diff --git a/sys/include/libc.h b/sys/include/libc.h
index 89e03b7..4631269 100644
--- a/sys/include/libc.h
+++ b/sys/include/libc.h
@@ -594,7 +594,7 @@ struct Waitmsg
 {
 	pid_t		pid;		/* of loved one */
 	uint32_t	time[3];	/* of loved one & descendants */
-	char		*msg;
+	char		msg[];
 } Waitmsg;
 
 extern	int	jehanne_access(const char*, int);
diff --git a/sys/src/lib/c/9sys/wait.c b/sys/src/lib/c/9sys/wait.c
index e3dfe61..b19f871 100644
--- a/sys/src/lib/c/9sys/wait.c
+++ b/sys/src/lib/c/9sys/wait.c
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ jehanne_wait(void)
 	w->time[0] = jehanne_atoi(fld[1]);
 	w->time[1] = jehanne_atoi(fld[2]);
 	w->time[2] = jehanne_atoi(fld[3]);
-	w->msg = (char*)&w[1];
 	jehanne_memmove(w->msg, fld[4], l);
 	return w;
 }