diff --git a/renderdoc/api/replay/basic_types.h b/renderdoc/api/replay/basic_types.h
index 63e8d4146..10ce23517 100644
--- a/renderdoc/api/replay/basic_types.h
+++ b/renderdoc/api/replay/basic_types.h
@@ -226,6 +226,24 @@ struct str : public rdctype::array<char>
     return *this;
   }
 
+  void assign(const char *const in, int32_t inCount)
+  {
+    Delete();
+    count = inCount;
+    if(inCount == 0)
+    {
+      elems = (char *)allocate(sizeof(char));
+      elems[0] = 0;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      elems = (char *)allocate(sizeof(char) * (inCount + 1));
+      if(in)
+        memcpy(elems, in, sizeof(char) * inCount);
+      elems[count] = 0;
+    }
+  }
+
   operator const char *() const { return elems ? elems : ""; }
   const char *c_str() const { return elems ? elems : ""; }
 };
diff --git a/renderdoc/serialise/serialiser.h b/renderdoc/serialise/serialiser.h
index 1f43f813b..541a8dd3e 100644
--- a/renderdoc/serialise/serialiser.h
+++ b/renderdoc/serialise/serialiser.h
@@ -506,10 +506,9 @@ public:
     }
     else
     {
-      create_array_uninit(el, sz + 1);
+      el.assign(NULL, sz);
       for(int32_t i = 0; i < sz; i++)
         Serialise("", el.elems[i]);
-      el.elems[sz] = 0;
     }
   }