diff --git a/client/client_types.C b/client/client_types.C
index f8727ed580..fad2fd02dd 100644
--- a/client/client_types.C
+++ b/client/client_types.C
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ int PROJECT::write_state(FILE* out) {
         nrpc_failures,
         min_rpc_time
     );
-    if (code_sign_key) {
+    if (strlen(code_sign_key)) {
         fprintf(out,
             "    <code_sign_key>\n%s</code_sign_key>\n", code_sign_key
         );
diff --git a/client/cs_scheduler.C b/client/cs_scheduler.C
index 39091b94a4..b24103da0c 100644
--- a/client/cs_scheduler.C
+++ b/client/cs_scheduler.C
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ int CLIENT_STATE::make_scheduler_request(PROJECT* p, double work_req) {
         core_client_minor_version,
         work_req
     );
-    if (p->code_sign_key) {
+    if (strlen(p->code_sign_key)) {
         fprintf(f, "<code_sign_key>\n%s</code_sign_key>\n", p->code_sign_key);
     }
 
diff --git a/client/scheduler_op.C b/client/scheduler_op.C
index 1c2e55286a..e13c7e820a 100644
--- a/client/scheduler_op.C
+++ b/client/scheduler_op.C
@@ -533,39 +533,34 @@ int SCHEDULER_REPLY::parse(FILE* in) {
         } else if (parse_int(buf, "<request_delay>", request_delay)) {
             continue;
         } else if (match_tag(buf, "<global_preferences>")) {
-            retval = copy_element_contents(
+            retval = dup_element_contents(
                 in,
                 "</global_preferences>",
-                global_prefs_xml,
-                sizeof(global_prefs_xml)
+                &global_prefs_xml
             );
             if (retval) return ERR_XML_PARSE;
         } else if (match_tag(buf, "<project_preferences>")) {
-            retval = copy_element_contents(
+            retval = dup_element_contents(
                 in,
                 "</project_preferences>",
-                project_prefs_xml,
-                sizeof(project_prefs_xml)
+                &project_prefs_xml
             );
             if (retval) return ERR_XML_PARSE;
         } else if (match_tag(buf, "<code_sign_key>")) {
-            retval = copy_element_contents(
+            retval = dup_element_contents(
                 in,
                 "</code_sign_key>",
-                code_sign_key,
-                sizeof(code_sign_key)
+                &code_sign_key
             );
-            //fprintf(stderr, "code_sign_key: %s\n", code_sign_key);
             if (retval) {
                 fprintf(stderr, "error: SCHEDULER_REPLY.parse: xml parsing error\n");
                 return ERR_XML_PARSE;
             }
         } else if (match_tag(buf, "<code_sign_key_signature>")) {
-            retval = copy_element_contents(
+            retval = dup_element_contents(
                 in,
                 "</code_sign_key_signature>",
-                code_sign_key_signature,
-                sizeof(code_sign_key_signature)
+                &code_sign_key_signature
             );
             if (retval) return ERR_XML_PARSE;
         } else if (match_tag(buf, "<app>")) {