diff --git a/src/REAXFF/reaxff_api.h b/src/REAXFF/reaxff_api.h
index ae3b013541..540012ab8f 100644
--- a/src/REAXFF/reaxff_api.h
+++ b/src/REAXFF/reaxff_api.h
@@ -141,9 +141,9 @@ namespace ReaxFF
 
   // toolbox
 
-  extern void *scalloc(LAMMPS_NS::Error *, rc_bigint, rc_bigint, const char *);
-  extern void *smalloc(LAMMPS_NS::Error *, rc_bigint, const char *);
-  extern void sfree(LAMMPS_NS::Error *, void *, const char *);
+  extern void *scalloc(LAMMPS_NS::Error *, rc_bigint, rc_bigint, const std::string &);
+  extern void *smalloc(LAMMPS_NS::Error *, rc_bigint, const std::string &);
+  extern void sfree(LAMMPS_NS::Error *, void *, const std::string &);
 
   // torsion angles
 
diff --git a/src/REAXFF/reaxff_tool_box.cpp b/src/REAXFF/reaxff_tool_box.cpp
index 15ad4b85e3..5ea87ca769 100644
--- a/src/REAXFF/reaxff_tool_box.cpp
+++ b/src/REAXFF/reaxff_tool_box.cpp
@@ -36,13 +36,12 @@
 namespace ReaxFF {
 
   /* safe malloc */
-  void *smalloc(LAMMPS_NS::Error *error_ptr, rc_bigint n, const char *name)
+  void *smalloc(LAMMPS_NS::Error *error_ptr, rc_bigint n, const std::string &name)
   {
     void *ptr;
 
     if (n <= 0) {
-      auto errmsg = fmt::format("Trying to allocate {} bytes for array {}. "
-                                "returning NULL.", n, name);
+      auto errmsg = fmt::format("Invalid size {} for array {}. Returning NULL.", n, name);
       if (error_ptr) error_ptr->one(FLERR,errmsg);
       else fputs(errmsg.c_str(),stderr);
 
@@ -51,8 +50,7 @@ namespace ReaxFF {
 
     ptr = malloc(n);
     if (ptr == nullptr) {
-      auto errmsg = fmt::format("Failed to allocate {} bytes for array {}",
-                                n, name);
+      auto errmsg = fmt::format("Failed to allocate {} bytes for array {}", n, name);
       if (error_ptr) error_ptr->one(FLERR,errmsg);
       else fputs(errmsg.c_str(),stderr);
     }
@@ -61,21 +59,19 @@ namespace ReaxFF {
   }
 
   /* safe calloc */
-  void *scalloc(LAMMPS_NS::Error *error_ptr, rc_bigint n, rc_bigint size, const char *name)
+  void *scalloc(LAMMPS_NS::Error *error_ptr, rc_bigint n, rc_bigint size, const std::string &name)
   {
     void *ptr;
 
     if (n <= 0) {
-      auto errmsg = fmt::format("Trying to allocate {} elements for array {}. "
-                                "returning NULL.\n", n, name);
+      auto errmsg = fmt::format("Invalid size {} for array {}. Returning NULL.\n", n, name);
       if (error_ptr) error_ptr->one(FLERR,errmsg);
       else fputs(errmsg.c_str(),stderr);
       return nullptr;
     }
 
     if (size <= 0) {
-      auto errmsg = fmt::format("Elements size for array {} is {}. "
-                                "returning NULL", name, size);
+      auto errmsg = fmt::format("Elements size for array {} is {}. Returning NULL", name, size);
       if (error_ptr) error_ptr->one(FLERR,errmsg);
       else fputs(errmsg.c_str(),stderr);
       return nullptr;
@@ -83,8 +79,7 @@ namespace ReaxFF {
 
     ptr = calloc(n, size);
     if (ptr == nullptr) {
-      auto errmsg = fmt::format("Failed to allocate {} bytes for array {}",
-                                n*size, name);
+      auto errmsg = fmt::format("Failed to allocate {} bytes for array {}", n*size, name);
       if (error_ptr) error_ptr->one(FLERR,errmsg);
       else fputs(errmsg.c_str(),stderr);
     }
@@ -93,12 +88,11 @@ namespace ReaxFF {
   }
 
   /* safe free */
-  void sfree(LAMMPS_NS::Error* error_ptr, void *ptr, const char *name)
+  void sfree(LAMMPS_NS::Error *error_ptr, void *ptr, const std::string &name)
   {
     if (ptr == nullptr) {
-      auto errmsg = fmt::format("Trying to free the already free()'d pointer {}",
-                                name);
-      if (error_ptr) error_ptr->one(FLERR,errmsg);
+      auto errmsg = std::string("Trying to free the already free()'d pointer: ") + name;
+      if (error_ptr) error_ptr->one(FLERR, errmsg);
       else fputs(errmsg.c_str(),stderr);
       return;
     }