diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index 27d14a7d1..a70ec6ef1 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -2704,21 +2704,21 @@ static int reuse_worktree_file(const char *name, const unsigned char *sha1, int
 
 static int diff_populate_gitlink(struct diff_filespec *s, int size_only)
 {
-	int len;
-	char *data = xmalloc(100), *dirty = "";
+	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
+	char *dirty = "";
 
 	/* Are we looking at the work tree? */
 	if (s->dirty_submodule)
 		dirty = "-dirty";
 
-	len = snprintf(data, 100,
-		       "Subproject commit %s%s\n", sha1_to_hex(s->sha1), dirty);
-	s->data = data;
-	s->size = len;
-	s->should_free = 1;
+	strbuf_addf(&buf, "Subproject commit %s%s\n", sha1_to_hex(s->sha1), dirty);
+	s->size = buf.len;
 	if (size_only) {
 		s->data = NULL;
-		free(data);
+		strbuf_release(&buf);
+	} else {
+		s->data = strbuf_detach(&buf, NULL);
+		s->should_free = 1;
 	}
 	return 0;
 }