diff --git a/desktop_version/src/Game.cpp b/desktop_version/src/Game.cpp
index a5c4e369..34456662 100644
--- a/desktop_version/src/Game.cpp
+++ b/desktop_version/src/Game.cpp
@@ -6766,27 +6766,39 @@ void Game::createmenu( enum Menu::MenuName t, bool samemenu/*= false*/ )
                             break;
                         }
                     }
-                    std::string text;
+                    const char* prefix;
                     if(tvar>=0)
                     {
-                        if(customlevelstats[tvar].score==0)
+                        switch (customlevelstats[tvar].score)
                         {
-                            text = "   " + ed.ListOfMetaData[i].title;
+                        case 0:
+                        {
+                            static const char tmp[] = "   ";
+                            prefix = tmp;
+                            break;
                         }
-                        else if(customlevelstats[tvar].score==1)
+                        case 1:
                         {
-                            text = " * " + ed.ListOfMetaData[i].title;
+                            static const char tmp[] = " * ";
+                            prefix = tmp;
+                            break;
                         }
-                        else if(customlevelstats[tvar].score==3)
+                        case 3:
                         {
-                            text = "** " + ed.ListOfMetaData[i].title;
+                            static const char tmp[] = "** ";
+                            prefix = tmp;
+                            break;
+                        }
                         }
                     }
                     else
                     {
-                        text = "   " + ed.ListOfMetaData[i].title;
+                        static const char tmp[] = "   ";
+                        prefix = tmp;
                     }
-                    for (size_t ii = 0; ii < text.length(); ii++)
+                    char text[menutextbytes];
+                    SDL_snprintf(text, sizeof(text), "%s%s", prefix, ed.ListOfMetaData[i].title.c_str());
+                    for (size_t ii = 0; ii < SDL_arraysize(text); ii++)
                     {
                         text[ii] = SDL_tolower(text[ii]);
                     }
diff --git a/desktop_version/src/Game.h b/desktop_version/src/Game.h
index 9d9243a4..97f36127 100644
--- a/desktop_version/src/Game.h
+++ b/desktop_version/src/Game.h
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@
 
 struct MenuOption
 {
-    std::string text;
+    char text[161]; // 40 chars (160 bytes) covers the entire screen, + 1 more for null terminator
+    // WARNING: should match Game::menutextbytes below
     bool active;
 };
 
@@ -225,12 +226,13 @@ public:
     int current_credits_list_index;
     int menuxoff, menuyoff;
     int menuspacing;
+    static const int menutextbytes = 161; // this is just sizeof(MenuOption::text), but doing that is non-standard
     std::vector<MenuStackFrame> menustack;
 
-    void inline option(std::string text, bool active = true)
+    void inline option(const char* text, bool active = true)
     {
         MenuOption menuoption;
-        menuoption.text = text;
+        SDL_strlcpy(menuoption.text, text, sizeof(menuoption.text));
         menuoption.active = active;
         menuoptions.push_back(menuoption);
     }
diff --git a/desktop_version/src/Graphics.cpp b/desktop_version/src/Graphics.cpp
index e2281e2d..56641eac 100644
--- a/desktop_version/src/Graphics.cpp
+++ b/desktop_version/src/Graphics.cpp
@@ -1302,20 +1302,24 @@ void Graphics::drawmenu( int cr, int cg, int cb )
             //Draw it highlighted
             if (game.menuoptions[i].active)
             {
-                std::string tempstring = game.menuoptions[i].text;
-                for (size_t ii = 0; ii < tempstring.length(); ii++)
+                char tempstring[Game::menutextbytes];
+                SDL_strlcpy(tempstring, game.menuoptions[i].text, sizeof(tempstring));
+                for (size_t ii = 0; ii < SDL_arraysize(tempstring); ii++)
                 {
                     tempstring[ii] = SDL_toupper(tempstring[ii]);
                 }
-                tempstring = std::string("[ ") + tempstring + std::string(" ]");
-                Print((i * game.menuspacing) - 16 +game.menuxoff, 140 + (i * 12) +game.menuyoff, tempstring, cr, cg, cb);
+                char buffer[Game::menutextbytes];
+                SDL_snprintf(buffer, sizeof(buffer), "[ %s ]", tempstring);
+                Print((i * game.menuspacing) - 16 +game.menuxoff, 140 + (i * 12) +game.menuyoff, buffer, cr, cg, cb);
             }
             else
             {
-                std::string tempstring = game.menuoptions[i].text;
-                tempstring = "[ " + tempstring + " ]";
+                char tempstring[Game::menutextbytes];
+                SDL_strlcpy(tempstring, game.menuoptions[i].text, sizeof(tempstring));
+                char buffer[Game::menutextbytes];
+                SDL_snprintf(buffer, sizeof(buffer), "[ %s ]", tempstring);
                 //Draw it in gray
-                Print((i * game.menuspacing) - 16 +game.menuxoff, 140 + (i * 12)+game.menuyoff, tempstring, 128, 128, 128);
+                Print((i * game.menuspacing) - 16 +game.menuxoff, 140 + (i * 12)+game.menuyoff, buffer, 128, 128, 128);
             }
         }
         else
@@ -1344,39 +1348,47 @@ void Graphics::drawlevelmenu( int cr, int cg, int cb )
             //Draw it highlighted
             if (game.menuoptions[i].active)
             {
-                std::string tempstring = game.menuoptions[i].text;
-                for (size_t ii = 0; ii < tempstring.length(); ii++)
+                char tempstring[Game::menutextbytes];
+                SDL_strlcpy(tempstring, game.menuoptions[i].text, sizeof(tempstring));
+                for (size_t ii = 0; ii < SDL_arraysize(tempstring); ii++)
                 {
                     tempstring[ii] = SDL_toupper(tempstring[ii]);
                 }
-                tempstring = std::string("[ ") + tempstring + std::string(" ]");
-                Print((i * game.menuspacing) - 16 +game.menuxoff, 140+8 + (i * 12) +game.menuyoff, tempstring, cr, cg, cb);
+                char buffer[Game::menutextbytes];
+                SDL_snprintf(buffer, sizeof(buffer), "[ %s ]", tempstring);
+                Print((i * game.menuspacing) - 16 +game.menuxoff, 140+8 + (i * 12) +game.menuyoff, buffer, cr, cg, cb);
             }
             else
             {
-                std::string tempstring = game.menuoptions[i].text;
-                tempstring = "[ " + tempstring + " ]";
+                char tempstring[Game::menutextbytes];
+                SDL_strlcpy(tempstring, game.menuoptions[i].text, sizeof(tempstring));
+                char buffer[Game::menutextbytes];
+                SDL_snprintf(buffer, sizeof(buffer), "[ %s ]", tempstring);
                 //Draw it in gray
-                Print((i * game.menuspacing) - 16 +game.menuxoff, 140+8 + (i * 12)+game.menuyoff, tempstring, 128, 128, 128);
+                Print((i * game.menuspacing) - 16 +game.menuxoff, 140+8 + (i * 12)+game.menuyoff, buffer, 128, 128, 128);
             }
           }else{
             //Draw it highlighted
             if (game.menuoptions[i].active)
             {
-                std::string tempstring = game.menuoptions[i].text;
-                for (size_t ii = 0; ii < tempstring.length(); ii++)
+                char tempstring[Game::menutextbytes];
+                SDL_strlcpy(tempstring, game.menuoptions[i].text, sizeof(tempstring));
+                for (size_t ii = 0; ii < SDL_arraysize(tempstring); ii++)
                 {
                     tempstring[ii] = SDL_toupper(tempstring[ii]);
                 }
-                tempstring = std::string("[ ") + tempstring + std::string(" ]");
-                Print((i * game.menuspacing) - 16 +game.menuxoff, 144 + (i * 12) +game.menuyoff, tempstring, cr, cg, cb);
+                char buffer[Game::menutextbytes];
+                SDL_snprintf(buffer, sizeof(buffer), "[ %s ]", tempstring);
+                Print((i * game.menuspacing) - 16 +game.menuxoff, 144 + (i * 12) +game.menuyoff, buffer, cr, cg, cb);
             }
             else
             {
-                std::string tempstring = game.menuoptions[i].text;
-                tempstring = "[ " + tempstring + " ]";
+                char tempstring[Game::menutextbytes];
+                SDL_strlcpy(tempstring, game.menuoptions[i].text, sizeof(tempstring));
+                char buffer[Game::menutextbytes];
+                SDL_snprintf(buffer, sizeof(buffer), "[ %s ]", tempstring);
                 //Draw it in gray
-                Print((i * game.menuspacing) - 16 +game.menuxoff, 144 + (i * 12)+game.menuyoff, tempstring, 128, 128, 128);
+                Print((i * game.menuspacing) - 16 +game.menuxoff, 144 + (i * 12)+game.menuyoff, buffer, 128, 128, 128);
             }
           }
         }