diff --git a/reftable/stack.c b/reftable/stack.c
index 7e617c25914..d7bc1187dfb 100644
--- a/reftable/stack.c
+++ b/reftable/stack.c
@@ -1387,12 +1387,18 @@ static int stack_compact_range(struct reftable_stack *st,
 	 * have just written. In case the compacted table became empty we
 	 * simply skip writing it.
 	 */
-	for (i = 0; i < first_to_replace; i++)
-		strbuf_addf(&tables_list_buf, "%s\n", names[i]);
-	if (!is_empty_table)
-		strbuf_addf(&tables_list_buf, "%s\n", new_table_name.buf);
-	for (i = last_to_replace + 1; names[i]; i++)
-		strbuf_addf(&tables_list_buf, "%s\n", names[i]);
+	for (i = 0; i < first_to_replace; i++) {
+		strbuf_addstr(&tables_list_buf, names[i]);
+		strbuf_addstr(&tables_list_buf, "\n");
+	}
+	if (!is_empty_table) {
+		strbuf_addstr(&tables_list_buf, new_table_name.buf);
+		strbuf_addstr(&tables_list_buf, "\n");
+	}
+	for (i = last_to_replace + 1; names[i]; i++) {
+		strbuf_addstr(&tables_list_buf, names[i]);
+		strbuf_addstr(&tables_list_buf, "\n");
+	}
 
 	err = write_in_full(get_lock_file_fd(&tables_list_lock),
 			    tables_list_buf.buf, tables_list_buf.len);
diff --git a/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-block.c b/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-block.c
index d470060e8be..8077bbc5e7a 100644
--- a/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-block.c
+++ b/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-block.c
@@ -308,10 +308,13 @@ static void t_index_block_read_write(void)
 	check(!ret);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < N; i++) {
-		strbuf_init(&recs[i].u.idx.last_key, 9);
+		char buf[128];
+
+		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "branch%02"PRIuMAX, (uintmax_t)i);
 
+		strbuf_init(&recs[i].u.idx.last_key, 9);
 		recs[i].type = BLOCK_TYPE_INDEX;
-		strbuf_addf(&recs[i].u.idx.last_key, "branch%02"PRIuMAX, (uintmax_t)i);
+		strbuf_addstr(&recs[i].u.idx.last_key, buf);
 		recs[i].u.idx.offset = i;
 
 		ret = block_writer_add(&bw, &recs[i]);
diff --git a/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-readwrite.c b/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-readwrite.c
index 27ce84445e8..5f59b0ad6ad 100644
--- a/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-readwrite.c
+++ b/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-readwrite.c
@@ -753,12 +753,13 @@ static void t_write_multiple_indices(void)
 	struct reftable_write_options opts = {
 		.block_size = 100,
 	};
-	struct strbuf writer_buf = STRBUF_INIT, buf = STRBUF_INIT;
+	struct strbuf writer_buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct reftable_block_source source = { 0 };
 	struct reftable_iterator it = { 0 };
 	const struct reftable_stats *stats;
 	struct reftable_writer *writer;
 	struct reftable_reader *reader;
+	char buf[128];
 	int err, i;
 
 	writer = t_reftable_strbuf_writer(&writer_buf, &opts);
@@ -770,9 +771,8 @@ static void t_write_multiple_indices(void)
 			.value.val1 = {i},
 		};
 
-		strbuf_reset(&buf);
-		strbuf_addf(&buf, "refs/heads/%04d", i);
-		ref.refname = buf.buf,
+		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "refs/heads/%04d", i);
+		ref.refname = buf;
 
 		err = reftable_writer_add_ref(writer, &ref);
 		check(!err);
@@ -788,9 +788,8 @@ static void t_write_multiple_indices(void)
 			},
 		};
 
-		strbuf_reset(&buf);
-		strbuf_addf(&buf, "refs/heads/%04d", i);
-		log.refname = buf.buf,
+		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "refs/heads/%04d", i);
+		log.refname = buf;
 
 		err = reftable_writer_add_log(writer, &log);
 		check(!err);
@@ -824,7 +823,6 @@ static void t_write_multiple_indices(void)
 	reftable_writer_free(writer);
 	reftable_reader_decref(reader);
 	strbuf_release(&writer_buf);
-	strbuf_release(&buf);
 }
 
 static void t_write_multi_level_index(void)
@@ -848,10 +846,10 @@ static void t_write_multi_level_index(void)
 			.value_type = REFTABLE_REF_VAL1,
 			.value.val1 = {i},
 		};
+		char buf[128];
 
-		strbuf_reset(&buf);
-		strbuf_addf(&buf, "refs/heads/%03" PRIuMAX, (uintmax_t)i);
-		ref.refname = buf.buf,
+		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "refs/heads/%03" PRIuMAX, (uintmax_t)i);
+		ref.refname = buf;
 
 		err = reftable_writer_add_ref(writer, &ref);
 		check(!err);
diff --git a/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-stack.c b/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-stack.c
index 874095b9ee2..b56ea774312 100644
--- a/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-stack.c
+++ b/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-stack.c
@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@ static int write_test_ref(struct reftable_writer *wr, void *arg)
 static void write_n_ref_tables(struct reftable_stack *st,
 			       size_t n)
 {
-	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int disable_auto_compact;
 	int err;
 
@@ -117,10 +116,10 @@ static void write_n_ref_tables(struct reftable_stack *st,
 			.update_index = reftable_stack_next_update_index(st),
 			.value_type = REFTABLE_REF_VAL1,
 		};
+		char buf[128];
 
-		strbuf_reset(&buf);
-		strbuf_addf(&buf, "refs/heads/branch-%04"PRIuMAX, (uintmax_t)i);
-		ref.refname = buf.buf;
+		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "refs/heads/branch-%04"PRIuMAX, (uintmax_t)i);
+		ref.refname = buf;
 		t_reftable_set_hash(ref.value.val1, i, GIT_SHA1_FORMAT_ID);
 
 		err = reftable_stack_add(st, &write_test_ref, &ref);
@@ -128,7 +127,6 @@ static void write_n_ref_tables(struct reftable_stack *st,
 	}
 
 	st->opts.disable_auto_compact = disable_auto_compact;
-	strbuf_release(&buf);
 }
 
 struct write_log_arg {
@@ -434,7 +432,10 @@ static void t_reftable_stack_auto_compaction_fails_gracefully(void)
 	 * Adding a new table to the stack should not be impacted by this, even
 	 * though auto-compaction will now fail.
 	 */
-	strbuf_addf(&table_path, "%s/%s.lock", dir, st->readers[0]->name);
+	strbuf_addstr(&table_path, dir);
+	strbuf_addstr(&table_path, "/");
+	strbuf_addstr(&table_path, st->readers[0]->name);
+	strbuf_addstr(&table_path, ".lock");
 	write_file_buf(table_path.buf, "", 0);
 
 	ref.update_index = 2;
@@ -1077,8 +1078,10 @@ static void t_reftable_stack_auto_compaction_with_locked_tables(void)
 	 * size, we expect that auto-compaction will want to compact all of the
 	 * tables. Locking any of the tables will keep it from doing so.
 	 */
-	strbuf_reset(&buf);
-	strbuf_addf(&buf, "%s/%s.lock", dir, st->readers[2]->name);
+	strbuf_addstr(&buf, dir);
+	strbuf_addstr(&buf, "/");
+	strbuf_addstr(&buf, st->readers[2]->name);
+	strbuf_addstr(&buf, ".lock");
 	write_file_buf(buf.buf, "", 0);
 
 	/*
@@ -1101,7 +1104,6 @@ static void t_reftable_stack_add_performs_auto_compaction(void)
 {
 	struct reftable_write_options opts = { 0 };
 	struct reftable_stack *st = NULL;
-	struct strbuf refname = STRBUF_INIT;
 	char *dir = get_tmp_dir(__LINE__);
 	int err;
 	size_t i, n = 20;
@@ -1115,6 +1117,7 @@ static void t_reftable_stack_add_performs_auto_compaction(void)
 			.value_type = REFTABLE_REF_SYMREF,
 			.value.symref = (char *) "master",
 		};
+		char buf[128];
 
 		/*
 		 * Disable auto-compaction for all but the last runs. Like this
@@ -1123,9 +1126,8 @@ static void t_reftable_stack_add_performs_auto_compaction(void)
 		 */
 		st->opts.disable_auto_compact = i != n;
 
-		strbuf_reset(&refname);
-		strbuf_addf(&refname, "branch-%04"PRIuMAX, (uintmax_t)i);
-		ref.refname = refname.buf;
+		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "branch-%04"PRIuMAX, (uintmax_t)i);
+		ref.refname = buf;
 
 		err = reftable_stack_add(st, write_test_ref, &ref);
 		check(!err);
@@ -1142,7 +1144,6 @@ static void t_reftable_stack_add_performs_auto_compaction(void)
 	}
 
 	reftable_stack_destroy(st);
-	strbuf_release(&refname);
 	clear_dir(dir);
 }
 
@@ -1163,8 +1164,10 @@ static void t_reftable_stack_compaction_with_locked_tables(void)
 	check_int(st->merged->readers_len, ==, 3);
 
 	/* Lock one of the tables that we're about to compact. */
-	strbuf_reset(&buf);
-	strbuf_addf(&buf, "%s/%s.lock", dir, st->readers[1]->name);
+	strbuf_addstr(&buf, dir);
+	strbuf_addstr(&buf, "/");
+	strbuf_addstr(&buf, st->readers[1]->name);
+	strbuf_addstr(&buf, ".lock");
 	write_file_buf(buf.buf, "", 0);
 
 	/*
@@ -1321,10 +1324,13 @@ static void t_reftable_stack_reload_with_missing_table(void)
 	 * our old readers. This should trigger a partial reload of the stack,
 	 * where we try to reuse our old readers.
 	*/
-	strbuf_addf(&content, "%s\n", st->readers[0]->name);
-	strbuf_addf(&content, "%s\n", st->readers[1]->name);
+	strbuf_addstr(&content, st->readers[0]->name);
+	strbuf_addstr(&content, "\n");
+	strbuf_addstr(&content, st->readers[1]->name);
+	strbuf_addstr(&content, "\n");
 	strbuf_addstr(&content, "garbage\n");
-	strbuf_addf(&table_path, "%s.lock", st->list_file);
+	strbuf_addstr(&table_path, st->list_file);
+	strbuf_addstr(&table_path, ".lock");
 	write_file_buf(table_path.buf, content.buf, content.len);
 	err = rename(table_path.buf, st->list_file);
 	check(!err);
