diff --git a/src/frontend/variable.c b/src/frontend/variable.c
index 5883b4c0a..0f0818ef4 100644
--- a/src/frontend/variable.c
+++ b/src/frontend/variable.c
@@ -729,12 +729,12 @@ cp_getvar(char *name, enum cp_types type, void *retval, size_t rsize)
             case CP_STRING: {   /* Gotta be careful to have room. */
                 char *s = cp_unquote(v->va_string);
                 cp_wstrip(s);
-                if (strlen(s) >= rsize - 1) {
-                    fprintf(stderr, "Internal Error: string length for variable %s is limited to %zu chars\n", v->va_name, rsize);
-                    controlled_exit(EXIT_BAD);
+                if (strlen(s) > rsize) {
+                    fprintf(stderr, "Warning: string length for variable %s is limited to %zu chars\n", v->va_name, rsize);
+                    /* limit the string length */
+                    s[rsize] = '\0';
                 }
-                else
-                    strcpy((char*) retval, s);
+                strcpy((char*) retval, s);
                 tfree(s);
                 break;
             }