diff --git a/agent/command.c b/agent/command.c
index 0916f886a..3a547ffaa 100644
--- a/agent/command.c
+++ b/agent/command.c
@@ -293,50 +293,19 @@ parse_keygrip (assuan_context_t ctx, const char *string, unsigned char *buf)
 
 
 /* Write an Assuan status line.  KEYWORD is the first item on the
-   status line.  The following arguments are all separated by a space
-   in the output.  The last argument must be a NULL.  Linefeeds and
-   carriage returns characters (which are not allowed in an Assuan
-   status line) are silently quoted in C-style.  */
+ * status line.  The following arguments are all separated by a space
+ * in the output.  The last argument must be a NULL.  Linefeeds and
+ * carriage returns characters (which are not allowed in an Assuan
+ * status line) are silently quoted in C-style.  */
 gpg_error_t
 agent_write_status (ctrl_t ctrl, const char *keyword, ...)
 {
-  gpg_error_t err = 0;
+  gpg_error_t err;
   va_list arg_ptr;
-  const char *text;
   assuan_context_t ctx = ctrl->server_local->assuan_ctx;
-  char buf[950], *p;
-  size_t n;
 
   va_start (arg_ptr, keyword);
-
-  p = buf;
-  n = 0;
-  while ( (text = va_arg (arg_ptr, const char *)) )
-    {
-      if (n)
-        {
-          *p++ = ' ';
-          n++;
-        }
-      for ( ; *text && n < DIM (buf)-3; n++, text++)
-        {
-          if (*text == '\n')
-            {
-              *p++ = '\\';
-              *p++ = 'n';
-            }
-          else if (*text == '\r')
-            {
-              *p++ = '\\';
-              *p++ = 'r';
-            }
-          else
-            *p++ = *text;
-        }
-    }
-  *p = 0;
-  err = assuan_write_status (ctx, keyword, buf);
-
+  err = vprint_assuan_status_strings (ctx, keyword, arg_ptr);
   va_end (arg_ptr);
   return err;
 }
diff --git a/common/asshelp.h b/common/asshelp.h
index f169d8774..bf1bd1705 100644
--- a/common/asshelp.h
+++ b/common/asshelp.h
@@ -93,5 +93,12 @@ gpg_error_t vprint_assuan_status (assuan_context_t ctx,
                                   const char *format,
                                   va_list arg_ptr) GPGRT_ATTR_PRINTF(3,0);
 
+gpg_error_t vprint_assuan_status_strings (assuan_context_t ctx,
+                                          const char *keyword,
+                                          va_list arg_ptr);
+gpg_error_t print_assuan_status_strings (assuan_context_t ctx,
+                                         const char *keyword,
+                                         ...) GPGRT_ATTR_SENTINEL(1);
+
 
 #endif /*GNUPG_COMMON_ASSHELP_H*/
diff --git a/common/asshelp2.c b/common/asshelp2.c
index f85c1e67e..0a7c4549d 100644
--- a/common/asshelp2.c
+++ b/common/asshelp2.c
@@ -71,3 +71,66 @@ print_assuan_status (assuan_context_t ctx,
   va_end (arg_ptr);
   return err;
 }
+
+
+/* Helper function to print a list of strings as an assuan status
+ * line.  KEYWORD is the first item on the status line.  ARG_PTR is a
+ * list of strings which are all separated by a space in the output.
+ * The last argument must be a NULL.  Linefeeds and carriage returns
+ * characters (which are not allowed in an Assuan status line) are
+ * silently quoted in C-style.  */
+gpg_error_t
+vprint_assuan_status_strings (assuan_context_t ctx,
+                              const char *keyword, va_list arg_ptr)
+{
+  gpg_error_t err = 0;
+  const char *text;
+  char buf[950], *p;
+  size_t n;
+
+  p = buf;
+  n = 0;
+  while ((text = va_arg (arg_ptr, const char *)) && n < DIM (buf)-3 )
+    {
+      if (n)
+        {
+          *p++ = ' ';
+          n++;
+        }
+      for ( ; *text && n < DIM (buf)-3; n++, text++)
+        {
+          if (*text == '\n')
+            {
+              *p++ = '\\';
+              *p++ = 'n';
+              n++;
+            }
+          else if (*text == '\r')
+            {
+              *p++ = '\\';
+              *p++ = 'r';
+              n++;
+            }
+          else
+            *p++ = *text;
+        }
+    }
+  *p = 0;
+  err = assuan_write_status (ctx, keyword, buf);
+
+  return err;
+}
+
+
+/* See vprint_assuan_status_strings.  */
+gpg_error_t
+print_assuan_status_strings (assuan_context_t ctx, const char *keyword, ...)
+{
+  va_list arg_ptr;
+  gpg_error_t err;
+
+  va_start (arg_ptr, keyword);
+  err = vprint_assuan_status_strings (ctx, keyword, arg_ptr);
+  va_end (arg_ptr);
+  return err;
+}
diff --git a/dirmngr/server.c b/dirmngr/server.c
index ab2ca852f..60d980211 100644
--- a/dirmngr/server.c
+++ b/dirmngr/server.c
@@ -2834,30 +2834,13 @@ dirmngr_status (ctrl_t ctrl, const char *keyword, ...)
 {
   gpg_error_t err = 0;
   va_list arg_ptr;
-  const char *text;
   assuan_context_t ctx;
 
   va_start (arg_ptr, keyword);
 
   if (ctrl->server_local && (ctx = ctrl->server_local->assuan_ctx))
     {
-      char buf[950], *p;
-      size_t n;
-
-      p = buf;
-      n = 0;
-      while ( (text = va_arg (arg_ptr, const char *)) )
-        {
-          if (n)
-            {
-              *p++ = ' ';
-              n++;
-            }
-          for ( ; *text && n < DIM (buf)-2; n++)
-            *p++ = *text++;
-        }
-      *p = 0;
-      err = assuan_write_status (ctx, keyword, buf);
+      err = vprint_assuan_status_strings (ctx, keyword, arg_ptr);
     }
 
   va_end (arg_ptr);
diff --git a/g13/server.c b/g13/server.c
index bbe42d4f6..defde6c02 100644
--- a/g13/server.c
+++ b/g13/server.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include "mount.h"
 #include "suspend.h"
 #include "../common/server-help.h"
+#include "../common/asshelp.h"
 #include "../common/call-gpg.h"
 
 
@@ -737,24 +738,8 @@ g13_status (ctrl_t ctrl, int no, ...)
     }
   else
     {
-      assuan_context_t ctx = ctrl->server_local->assuan_ctx;
-      char buf[950], *p;
-      size_t n;
-
-      p = buf;
-      n = 0;
-      while ( (text = va_arg (arg_ptr, const char *)) )
-        {
-          if (n)
-            {
-              *p++ = ' ';
-              n++;
-            }
-          for ( ; *text && n < DIM (buf)-2; n++)
-            *p++ = *text++;
-        }
-      *p = 0;
-      err = assuan_write_status (ctx, get_status_string (no), buf);
+      err = vprint_assuan_status_strings (ctrl->server_local->assuan_ctx,
+                                          get_status_string (no), arg_ptr);
     }
 
   va_end (arg_ptr);
diff --git a/g13/sh-cmd.c b/g13/sh-cmd.c
index b57369d9c..791e3b7f4 100644
--- a/g13/sh-cmd.c
+++ b/g13/sh-cmd.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "g13-syshelp.h"
 #include <assuan.h>
 #include "../common/i18n.h"
+#include "../common/asshelp.h"
 #include "keyblob.h"
 
 
@@ -904,34 +905,13 @@ sh_encrypt_keyblob (ctrl_t ctrl, const void *keyblob, size_t keybloblen,
 gpg_error_t
 g13_status (ctrl_t ctrl, int no, ...)
 {
-  gpg_error_t err = 0;
+  gpg_error_t err;
   va_list arg_ptr;
-  const char *text;
 
   va_start (arg_ptr, no);
 
-  if (1)
-    {
-      assuan_context_t ctx = ctrl->server_local->assuan_ctx;
-      char buf[950], *p;
-      size_t n;
-
-      p = buf;
-      n = 0;
-      while ( (text = va_arg (arg_ptr, const char *)) )
-        {
-          if (n)
-            {
-              *p++ = ' ';
-              n++;
-            }
-          for ( ; *text && n < DIM (buf)-2; n++)
-            *p++ = *text++;
-        }
-      *p = 0;
-      err = assuan_write_status (ctx, get_status_string (no), buf);
-    }
-
+  err = vprint_assuan_status_strings (ctrl->server_local->assuan_ctx,
+                                      get_status_string (no), arg_ptr);
   va_end (arg_ptr);
   return err;
 }
diff --git a/scd/command.c b/scd/command.c
index 6bcbce4fc..701151894 100644
--- a/scd/command.c
+++ b/scd/command.c
@@ -1848,7 +1848,8 @@ send_status_info (ctrl_t ctrl, const char *keyword, ...)
 
   p = buf;
   n = 0;
-  while ( (value = va_arg (arg_ptr, const unsigned char *)) )
+  while ( (value = va_arg (arg_ptr, const unsigned char *))
+           && n < DIM (buf)-2 )
     {
       valuelen = va_arg (arg_ptr, size_t);
       if (!valuelen)
@@ -1865,6 +1866,7 @@ send_status_info (ctrl_t ctrl, const char *keyword, ...)
             {
               sprintf (p, "%%%02X", *value);
               p += 3;
+              n += 2;
             }
           else if (*value == ' ')
             *p++ = '+';
diff --git a/sm/server.c b/sm/server.c
index 568e51b17..721f3faf0 100644
--- a/sm/server.c
+++ b/sm/server.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include <assuan.h>
 #include "../common/sysutils.h"
 #include "../common/server-help.h"
+#include "../common/asshelp.h"
 
 #define set_error(e,t) assuan_set_error (ctx, gpg_error (e), (t))
 
@@ -1426,24 +1427,8 @@ gpgsm_status2 (ctrl_t ctrl, int no, ...)
     }
   else
     {
-      assuan_context_t ctx = ctrl->server_local->assuan_ctx;
-      char buf[950], *p;
-      size_t n;
-
-      p = buf;
-      n = 0;
-      while ( (text = va_arg (arg_ptr, const char *)) )
-        {
-          if (n)
-            {
-              *p++ = ' ';
-              n++;
-            }
-          for ( ; *text && n < DIM (buf)-2; n++)
-            *p++ = *text++;
-        }
-      *p = 0;
-      err = assuan_write_status (ctx, get_status_string (no), buf);
+      err = vprint_assuan_status_strings (ctrl->server_local->assuan_ctx,
+                                          get_status_string (no), arg_ptr);
     }
 
   va_end (arg_ptr);