diff --git a/tools/quake3/common/stringfixedsize.h b/tools/quake3/common/stringfixedsize.h
index b69de45c..3b4e2bf2 100644
--- a/tools/quake3/common/stringfixedsize.h
+++ b/tools/quake3/common/stringfixedsize.h
@@ -52,8 +52,14 @@ public:
 	}
 
 	StringFixedSize& operator=( const char* string ){
+		return (*this)( string );
+	}
+
+	template<typename ... Args>
+	StringFixedSize& operator()( const Args& ... args ){
 		clear();
-		write( string, strlen( string ) );
+		using expander = int[];
+		(void)expander{ 0, ( (void)( *this << args ), 0 ) ... };
 		return *this;
 	}
 
diff --git a/tools/quake3/q3map2/q3map2.h b/tools/quake3/q3map2/q3map2.h
index 2e7bd5e7..09ba928c 100644
--- a/tools/quake3/q3map2/q3map2.h
+++ b/tools/quake3/q3map2/q3map2.h
@@ -765,7 +765,7 @@ typedef struct shaderInfo_s
 
 	float vertexScale;                                  /* vertex light scale */
 
-	char skyParmsImageBase[ MAX_QPATH ];                /* ydnar: for skies */
+	String64 skyParmsImageBase;                         /* ydnar: for skies */
 
 	char editorImagePath[ MAX_QPATH ];                  /* use this image to generate texture coordinates */
 	char lightImagePath[ MAX_QPATH ];                   /* use this image to generate color / averageColor */
@@ -1700,7 +1700,7 @@ void                        AddEntitySurfaceModels( entity_t *e );
 mapDrawSurface_t            *DrawSurfaceForSide( entity_t *e, brush_t *b, side_t *s, winding_t *w );
 mapDrawSurface_t            *DrawSurfaceForMesh( entity_t *e, parseMesh_t *p, mesh_t *mesh );
 mapDrawSurface_t            *DrawSurfaceForFlare( int entNum, vec3_t origin, vec3_t normal, vec3_t color, const char *flareShader, int lightStyle );
-mapDrawSurface_t            *DrawSurfaceForShader( char *shader );
+mapDrawSurface_t            *DrawSurfaceForShader( const char *shader );
 void                        ClipSidesIntoTree( entity_t *e, tree_t *tree );
 void                        MakeDebugPortalSurfs( tree_t *tree );
 void                        MakeFogHullSurfs( entity_t *e, tree_t *tree, char *shader );
diff --git a/tools/quake3/q3map2/shaders.cpp b/tools/quake3/q3map2/shaders.cpp
index 51c42e61..96f35fb5 100644
--- a/tools/quake3/q3map2/shaders.cpp
+++ b/tools/quake3/q3map2/shaders.cpp
@@ -1240,11 +1240,11 @@ static void ParseShaderFile( const char *filename ){
 
 				/* ignore bogus paths */
 				if ( !strEqual( token, "-" ) && !striEqual( token, "full" ) ) {
-					strcpy( si->skyParmsImageBase, token );
+					si->skyParmsImageBase = token;
 
 					/* use top image as sky light image */
 					if ( strEmpty( si->lightImagePath ) ) {
-						sprintf( si->lightImagePath, "%s_up.tga", si->skyParmsImageBase );
+						sprintf( si->lightImagePath, "%s_up.tga", si->skyParmsImageBase.c_str() );
 					}
 				}
 
diff --git a/tools/quake3/q3map2/surface.cpp b/tools/quake3/q3map2/surface.cpp
index a0025924..7ad8c0b8 100644
--- a/tools/quake3/q3map2/surface.cpp
+++ b/tools/quake3/q3map2/surface.cpp
@@ -882,7 +882,6 @@ mapDrawSurface_t *DrawSurfaceForSide( entity_t *e, brush_t *b, side_t *s, windin
 	bool indexed;
 	byte shaderIndexes[ 256 ];
 	float offsets[ 256 ];
-	char tempShader[ MAX_QPATH ];
 
 
 	/* ydnar: don't make a drawsurf for culled sides */
@@ -922,18 +921,8 @@ mapDrawSurface_t *DrawSurfaceForSide( entity_t *e, brush_t *b, side_t *s, windin
 	/* ydnar: sky hack/fix for GL_CLAMP borders on ati cards */
 	if ( skyFixHack && !strEmpty( si->skyParmsImageBase ) ) {
 		//%	Sys_FPrintf( SYS_VRB, "Enabling sky hack for shader %s using env %s\n", si->shader, si->skyParmsImageBase );
-		sprintf( tempShader, "%s_lf", si->skyParmsImageBase );
-		DrawSurfaceForShader( tempShader );
-		sprintf( tempShader, "%s_rt", si->skyParmsImageBase );
-		DrawSurfaceForShader( tempShader );
-		sprintf( tempShader, "%s_ft", si->skyParmsImageBase );
-		DrawSurfaceForShader( tempShader );
-		sprintf( tempShader, "%s_bk", si->skyParmsImageBase );
-		DrawSurfaceForShader( tempShader );
-		sprintf( tempShader, "%s_up", si->skyParmsImageBase );
-		DrawSurfaceForShader( tempShader );
-		sprintf( tempShader, "%s_dn", si->skyParmsImageBase );
-		DrawSurfaceForShader( tempShader );
+		for( const auto suffix : { "_lf", "_rt", "_ft", "_bk", "_up", "_dn" } )
+			DrawSurfaceForShader( String64()( si->skyParmsImageBase, suffix ) );
 	}
 
 	/* ydnar: gs mods */
@@ -1284,7 +1273,7 @@ mapDrawSurface_t *DrawSurfaceForFlare( int entNum, vec3_t origin, vec3_t normal,
    creates a bogus surface to forcing the game to load a shader
  */
 
-mapDrawSurface_t *DrawSurfaceForShader( char *shader ){
+mapDrawSurface_t *DrawSurfaceForShader( const char *shader ){
 	int i;
 	shaderInfo_t        *si;
 	mapDrawSurface_t    *ds;