diff --git a/dll/dll/steam_matchmaking.h b/dll/dll/steam_matchmaking.h
index 229d0438..3a7e0034 100644
--- a/dll/dll/steam_matchmaking.h
+++ b/dll/dll/steam_matchmaking.h
@@ -348,9 +348,9 @@ int GetFavoriteGameCount()
     std::string file_path = Local_Storage::get_user_appdata_path() + "/7/" + Local_Storage::remote_storage_folder + "/serverbrowser_favorites.txt";
     unsigned long long file_size = file_size_(file_path);
     if (file_size) {
-        std::string list;
+        std::string list{};
         list.resize(file_size);
-        Local_Storage::get_file_data(file_path, (char *)list.data(), file_size, 0);
+        Local_Storage::get_file_data(file_path, (char *)&list[0], file_size, 0);
         auto list_lines = std::count(list.begin(), list.end(), '\n');
         list_lines += (!list.empty() && list.back() != '\n');
         return list_lines;
@@ -402,9 +402,9 @@ int AddFavoriteGame( AppId_t nAppID, uint32 nIP, uint16 nConnPort, uint16 nQuery
     newip_string.append(newip);
 
     if (file_size) {
-        std::string list;
+        std::string list{};
         list.resize(file_size);
-        Local_Storage::get_file_data(file_path, (char *)list.data(), file_size, 0);
+        Local_Storage::get_file_data(file_path, (char *)&list[0], file_size, 0);
         auto list_lines = std::count(list.begin(), list.end(), '\n');
         list_lines += (!list.empty() && list.back() != '\n');
 
@@ -465,9 +465,9 @@ bool RemoveFavoriteGame( AppId_t nAppID, uint32 nIP, uint16 nConnPort, uint16 nQ
     }
 
     if (file_size) {
-        std::string list;
+        std::string list{};
         list.resize(file_size);
-        Local_Storage::get_file_data(file_path, (char *)list.data(), file_size, 0);
+        Local_Storage::get_file_data(file_path, (char *)&list[0], file_size, 0);
 
         unsigned char ip[4];
         ip[0] = nIP & 0xFF;
diff --git a/dll/steam_http.cpp b/dll/steam_http.cpp
index d0a90575..6b1ffed1 100644
--- a/dll/steam_http.cpp
+++ b/dll/steam_http.cpp
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ HTTPRequestHandle Steam_HTTP::CreateHTTPRequest( EHTTPMethod eHTTPRequestMethod,
         unsigned long long file_size = file_size_(file_path);
         if (file_size) {
             request.response.resize(file_size);
-            long long read = Local_Storage::get_file_data(file_path, (char *)request.response.data(), file_size, 0);
+            long long read = Local_Storage::get_file_data(file_path, (char *)&request.response[0], file_size, 0);
             if (read < 0) read = 0;
             if (read != file_size) request.response.resize(read);
         }
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ void Steam_HTTP::online_http_request(Steam_Http_Request *request, SteamAPICall_t
     
     unsigned int file_size = file_size_(request->target_filepath);
     if (file_size) {
-        long long read = Local_Storage::get_file_data(request->target_filepath, (char *)request->response.data(), file_size, 0);
+        long long read = Local_Storage::get_file_data(request->target_filepath, (char *)&request->response[0], file_size, 0);
         if (read < 0) read = 0;
         request->response.resize(read);
     }
diff --git a/dll/steam_matchmaking_servers.cpp b/dll/steam_matchmaking_servers.cpp
index ab195b64..fad4c79a 100644
--- a/dll/steam_matchmaking_servers.cpp
+++ b/dll/steam_matchmaking_servers.cpp
@@ -99,15 +99,15 @@ HServerListRequest Steam_Matchmaking_Servers::RequestServerList(AppId_t iApp, IS
     }
 
     PRINT_DEBUG("list file '%s' [%llu bytes]", file_path.c_str(), file_size);
-    std::string list;
+    std::string list{};
     if (file_size) {
         list.resize(file_size);
-        Local_Storage::get_file_data(file_path, (char *)list.data(), file_size, 0);
+        Local_Storage::get_file_data(file_path, (char *)&list[0], file_size, 0);
     } else {
         return id;
     }
 
-    std::istringstream list_ss (list);
+    std::istringstream list_ss(list);
     std::string list_ip;
     while (std::getline(list_ss, list_ip)) {
         if (list_ip.length() <= 0) continue;
diff --git a/overlay_experimental/steam_overlay.cpp b/overlay_experimental/steam_overlay.cpp
index ea900585..223f3dd2 100644
--- a/overlay_experimental/steam_overlay.cpp
+++ b/overlay_experimental/steam_overlay.cpp
@@ -330,11 +330,11 @@ void Steam_Overlay::load_audio()
             if (file_size) break;
         }
 
+        kv.second.clear();
         if (file_size) {
-            kv.second.assign(file_size, 0);
-            Local_Storage::get_file_data(file_path, (char *)&kv.second[0], file_size);
-        } else {
-            kv.second.clear();
+            kv.second.assign(file_size + 1, 0); // +1 because this will be treated as a null-terminated string later
+            int read = Local_Storage::get_file_data(file_path, (char *)&kv.second[0], file_size);
+            if (read <= 0) kv.second.clear();
         }
     }
 }