diff --git a/degesch.c b/degesch.c
index 711b970..58bbbb0 100644
--- a/degesch.c
+++ b/degesch.c
@@ -4121,7 +4121,7 @@ irc_fetch_next_nickname (struct server *s)
 
 	char *result = NULL;
 	if (s->nick_counter >= 0 && (size_t) s->nick_counter < v.len)
-		result = str_vector_steal (&v, s->nick_counter++);
+		result = xstrdup (v.vector[s->nick_counter++]);
 	if ((size_t) s->nick_counter >= v.len)
 		// Exhausted all nicknames
 		s->nick_counter = -1;