diff --git a/src/engine/shared/linereader.cpp b/src/engine/shared/linereader.cpp
index 18868e151..05c97f9af 100644
--- a/src/engine/shared/linereader.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/shared/linereader.cpp
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 void CLineReader::Init(IOHANDLE File)
 {
-	m_BufferMaxSize = sizeof(m_aBuffer);
+	m_BufferMaxSize = sizeof(m_aBuffer) - 1;
 	m_BufferSize = 0;
 	m_BufferPos = 0;
 	m_File = File;
diff --git a/src/engine/shared/linereader.h b/src/engine/shared/linereader.h
index b66bcf82b..b97cd40ef 100644
--- a/src/engine/shared/linereader.h
+++ b/src/engine/shared/linereader.h
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 // buffered stream for reading lines, should perhaps be something smaller
 class CLineReader
 {
-	char m_aBuffer[4 * 8192];
+	char m_aBuffer[4 * 8192 + 1]; // 1 additional byte for null termination
 	unsigned m_BufferPos;
 	unsigned m_BufferSize;
 	unsigned m_BufferMaxSize;