diff --git a/src/atom.cpp b/src/atom.cpp
index 959bf39ddb..a4fe74e6dd 100644
--- a/src/atom.cpp
+++ b/src/atom.cpp
@@ -341,11 +341,8 @@ void Atom::settings(Atom *old)
   map_style = old->map_style;
   sortfreq = old->sortfreq;
   userbinsize = old->userbinsize;
-  if (old->firstgroupname) {
-    int n = strlen(old->firstgroupname) + 1;
-    firstgroupname = new char[n];
-    strcpy(firstgroupname,old->firstgroupname);
-  }
+  if (old->firstgroupname)
+    firstgroupname = utils::strdup(old->firstgroupname);
 }
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -532,9 +529,7 @@ void Atom::add_peratom(const char *name, void *address,
       memory->srealloc(peratom,maxperatom*sizeof(PerAtom),"atom:peratom");
   }
 
-  int n = strlen(name) + 1;
-  peratom[nperatom].name = new char[n];
-  strcpy(peratom[nperatom].name,name);
+  peratom[nperatom].name = utils::strdup(name);
   peratom[nperatom].address = address;
   peratom[nperatom].datatype = datatype;
   peratom[nperatom].cols = cols;
@@ -582,9 +577,7 @@ void Atom::add_peratom_vary(const char *name, void *address,
       memory->srealloc(peratom,maxperatom*sizeof(PerAtom),"atom:peratom");
   }
 
-  int n = strlen(name) + 1;
-  peratom[nperatom].name = new char[n];
-  strcpy(peratom[nperatom].name,name);
+  peratom[nperatom].name = utils::strdup(name);
   peratom[nperatom].address = address;
   peratom[nperatom].datatype = datatype;
   peratom[nperatom].cols = -1;
@@ -815,9 +808,7 @@ void Atom::modify_params(int narg, char **arg)
         delete [] firstgroupname;
         firstgroupname = nullptr;
       } else {
-        int n = strlen(arg[iarg+1]) + 1;
-        firstgroupname = new char[n];
-        strcpy(firstgroupname,arg[iarg+1]);
+        firstgroupname = utils::strdup(arg[iarg+1]);
         sortfreq = 0;
       }
       iarg += 2;
@@ -2427,9 +2418,7 @@ int Atom::add_custom(const char *name, int flag)
     nivector++;
     iname = (char **) memory->srealloc(iname,nivector*sizeof(char *),
                                        "atom:iname");
-    int n = strlen(name) + 1;
-    iname[index] = new char[n];
-    strcpy(iname[index],name);
+    iname[index] = utils::strdup(name);
     ivector = (int **) memory->srealloc(ivector,nivector*sizeof(int *),
                                         "atom:ivector");
     memory->create(ivector[index],nmax,"atom:ivector");
@@ -2438,9 +2427,7 @@ int Atom::add_custom(const char *name, int flag)
     ndvector++;
     dname = (char **) memory->srealloc(dname,ndvector*sizeof(char *),
                                        "atom:dname");
-    int n = strlen(name) + 1;
-    dname[index] = new char[n];
-    strcpy(dname[index],name);
+    dname[index] = utils::strdup(name);
     dvector = (double **) memory->srealloc(dvector,ndvector*sizeof(double *),
                                            "atom:dvector");
     memory->create(dvector[index],nmax,"atom:dvector");
diff --git a/src/atom_vec.cpp b/src/atom_vec.cpp
index 4406ac5f23..7d7cfa4878 100644
--- a/src/atom_vec.cpp
+++ b/src/atom_vec.cpp
@@ -154,11 +154,8 @@ void AtomVec::store_args(int narg, char **arg)
   nargcopy = narg;
   if (nargcopy) argcopy = new char*[nargcopy];
   else argcopy = nullptr;
-  for (int i = 0; i < nargcopy; i++) {
-    int n = strlen(arg[i]) + 1;
-    argcopy[i] = new char[n];
-    strcpy(argcopy[i],arg[i]);
-  }
+  for (int i = 0; i < nargcopy; i++)
+    argcopy[i] = utils::strdup(arg[i]);
 }
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/atom_vec_hybrid.cpp b/src/atom_vec_hybrid.cpp
index 8679b7383d..6ddb72a1bf 100644
--- a/src/atom_vec_hybrid.cpp
+++ b/src/atom_vec_hybrid.cpp
@@ -109,8 +109,7 @@ void AtomVecHybrid::process_args(int narg, char **arg)
       if (strcmp(arg[iarg],keywords[i]) == 0)
         error->all(FLERR,"Atom style hybrid cannot use same atom style twice");
     styles[nstyles] = atom->new_avec(arg[iarg],1,dummy);
-    keywords[nstyles] = new char[strlen(arg[iarg])+1];
-    strcpy(keywords[nstyles],arg[iarg]);
+    keywords[nstyles] = utils::strdup(arg[iarg]);
     jarg = iarg + 1;
     while (jarg < narg && !known_style(arg[jarg])) jarg++;
     styles[nstyles]->process_args(jarg-iarg-1,&arg[iarg+1]);
@@ -601,13 +600,10 @@ void AtomVecHybrid::build_styles()
 
   allstyles = new char*[nallstyles];
 
-  int n;
   nallstyles = 0;
 #define ATOM_CLASS
-#define AtomStyle(key,Class)                \
-  n = strlen(#key) + 1;                     \
-  allstyles[nallstyles] = new char[n];      \
-  strcpy(allstyles[nallstyles],#key);       \
+#define AtomStyle(key,Class)                   \
+  allstyles[nallstyles] = utils::strdup(#key); \
   nallstyles++;
 #include "style_atom.h"  // IWYU pragma: keep
 #undef AtomStyle
diff --git a/src/body.cpp b/src/body.cpp
index 35d6e53753..89bb2fc1d9 100644
--- a/src/body.cpp
+++ b/src/body.cpp
@@ -20,9 +20,7 @@ using namespace LAMMPS_NS;
 
 Body::Body(LAMMPS *lmp, int /*narg*/, char **arg) : Pointers(lmp)
 {
-  int n = strlen(arg[0]) + 1;
-  style = new char[n];
-  strcpy(style,arg[0]);
+  style = utils::strdup(arg[0]);
   icp = nullptr;
   dcp = nullptr;
 }
diff --git a/src/comm.cpp b/src/comm.cpp
index 8e119744fc..6d3f72d9c0 100644
--- a/src/comm.cpp
+++ b/src/comm.cpp
@@ -149,16 +149,11 @@ void Comm::copy_arrays(Comm *oldcomm)
     memcpy(cutusermulti,oldcomm->cutusermulti,atom->ntypes+1);
   }
 
-  if (customfile) {
-    int n = strlen(oldcomm->customfile) + 1;
-    customfile = new char[n];
-    strcpy(customfile,oldcomm->customfile);
-  }
-  if (outfile) {
-    int n = strlen(oldcomm->outfile) + 1;
-    outfile = new char[n];
-    strcpy(outfile,oldcomm->outfile);
-  }
+  if (customfile)
+    customfile = utils::strdup(oldcomm->customfile);
+
+  if (outfile)
+    outfile = utils::strdup(oldcomm->outfile);
 }
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -391,9 +386,7 @@ void Comm::set_processors(int narg, char **arg)
         if (iarg+3 > narg) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal processors command");
         gridflag = CUSTOM;
         delete [] customfile;
-        int n = strlen(arg[iarg+2]) + 1;
-        customfile = new char[n];
-        strcpy(customfile,arg[iarg+2]);
+        customfile = utils::strdup(arg[iarg+2]);
         iarg += 1;
 
       } else error->all(FLERR,"Illegal processors command");
@@ -453,9 +446,7 @@ void Comm::set_processors(int narg, char **arg)
     } else if (strcmp(arg[iarg],"file") == 0) {
       if (iarg+2 > narg) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal processors command");
       delete [] outfile;
-      int n = strlen(arg[iarg+1]) + 1;
-      outfile = new char[n];
-      strcpy(outfile,arg[iarg+1]);
+      outfile = utils::strdup(arg[iarg+1]);
       iarg += 2;
 
     } else error->all(FLERR,"Illegal processors command");
diff --git a/src/utils.cpp b/src/utils.cpp
index d34e5794ab..66bc053542 100644
--- a/src/utils.cpp
+++ b/src/utils.cpp
@@ -554,9 +554,7 @@ int utils::expand_args(const char *file, int line, int narg, char **arg,
         earg = (char **)
           lmp->memory->srealloc(earg,maxarg*sizeof(char *),"input:earg");
       }
-      n = strlen(arg[iarg]) + 1;
-      earg[newarg] = new char[n];
-      strcpy(earg[newarg],arg[iarg]);
+      earg[newarg] = utils::strdup(arg[iarg]);
       newarg++;
     }
   }