diff --git a/php/src/ncvar_attr.c b/php/src/ncvar_attr.c
index e041a0e..2318f6e 100644
--- a/php/src/ncvar_attr.c
+++ b/php/src/ncvar_attr.c
@@ -52,9 +52,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 			if (xtype == NC_CHAR) {
 				size_t attlen = 0;
 				check(nc_inq_attlen(ncID, varID, name_in, &attlen));
-				unsigned char *string_attr = (unsigned char *)malloc(attlen * sizeof(char*));	
+				unsigned char *string_attr = (unsigned char *)malloc(attlen * sizeof(char*) + 1);	
 				 
 				check(nc_get_att(ncID, varID, name_in, string_attr));
+				strcpy(&string_attr[attlen],"\0"); 
 				fprintf(stdout, "%s\n",  string_attr);	
 				free(string_attr);
 			}
--
libgit2 0.21.2