diff --git a/c/input/line_readers.c b/c/input/line_readers.c
index 64654f0c6..213ce9ada 100644
--- a/c/input/line_readers.c
+++ b/c/input/line_readers.c
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ char* mlr_alloc_read_line_single_delimiter(
 	int        do_auto_line_term,
 	context_t* pctx)
 {
-	size_t linecap = power_of_two_above(*pold_then_new_strlen);
+	size_t linecap = power_of_two_above(*pold_then_new_strlen + 1); // +1 for null-terminator
 	char* restrict line = mlr_malloc_or_die(linecap);
 	char* restrict p = line;
 	int reached_eof = FALSE;
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ char* mlr_alloc_read_line_multiple_delimiter(
 	int        delimiter_length,
 	size_t*    pold_then_new_strlen)
 {
-	size_t linecap = power_of_two_above(*pold_then_new_strlen);
+	size_t linecap = power_of_two_above(*pold_then_new_strlen + 1); // +1 for null-terminator
 	char* line = mlr_malloc_or_die(linecap);
 	char* p = line; // points to null-terminator in (chomped) output string
 	char* q = line; // points to end of line in (non-chomped) data read from file
diff --git a/c/input/line_readers.h b/c/input/line_readers.h
index 8214d1bff..da7f5a9e8 100644
--- a/c/input/line_readers.h
+++ b/c/input/line_readers.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ ssize_t local_getdelim(char** restrict pline, size_t* restrict plinecap, int del
 // work autodetect deeper into the callstack
 
 #define MLR_ALLOC_READ_LINE_INITIAL_SIZE 128
+
 char* mlr_alloc_read_line_single_delimiter(
 	FILE*      fp,
 	int        delimiter,
diff --git a/c/input/lrec_reader_stdio_dkvp.c b/c/input/lrec_reader_stdio_dkvp.c
index f3055beb3..74f626799 100644
--- a/c/input/lrec_reader_stdio_dkvp.c
+++ b/c/input/lrec_reader_stdio_dkvp.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ typedef struct _lrec_reader_stdio_dkvp_state_t {
 	int   ifslen;
 	int   ipslen;
 	int   allow_repeat_ifs;
+	int   line_length;
 } lrec_reader_stdio_dkvp_state_t;
 
 static void    lrec_reader_stdio_dkvp_free(lrec_reader_t* preader);
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ lrec_reader_t* lrec_reader_stdio_dkvp_alloc(char* irs, char* ifs, char* ips, int
 	pstate->ifslen           = strlen(ifs);
 	pstate->ipslen           = strlen(ips);
 	pstate->allow_repeat_ifs = allow_repeat_ifs;
+	pstate->line_length      = MLR_ALLOC_READ_LINE_INITIAL_SIZE;
 
 	plrec_reader->pvstate       = (void*)pstate;
 	plrec_reader->popen_func    = file_reader_stdio_vopen;
@@ -102,9 +104,6 @@ static lrec_t* lrec_reader_stdio_dkvp_process_single_irs_single_others_auto_line
 // xxx init pstate->line_length @ prev
 //char* line = mlr_alloc_read_line_single_delimiter(input_stream, pstate->irs[0],
 //	&pstate->line_length, xxxnolinecap, TRUE, pctx);
-//	pnew_linecap,
-//	do_auto_line_term,
-//	pctx);
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 	char* line = mlr_get_cline_with_length(input_stream, pstate->irs[0], &line_length);