diff --git a/src/stdio/src/FibreIO/ScanStringArr.c b/src/stdio/src/FibreIO/ScanStringArr.c
index 1cea0ff2..e8d25aeb 100644
--- a/src/stdio/src/FibreIO/ScanStringArr.c
+++ b/src/stdio/src/FibreIO/ScanStringArr.c
@@ -21,10 +21,7 @@ void FibreScanStringArray( SAC_ND_PARAM_out( resout_nt, array *), FILE *stream)
   array *SAC_ND_A_FIELD( res_nt );
   int size;
   int i;
-
-  SAC_ND_ALLOC__DESC( res_nt, 0);
-  SAC_ND_SET__RC( res_nt, 1);
-
+  char* s;
   
   start_token = PARSE_STRING_ARRAY;
   doScan( stream);
@@ -35,14 +32,18 @@ void FibreScanStringArray( SAC_ND_PARAM_out( resout_nt, array *), FILE *stream)
   }
 
   res = SAC_StringArray_alloc( dims, size);
-
+  
   for( i=0; i < dims; i++) {
     res->shp[i] = shape[i];
   }
 
   res->data = stringarray;
 
+  SAC_ND_ALLOC__DESC( res_nt, 0);
+  SAC_ND_SET__RC( res_nt, 1);
+
   for( i=0; i < size ; i++) {
+    s = stringarray[i];
     SAC_ND_DECL__DESC( s_nt, );
     SAC_ND_ALLOC__DESC( s_nt, 0);
     SAC_ND_SET__RC( s_nt, 1);
@@ -68,10 +69,7 @@ void FibreScanStringArrayStr( SAC_ND_PARAM_out( resout_nt, array *), char *strea
   array *SAC_ND_A_FIELD( res_nt );
   int size;
   int i;
-
-  SAC_ND_ALLOC__DESC( res_nt, 0);
-  SAC_ND_SET__RC( res_nt, 1);
-
+  char* s;
   
   start_token = PARSE_STRING_ARRAY;
   yy_scan_string( stream);
@@ -90,7 +88,11 @@ void FibreScanStringArrayStr( SAC_ND_PARAM_out( resout_nt, array *), char *strea
 
   res->data = stringarray;
 
+  SAC_ND_ALLOC__DESC( res_nt, 0);
+  SAC_ND_SET__RC( res_nt, 1);
+
   for( i=0; i < size ; i++) {
+    s = stringarray[i];
     SAC_ND_DECL__DESC( s_nt, );
     SAC_ND_ALLOC__DESC( s_nt, 0);
     SAC_ND_SET__RC( s_nt, 1);
diff --git a/src/stdio/src/File/mkstemp.c b/src/stdio/src/File/mkstemp.c
index a903a657..8fd9a5a9 100644
--- a/src/stdio/src/File/mkstemp.c
+++ b/src/stdio/src/File/mkstemp.c
@@ -26,8 +26,7 @@ int SACmkstemp ( SAC_ND_PARAM_out_nodesc (filep_nt, FILE*),
   // initialise filep
   SAC_ND_A_FIELD (filep_nt) = NULL;
 
-  // alloc string descriptor and string
-  SAC_ND_ALLOC__DESC (str_nt, 0)
+  // alloc string
   SAC_ND_SET__RC (str_nt, 1)
   SAC_ND_A_FIELD (str_nt) = SAC_MALLOC (length + 1);
 
@@ -46,6 +45,9 @@ int SACmkstemp ( SAC_ND_PARAM_out_nodesc (filep_nt, FILE*),
 	    error = errno;
     }
   }
+  // alloc string descriptor 
+  SAC_ND_ALLOC__DESC (str_nt, 0)
+
 
   SAC_ND_RET_out__NODESC (filep_nt, filep_nt)
   SAC_ND_RET_out (str_nt, str_nt)
diff --git a/src/structures/src/StringArray/genarray.c b/src/structures/src/StringArray/genarray.c
index 877d59f8..aa846b40 100644
--- a/src/structures/src/StringArray/genarray.c
+++ b/src/structures/src/StringArray/genarray.c
@@ -17,9 +17,6 @@ void SAC_StringArray_genarray( SAC_ND_PARAM_out( resout_nt, array *),
   int dim, size;
   int i;
 
-  SAC_ND_ALLOC__DESC( res_nt, 0);
-  SAC_ND_SET__RC( res_nt, 1);
-
   dim = SAC_ND_A_DESC_SIZE( shp_nt );
   size = 1;
   for( i=0; i < dim; i++) {
@@ -28,6 +25,9 @@ void SAC_StringArray_genarray( SAC_ND_PARAM_out( resout_nt, array *),
 
   res = SAC_StringArray_alloc( dim, size);
 
+  SAC_ND_ALLOC__DESC( res_nt, 0);
+  SAC_ND_SET__RC( res_nt, 1);
+
   for( i=0; i < dim; i++) {
     res->shp[i] = SAC_ND_READ( shp_nt, i);
   }