diff --git a/.github/workflows/cross.yml b/.github/workflows/cross.yml
index b2dd76a3071..ca36c1fc5f0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cross.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cross.yml
@@ -194,17 +194,18 @@ jobs:
           envs: 'AUTOCONF_VERSION'
           usesh: true
           prepare: |
-            pkg_add bash gmake autoconf-2.71 libtool gmp readline
+            pkg_add bash gmake autoconf-2.71 libtool gmp
 
           # Do the thing
           run: |
             set -x
+            rm -rf extern  # ensure we don't build and link against bundled libraries
             uname -a
             arch
             ls -al
             pwd
             env
             ./autogen.sh
-            ./configure
+            ./configure --with-gmp=/usr/local --without-readline
             gmake -j2 V=1
             gmake citests
diff --git a/etc/ffgen.c b/etc/ffgen.c
index 441b6202909..40b7764bb80 100644
--- a/etc/ffgen.c
+++ b/etc/ffgen.c
@@ -144,7 +144,8 @@ void emit_code(FILE * dest, int header)
 
 void emit_code_to_file_by_basename(int header, char * basename)
 {
-    char * filename = malloc(strlen(basename) + 3);
+    const len = strlen(basename) + 3;
+    char * filename = malloc(len);
     strcpy(filename, basename);
     strcat(filename, header ? ".h" : ".c");
     FILE * f = fopen(filename, "w");