diff --git a/alog.c b/alog.c
index 4e9f7ae..bd603b2 100644
--- a/alog.c
+++ b/alog.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <time.h>
 
 #define TEST_ALOG_STATE() if (!ALOG_LOGGING_STATE) { _init_alog(); }
+#define MAX_TIMESTAMP 30
 
 struct _global_logging_state *ALOG_LOGGING_STATE;
 int _alog_num_out_fds;
@@ -48,6 +49,10 @@ void _init_alog() {
   _alog_err_fds[0] = 2;
 }
 
+void init_alog() {
+  TEST_ALOG_STATE();
+}
+
 // TODO: should I dont close stdin and stdout?
 void deinit_alog() {
   TEST_ALOG_STATE();
@@ -161,21 +166,31 @@ void alog (
     // TODO: try to get this all into 1 call to sprintf
     time_t t = time(NULL);
     struct tm * p = localtime(&t);
-    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);
+    int timestamp_len = strftime(NULL, MAX_TIMESTAMP, "[%c]", p) + 1;
+    char *timestamp = calloc(timestamp_len , sizeof(char));
+    strftime(timestamp, timestamp_len+1, "[%c]", p);
+
+    size = (timestamp_len + strlen(message) + 1);
+    char *msg_and_timestamp = calloc(size, sizeof(char));
     sprintf(msg_and_timestamp, "%s %s\n", timestamp, message);
     free(timestamp);
+
     // TODO: Why even use msg_and_timestamp if I am going to write it wholesale into buffer?
-    size = snprintf(NULL, 0, msg_and_timestamp, fmt_list);
+    size = vsnprintf(NULL, 0, msg_and_timestamp, fmt_list);
+    va_start(fmt_list, message);
+    va_end(fmt_list);
     buffer = malloc(size + 1);
-    sprintf(buffer, msg_and_timestamp, fmt_list);
+    vsprintf(buffer, msg_and_timestamp, fmt_list);
+    va_end(fmt_list);
     free(msg_and_timestamp);
+
   // if severity is PRINT we avoid timestamp
   } else {
-    size = snprintf(NULL, 0, message, fmt_list);
+    size = vsnprintf(NULL, 0, message, fmt_list);
+    va_start(fmt_list, message);
     buffer = malloc(size + 1);
-    sprintf(buffer, message, fmt_list);
+    vsprintf(buffer, message, fmt_list);
+    va_end(fmt_list);
   }
 
   for (int i = 0; i < _alog_num_out_fds; i++) {
@@ -198,7 +213,6 @@ void alog (
   }
 
   free(buffer);
-  va_end(fmt_list);
 }
 
 #ifdef ALOG_HIJACK_PRINTF
diff --git a/alog.h b/alog.h
index 30d3093..ef2deb9 100644
--- a/alog.h
+++ b/alog.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ typedef enum {
  *   err fds: stderr
  */
 void _init_alog();
+void init_alog();
 
 /* deinitializes all global state memory used in this library */
 void deinit_alog();