_id[msgctxt_len + msgid_len];
+    std::unique_ptr<char[]> msg_ctxt_id(new char[msgctxt_len + msgid_len]);
+    memset(msg_ctxt_id.get(),'\n',msgctxt_len + msgid_len);
 #else
     char buf[1024];
     char *msg_ctxt_id =
@@ -172,12 +176,12 @@
     if (msg_ctxt_id != nullptr)
 #endif
     {
-        memcpy(msg_ctxt_id, msgctxt, msgctxt_len - 1);
+        memcpy(msg_ctxt_id.get(), msgctxt, msgctxt_len - 1);
         msg_ctxt_id[msgctxt_len - 1] = '\004';
-        memcpy(msg_ctxt_id + msgctxt_len, msgid, msgid_len);
-        translation = dngettext(domain, msg_ctxt_id, msgid_plural, n);
+        memcpy(msg_ctxt_id.get() + msgctxt_len, msgid, msgid_len);
+        translation = dngettext(domain, msg_ctxt_id.get(), msgid_plural, n);
         /* Test must occur before msg_ctxt_id freed */
-        translation_found = !(translation == msg_ctxt_id || translation == msgid_plural);
+        translation_found = !(translation == msg_ctxt_id.get() || translation == msgid_plural);
 #if !_LIBGETTEXT_HAVE_VARIABLE_SIZE_ARRAYS
         if (msg_ctxt_id != buf) {
             free(msg_ctxt_id);