diff --git a/apps/tagtree.c b/apps/tagtree.c
index 60f8a795e3..de014b008d 100644
--- a/apps/tagtree.c
+++ b/apps/tagtree.c
@@ -1082,10 +1082,15 @@ static bool alloc_menu_parse_buf(char *buf, int type)
 
 static void build_firstletter_menu(char *buf, size_t bufsz)
 {
+#if 0 /* GCC complains about this I can't find a definitive answer */
     const char *subitem = buf;
     size_t l = strlen(buf) + 1;
     buf+=l;
     bufsz-=l;
+#else
+    char subitem[32]; /* canonicalartist longest subitem we expect add a bit extra..*/
+    strmemccpy(subitem, buf, sizeof(subitem));
+#endif
 
     const char * const fmt ="\"%s\"-> %s ? %s %c\"%c\"-> %s =\"fmt_title\"";
     const char * const showsub = /* album subitem for canonicalartist */