diff --git a/projects/clr/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpukernel.cpp b/projects/clr/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpukernel.cpp
index b970cedada..288ae3bc61 100644
--- a/projects/clr/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpukernel.cpp
+++ b/projects/clr/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpukernel.cpp
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ expect(const std::string& str, size_t* pos, const std::string& sym)
 }
 
 bool
-getword(const std::string& str, size_t* pos, char* sym)
+getword(const std::string& str, size_t* pos, std::string& sym)
 {
     if (*pos == std::string::npos) {
         return false;
@@ -155,9 +155,7 @@ getword(const std::string& str, size_t* pos, char* sym)
     size_t  count   = posEnd - *pos;
 
     if (count != 0) {
-        if (!str.copy(sym, count, *pos)) {
-            return false;
-        }
+        sym = str.substr(*pos, count);
     }
     sym[count] = 0;
     *pos = posEnd + 1;
@@ -2527,7 +2525,7 @@ NullKernel::parseArguments(const std::string& metaData, uint* uavRefCount)
                     break;
                 }
 
-                char    argName[256];
+                std::string    argName;
                 // Save the argument type
                 arg.type_ = ArgState[i].type_;
 
diff --git a/projects/clr/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpukernel.hpp b/projects/clr/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpukernel.hpp
index 05db79aad9..c696e54657 100644
--- a/projects/clr/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpukernel.hpp
+++ b/projects/clr/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpukernel.hpp
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ bool expect(
 bool getword(
     const std::string&  str,    //!< The original std::string
     size_t*             pos,    //!< Position to start
-    char*               sym     //!< Returned word
+    std::string&        sym     //!< Returned word
     );
 
 /*! \brief Helper function for the std::string processing.
diff --git a/projects/clr/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpuprogram.cpp b/projects/clr/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpuprogram.cpp
index 431cca6e3d..82fae39cf1 100644
--- a/projects/clr/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpuprogram.cpp
+++ b/projects/clr/rocclr/runtime/device/gpu/gpuprogram.cpp
@@ -1085,7 +1085,7 @@ NullProgram::findILFuncs(const std::string& source,
 
     // Loop through all provided program arguments
     while (pos != std::string::npos) {
-        char    funcName[256];
+        std::string    funcName;
         ILFunc  func;
 
         func.code_.begin_ = pos;
@@ -1445,7 +1445,7 @@ NullProgram::parseKernels(const std::string& source)
     pos = 0;
     // Find all available metadata structures
     for (size_t i = 0; i < funcs_.size(); ++i) {
-        char    funcName[256];
+        std::string    funcName;
         ILFunc::SourceRange range;
 
         // Find function metadata start