diff --git a/test/clib/test_clib.cpp b/test/clib/test_clib.cpp
index a2b5128581..65f4dc869c 100644
--- a/test/clib/test_clib.cpp
+++ b/test/clib/test_clib.cpp
@@ -10,14 +10,11 @@ using ::testing::HasSubstr;
 
 string reportError()
 {
-    int buflen = 0;
-    char* output_buf = 0;
-    buflen = ct_getCanteraError(buflen, output_buf) + 1;
-    output_buf = new char[buflen];
-    ct_getCanteraError(buflen, output_buf);
-    string err = output_buf;
-    delete[] output_buf;
-    return err;
+    vector<char> output_buf;
+    int buflen = ct_getCanteraError(0, output_buf.data()) + 1;
+    output_buf.resize(buflen);
+    ct_getCanteraError(buflen, output_buf.data());
+    return string(output_buf.data());
 }
 
 TEST(ct, cabinet_exceptions)
@@ -62,11 +59,10 @@ TEST(ct, new_solution)
     int thermo = soln_thermo(ref);
     ASSERT_EQ(thermo_parent(thermo), ref);
 
-    char* buf = new char[buflen];
-    soln_name(ref, buflen, buf);
-    string solName = buf;
+    vector<char> buf(buflen);
+    soln_name(ref, buflen, buf.data());
+    string solName(buf.data());
     ASSERT_EQ(solName, name);
-    delete[] buf;
 }
 
 TEST(ct, soln_objects)
@@ -142,19 +138,17 @@ TEST(ct, new_interface)
 
     int ph_surf = soln_thermo(surf);
     int buflen = soln_name(ph_surf, 0, 0) + 1; // include \0
-    char* buf = new char[buflen];
-    soln_name(ph_surf, buflen, buf);
-    string solName = buf;
+    vector<char> buf(buflen);
+    soln_name(ph_surf, buflen, buf.data());
+    string solName(buf.data());
     ASSERT_EQ(solName, "Pt_surf");
-    delete[] buf;
 
     int kin_surf = soln_kinetics(surf);
     buflen = kin_getType(kin_surf, 0, 0) + 1; // include \0
-    buf = new char[buflen];
-    kin_getType(ph_surf, buflen, buf);
-    string kinType = buf;
+    buf.resize(buflen);
+    kin_getType(ph_surf, buflen, buf.data());
+    string kinType(buf.data());
     ASSERT_EQ(kinType, "surface");
-    delete[] buf;
 }
 
 TEST(ct, new_interface_auto)
@@ -170,18 +164,16 @@ TEST(ct, new_interface_auto)
     ASSERT_EQ(gas, 1);
 
     int buflen = soln_name(gas, 0, 0) + 1; // include \0
-    char* buf = new char[buflen];
-    soln_name(gas, buflen, buf);
-    string solName = buf;
+    vector<char> buf(buflen);
+    soln_name(gas, buflen, buf.data());
+    string solName(buf.data());
     ASSERT_EQ(solName, "gas");
-    delete[] buf;
 
     buflen = soln_adjacentName(surf, 0, 0, 0) + 1;
-    char* buf2 = new char[buflen];
-    soln_adjacentName(surf, 0, buflen, buf2);
-    solName = buf2;
+    buf.resize(buflen);
+    soln_adjacentName(surf, 0, buflen, buf.data());
+    solName = buf.data();
     ASSERT_EQ(solName, "gas");
-    delete[] buf2;
 }
 
 TEST(ct, thermo)
diff --git a/test/clib/test_ctfunc.cpp b/test/clib/test_ctfunc.cpp
index 80332d3c84..bacc31d97d 100644
--- a/test/clib/test_ctfunc.cpp
+++ b/test/clib/test_ctfunc.cpp
@@ -27,11 +27,10 @@ TEST(ctfunc, sin)
     EXPECT_DOUBLE_EQ(func_value(dfcn, 0.5), omega * cos(omega * 0.5));
 
     int buflen = func_write(fcn, "x", 0, 0);
-    char* buf = new char[buflen];
-    func_write(fcn, "x", buflen, buf);
-    string rep = buf;
+    vector<char> buf(buflen);
+    func_write(fcn, "x", buflen, buf.data());
+    string rep(buf.data());
     ASSERT_EQ(rep, "\\sin(2.1x)");
-    delete[] buf;
 }
 
 TEST(ctfunc, cos)
@@ -123,11 +122,10 @@ TEST(ctfunc, poly)
     params = {1, 0, -2.2, 3.1};
     fcn = func_new_advanced("polynomial3", params.size(), params.data());
     int buflen = func_write(fcn, "x", 0, 0);
-    char* buf = new char[buflen];
-    func_write(fcn, "x", buflen, buf);
-    string rep = buf;
+    vector<char> buf(buflen);
+    func_write(fcn, "x", buflen, buf.data());
+    string rep(buf.data());
     ASSERT_EQ(rep, "x^3 - 2.2x + 3.1");
-    delete[] buf;
 }
 
 TEST(ctfunc, Fourier)
diff --git a/test/clib/test_ctonedim.cpp b/test/clib/test_ctonedim.cpp
index 6325835b91..3e4f45d20b 100644
--- a/test/clib/test_ctonedim.cpp
+++ b/test/clib/test_ctonedim.cpp
@@ -29,11 +29,10 @@ TEST(ctonedim, freeflow)
     ASSERT_NEAR(flow1D_pressure(flow), P, 1e-5);
 
     int buflen = domain_type(flow, 0, 0);
-    char* buf = new char[buflen];
-    domain_type(flow, buflen, buf);
-    string domType = buf;
+    vector<char> buf(buflen);
+    domain_type(flow, buflen, buf.data());
+    string domType(buf.data());
     ASSERT_EQ(domType, "free-flow");
-    delete[] buf;
 }
 
 TEST(ctonedim, inlet)
@@ -43,11 +42,10 @@ TEST(ctonedim, inlet)
     ASSERT_GE(inlet, 0);
 
     int buflen = domain_type(inlet, 0, 0);
-    char* buf = new char[buflen];
-    domain_type(inlet, buflen, buf);
-    string domType = buf;
+    vector<char> buf(buflen);
+    domain_type(inlet, buflen, buf.data());
+    string domType(buf.data());
     ASSERT_EQ(domType, "inlet");
-    delete[] buf;
 }
 
 TEST(ctonedim, outlet)
@@ -57,11 +55,10 @@ TEST(ctonedim, outlet)
     ASSERT_GE(outlet, 0);
 
     int buflen = domain_type(outlet, 0, 0);
-    char* buf = new char[buflen];
-    domain_type(outlet, buflen, buf);
-    string domType = buf;
+    vector<char> buf(buflen);
+    domain_type(outlet, buflen, buf.data());
+    string domType(buf.data());
     ASSERT_EQ(domType, "outlet");
-    delete[] buf;
 }
 
 TEST(ctonedim, reacting_surface)
@@ -71,11 +68,10 @@ TEST(ctonedim, reacting_surface)
     ASSERT_GE(surf, 0);
 
     int buflen = domain_type(surf, 0, 0);
-    char* buf = new char[buflen];
-    domain_type(surf, buflen, buf);
-    string domType = buf;
+    vector<char> buf(buflen);
+    domain_type(surf, buflen, buf.data());
+    string domType(buf.data());
     ASSERT_EQ(domType, "reacting-surface");
-    delete[] buf;
 }
 
 TEST(ctonedim, catcomb)
@@ -170,11 +166,11 @@ TEST(ctonedim, freeflame)
     for (size_t i = 0; i < nsp; i++) {
         value = {yin[i], yin[i], yout[i], yout[i]};
         int buflen = thermo_getSpeciesName(ph, i, 0, 0) + 1; // include \0
-        char* buf = new char[buflen];
-        thermo_getSpeciesName(ph, i, buflen, buf);
-        string name = buf;
+        vector<char> buf(buflen);
+        thermo_getSpeciesName(ph, i, buflen, buf.data());
+        string name(buf.data());
         ASSERT_EQ(name, gas->speciesName(i));
-        comp = static_cast<int>(domain_componentIndex(flow, buf));
+        comp = static_cast<int>(domain_componentIndex(flow, buf.data()));
         sim1D_setProfile(flame, dom, comp, 4, locs.data(), 4, value.data());
     }
 
diff --git a/test/clib/test_ctreactor.cpp b/test/clib/test_ctreactor.cpp
index cd84174383..bda8ba4d29 100644
--- a/test/clib/test_ctreactor.cpp
+++ b/test/clib/test_ctreactor.cpp
@@ -17,11 +17,10 @@ TEST(ctreactor, reactor_soln)
     int ret = reactor_setName(reactor, "spam");
     ASSERT_EQ(ret, 0);
     int buflen = reactor_name(reactor, 0, 0);
-    char* buf = new char[buflen];
-    reactor_name(reactor, buflen, buf);
-    string rName = buf;
+    vector<char> buf(buflen);
+    reactor_name(reactor, buflen, buf.data());
+    string rName(buf.data());
     ASSERT_EQ(rName, "spam");
-    delete[] buf;
 }
 
 vector<double> T_ctreactor = {