diff --git a/alog.c b/alog.c
index 9abf360..95ae87b 100644
--- a/alog.c
+++ b/alog.c
@@ -154,10 +154,9 @@ void alog (
     // GET TIMESTAMP
     time_t t = time(NULL);
     struct tm * p = localtime(&t);
-    int timestamp_size = strftime(NULL, 0, "[%c]", p);
-    char *timestamp = malloc(sizeof(char) * (timestamp_size+1));
-    strftime(timestamp, timestamp_size, "[%c]", p);
-    char *msg_and_timestamp = malloc(sizeof(char) * (timestamp_size + strlen(message) + 3));
+    char *timestamp = malloc(strftime(NULL, 0, "[%c]", p) + 1);
+    strftime(timestamp, sizeof(timestamp), "[%c]", p);
+    char *msg_and_timestamp = malloc(sizeof(timestamp) + 1 + (strlen(message) + 1) + 2);
     sprintf(msg_and_timestamp, "%s %s\n", timestamp, message);
     free(timestamp);
     size = snprintf(NULL, 0, msg_and_timestamp, fmt_list);