diff --git a/src/common.c b/src/common.c
index c0076ff3..c52670d1 100644
--- a/src/common.c
+++ b/src/common.c
@@ -679,12 +679,12 @@ get_file_paths_recursive(const char* path, GSList** contents)
     }
 }
 
-char*
+gchar*
 get_random_string(int length)
 {
     GRand* prng;
-    char* rand;
-    char alphabet[] = "0123456789abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ";
+    gchar* rand;
+    gchar alphabet[] = "0123456789abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ";
     int endrange = sizeof(alphabet) - 1;
 
     rand = g_malloc0(length + 1);
diff --git a/src/common.h b/src/common.h
index 6d4c0007..1f83c817 100644
--- a/src/common.h
+++ b/src/common.h
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ int is_regular_file(const char* path);
 int is_dir(const char* path);
 void get_file_paths_recursive(const char* directory, GSList** contents);
 
-char* get_random_string(int length);
+gchar* get_random_string(int length);
 
 gboolean call_external(gchar** argv);
 gchar** format_call_external_argv(const char* template, const char* url, const char* filename);
diff --git a/src/tools/aesgcm_download.h b/src/tools/aesgcm_download.h
index 796b9389..37e15ff0 100644
--- a/src/tools/aesgcm_download.h
+++ b/src/tools/aesgcm_download.h
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
 
 typedef struct aesgcm_download_t
 {
-    char* id;
+    gchar* id;
     char* url;
     char* filename;
     char* cmd_template;
diff --git a/src/xmpp/connection.c b/src/xmpp/connection.c
index 97562786..72ea0e3d 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/connection.c
+++ b/src/xmpp/connection.c
@@ -830,10 +830,10 @@ connection_free_uuid(char* uuid)
     }
 }
 
-char*
+gchar*
 connection_create_stanza_id(void)
 {
-    auto_char char* rndid = get_random_string(CON_RAND_ID_LEN);
+    auto_gchar gchar* rndid = get_random_string(CON_RAND_ID_LEN);
     assert(rndid != NULL);
 
     auto_gchar gchar* hmac = g_compute_hmac_for_string(G_CHECKSUM_SHA1,
diff --git a/src/xmpp/jid.c b/src/xmpp/jid.c
index 6b5bb62c..cdb36628 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/jid.c
+++ b/src/xmpp/jid.c
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ jid_fulljid_or_barejid(Jid* jid)
 gchar*
 jid_random_resource(void)
 {
-    auto_char char* rand = get_random_string(4);
+    auto_gchar gchar* rand = get_random_string(4);
 
     gchar* result = g_strdup_printf("profanity.%s", rand);