diff --git a/include/decl.h b/include/decl.h
index 1ea39d6f9..8ca46678a 100644
--- a/include/decl.h
+++ b/include/decl.h
@@ -1175,7 +1175,7 @@ struct instance_globals_saved_n {
     /* dungeon.c */
     int n_dgns; /* number of dungeons (also used in mklev.c and do.c) */
     /* files.c */
-    char nhuuid[37];
+    char nhuuid[NHUUIDSZ];
     /* mkroom.c */
     int nroom;
     /* region.c */
diff --git a/include/hack.h b/include/hack.h
index b59a712b1..425094f5b 100644
--- a/include/hack.h
+++ b/include/hack.h
@@ -709,6 +709,10 @@ enum nhcb_calls {
     NUM_NHCB
 };
 
+#ifdef NHUUID
+#define NHUUIDSZ 37
+#endif
+
 struct plinemsg_type {
     xint16 msgtype;  /* one of MSGTYP_foo */
     struct nhregex *regex;
diff --git a/sys/unix/macuuid.m b/sys/unix/macuuid.m
index fb5dc6699..26b86e3b6 100644
--- a/sys/unix/macuuid.m
+++ b/sys/unix/macuuid.m
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 
 #include "hack.h"
 
-void free_macos_uuid(void);
 void get_macos_uuid(char *);
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
@@ -14,44 +13,22 @@ void get_macos_uuid(char *);
 /* #import <Foundation/Foundation.h> */
 #import <AppKit/AppKit.h>
 
-static const char *macos_uuid = 0;
-
-void
-free_macos_uuid(void)
-{
-    if (macos_uuid) {
-        free((genericptr_t) macos_uuid);
-        macos_uuid = 0;
-    } 
-}
-
 void
 get_macos_uuid(char *target)
 {
     NSString *uuidString = [[NSUUID UUID] UUIDString];
-    const char *str_uuid, *src;
-    char *dst;
+    const char *str_uuid;
     int i;
     
-    if (macos_uuid)
-        free_macos_uuid();
-
     /* str_uuid = [uuidString cStringUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding]; */
     str_uuid = [uuidString cStringUsingEncoding:NSASCIIStringEncoding];
-    macos_uuid = dupstr(str_uuid);
     
-    if (macos_uuid) {
-        src = macos_uuid;
-        dst = target;
-        for (i = 0; i < 36; ++i) {
-            *dst = *src;
-            ++src;
-            ++dst;
+    if (str_uuid && target) {
+        for (i = 0; i < (NHUUIDSZ -1 ); ++i) {
+            target[i] = str_uuid[i];
         }
-        dst[36] = '\0';
+        target[(NHUUIDSZ - 1)] = '\0';
     }
-    free_macos_uuid();
-    macos_uuid = 0;
     return;
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/unix/unixmain.c b/sys/unix/unixmain.c
index 73318c506..265e73619 100644
--- a/sys/unix/unixmain.c
+++ b/sys/unix/unixmain.c
@@ -843,15 +843,13 @@ sys_random_seed(void)
 
 #if defined(MACOS) && defined(NHUUID)
 extern void get_macos_uuid(char *); /* sys/unix/macuuid.m */
-extern void free_macos_uuid(void);  /* sys/unix/macuuid.m */
 #endif
 
 void
 get_nhuuid(void)
 {
 #if defined(NHUUID)
-    char struuid[37] = { 0 };
-    char *struuidptr = &struuid[0];
+    char struuid[NHUUIDSZ] = { 0 };
 #if defined(LINUX) && defined(NHUUID)
     uuid_t binuuid;
 #endif
@@ -866,8 +864,8 @@ get_nhuuid(void)
     uuid_unparse(binuuid, struuid);
 #endif /* MACOS || LINUX */
 
-    if (*struuidptr)
-        Snprintf(svn.nhuuid, sizeof svn.nhuuid, "%s", struuidptr);
+    if (struuid[0])
+        Snprintf(svn.nhuuid, sizeof svn.nhuuid, "%s", struuid);
 
 #endif  /* NHUUID */
 }