diff --git a/core/admin.c b/core/admin.c
index d521a99158299927167fd2b7a2ddf1cda9b951d8..3e5ddfe721ea3df6c0cde37f5b931c317d3dfd74 100644
--- a/core/admin.c
+++ b/core/admin.c
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ static const char *help =
 	" - reload configuration" CRLF;
 
 
-static const char unknown_command[] = "unknown command. try typing help." CRLF;
+static const char *unknown_command = "unknown command. try typing help." CRLF;
 
 
 #line 65 "core/admin.c"
@@ -1457,7 +1457,7 @@ case 107:
 
 	if (p != pe) {
 		start(out);
-		tbuf_append(out, unknown_command, sizeof(unknown_command) - 1);
+		tbuf_append(out, unknown_command, strlen(unknown_command));
 		end(out);
 	}
 
diff --git a/core/admin.rl b/core/admin.rl
index 514b467a4f86a13c813b132f1a2455bd9e55dbbe..bed4f22a8df8fc99bdb130506c07c2bca68547d3 100644
--- a/core/admin.rl
+++ b/core/admin.rl
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ static const char *help =
 	" - reload configuration" CRLF;
 
 
-static const char unknown_command[] = "unknown command. try typing help." CRLF;
+static const char *unknown_command = "unknown command. try typing help." CRLF;
 
 %%{
 	machine admin;
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ admin_dispatch(void)
 
 	if (p != pe) {
 		start(out);
-		tbuf_append(out, unknown_command, sizeof(unknown_command) - 1);
+		tbuf_append(out, unknown_command, strlen(unknown_command));
 		end(out);
 	}