diff --git a/vncviewer/parameters.cxx b/vncviewer/parameters.cxx
index 16de6e3..51cce3d 100644
--- a/vncviewer/parameters.cxx
+++ b/vncviewer/parameters.cxx
@@ -540,6 +540,8 @@
   char decodingBuffer[buffersize];
   static char servername[sizeof(line)];
 
+  memset(servername, '\0', sizeof(servername));
+
   // Load from the registry or a predefined file if no filename was specified.
   if(filename == NULL) {
 
diff --git a/vncviewer/vncviewer.cxx b/vncviewer/vncviewer.cxx
index fabd665..e305d79 100644
--- a/vncviewer/vncviewer.cxx
+++ b/vncviewer/vncviewer.cxx
@@ -377,14 +377,11 @@
 
   if (hasPathSeparator) {
     try {
-      strncpy(vncServerName, loadViewerParameters(vncServerName),
-              VNCSERVERNAMELEN);
-      if (vncServerName[0] == '\0') {
-        vlog.error("Unable to load the server name from given file");
-        if (alertOnFatalError)
-          fl_alert("Unable to load the server name from given file");
-        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-      }
+      const char* newServerName;
+      newServerName = loadViewerParameters(vncServerName);
+      // This might be empty, but we still need to clear it so we
+      // don't try to connect to the filename
+      strncpy(vncServerName, newServerName, VNCSERVERNAMELEN);
     } catch (rfb::Exception& e) {
       vlog.error("%s", e.str());
       if (alertOnFatalError)
@@ -510,11 +507,11 @@
   Configuration::enableViewerParams();
 
   /* Load the default parameter settings */
-  const char* defaultServerName;
+  char defaultServerName[VNCSERVERNAMELEN];
   try {
-    defaultServerName = loadViewerParameters(NULL);
+    strncpy(defaultServerName, loadViewerParameters(NULL), VNCSERVERNAMELEN);
   } catch (rfb::Exception& e) {
-    defaultServerName = "";
+    strcpy(defaultServerName, "");
     vlog.error("%s", e.str());
     if (alertOnFatalError)
       fl_alert("%s", e.str());