diff --git a/builtin.cpp b/builtin.cpp
index 6b0fb3217..861d355dc 100644
--- a/builtin.cpp
+++ b/builtin.cpp
@@ -471,10 +471,10 @@ static int builtin_bind_add(const wchar_t *seq, const wchar_t *cmd, int terminfo
 
     if (terminfo)
     {
-        const wchar_t *seq2 = input_terminfo_get_sequence(seq);
-        if (seq2)
+        wcstring seq2;
+        if (input_terminfo_get_sequence(seq, &seq2))
         {
-            input_mapping_add(seq2, cmd);
+            input_mapping_add(seq2.c_str(), cmd);
         }
         else
         {
diff --git a/input.cpp b/input.cpp
index e23a1b7ac..eddcc545f 100644
--- a/input.cpp
+++ b/input.cpp
@@ -241,17 +241,14 @@ static void input_terminfo_init();
    Returns the function description for the given function code.
 */
 
-void input_mapping_add(const wchar_t *sequence,
-                       const wchar_t *command)
+void input_mapping_add(const wchar_t *sequence, const wchar_t *command)
 {
-    size_t i;
     CHECK(sequence,);
     CHECK(command,);
 
     //  debug( 0, L"Add mapping from %ls to %ls", escape(sequence, 1), escape(command, 1 ) );
 
-
-    for (i=0; i<mapping_list.size(); i++)
+    for (size_t i=0; i<mapping_list.size(); i++)
     {
         input_mapping_t &m = mapping_list.at(i);
         if (m.seq == sequence)
@@ -774,12 +771,11 @@ static void input_terminfo_init()
     terminfo_mappings.insert(terminfo_mappings.end(), tinfos, tinfos + count);
 }
 
-const wchar_t *input_terminfo_get_sequence(const wchar_t *name)
+bool input_terminfo_get_sequence(const wchar_t *name, wcstring *out_seq)
 {
     ASSERT_IS_MAIN_THREAD();
 
     const char *res = 0;
-    static wcstring buff;
     int err = ENOENT;
 
     CHECK(name, 0);
@@ -799,11 +795,11 @@ const wchar_t *input_terminfo_get_sequence(const wchar_t *name)
     if (!res)
     {
         errno = err;
-        return 0;
-    }
-
-    buff = format_string(L"%s", res);
-    return buff.c_str();
+        return false;
+    }   
+    
+    *out_seq = format_string(L"%s", res);
+    return true;
 
 }
 
diff --git a/input.h b/input.h
index 484551444..bc68fbe07 100644
--- a/input.h
+++ b/input.h
@@ -117,10 +117,10 @@ bool input_mapping_get(const wcstring &sequence, wcstring &cmd);
 /**
    Return the sequence for the terminfo variable of the specified name.
 
-   If no terminfo variable of the specified name could be found, return 0 and set errno to ENOENT.
-   If the terminfo variable does not have a value, return 0 and set errno to EILSEQ.
+   If no terminfo variable of the specified name could be found, return false and set errno to ENOENT.
+   If the terminfo variable does not have a value, return false and set errno to EILSEQ.
  */
-const wchar_t *input_terminfo_get_sequence(const wchar_t *name);
+bool input_terminfo_get_sequence(const wchar_t *name, wcstring *out_seq);
 
 /** Return the name of the terminfo variable with the specified sequence */
 bool input_terminfo_get_name(const wcstring &seq, wcstring &name);