--- a/frontends/xml/vcd_xml_common.c	2018-01-03 21:17:37.000000000 +0100
+++ b/frontends/xml/vcd_xml_common.c	2026-10-19 17:17:09.245370091 +0200
@@ -222,48 +222,42 @@ void vcd_xml_print_version (void)
 static char *
 _convert (const char in[], const char encoding[], bool from)
 {
-  unsigned char *out;
-  int ret, size, out_size, temp;
+  xmlBufferPtr inbuf, outbuf;
+  char *out = 0;
+  int ret;
   xmlCharEncodingHandlerPtr handler = 0;
 
   if (!in)
     return 0;
 
+  if (xmlParseCharEncoding (encoding) == XML_CHAR_ENCODING_UTF8)
+    return strdup (in);
+
   if (!(handler = xmlFindCharEncodingHandler (encoding))) {
     vcd_error ("could not find charset conversion handler for '%s'", encoding);
     return 0;
   }
 
-  size = (int) strlen (in) + 1;
-  out_size = size * 2 - 1;
-  out = malloc ((size_t) out_size);
-
-  vcd_assert (out != 0);
-
-  temp = size - 1;
-  if (from) {
-    if (NULL != handler->output)
-      ret = handler->output (out, &out_size, (const unsigned char *) in, &temp);
-    else
-      return strdup(in);
-  } else {
-    if (NULL != handler->input)
-      ret = handler->input (out, &out_size, (const unsigned char *) in, &temp);
-    else
-      return strdup(in);
-  }
-
-  if (ret < 0 || (temp - size + 1))
-    {
-      free (out);
-      vcd_error ("charset conversion failed for encoding '%s'", encoding);
-      return 0;
-    }
-
-  out = realloc (out, out_size + 1);
-  out[out_size] = 0;
+  inbuf = xmlBufferCreate ();
+  outbuf = xmlBufferCreate ();
+  vcd_assert (inbuf != 0 && outbuf != 0);
+  xmlBufferCat (inbuf, (const xmlChar *) in);
+
+  if (from)
+    ret = xmlCharEncOutFunc (handler, outbuf, inbuf);
+  else
+    ret = xmlCharEncInFunc (handler, outbuf, inbuf);
+
+  if (ret < 0 || xmlBufferLength (inbuf))
+    vcd_error ("charset conversion failed for encoding '%s'", encoding);
+  else
+    out = strdup ((const char *) xmlBufferContent (outbuf));
+
+  xmlBufferFree (inbuf);
+  xmlBufferFree (outbuf);
+  xmlCharEncCloseFunc (handler);
 
-  return (char *) out;
+  return out;
 }