diff --git a/api/epplet.c b/api/epplet.c
index 060b70c..b6a7907 100644
--- a/api/epplet.c
+++ b/api/epplet.c
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ struct _etimer {
    ETimer             *next;
 };
 
-#define ESYNC ECommsSend("nop");free(ECommsWaitForMessage());
+#define ESYNC Epplet_send_ipc("nop");free(ECommsWaitForMessage());
 
 /* The structures for the config file management ... */
 typedef struct {
@@ -143,7 +143,6 @@ static void         CommsSetup(void);
 static void         CommsFindCommsWindow(void);
 static void         CommsHandleDestroy(Window win);
 static int          CommsHandlePropertyNotify(XEvent * ev);
-static void         ECommsSend(const char *s);
 static char        *ECommsGet(XEvent * ev);
 static char        *ECommsWaitForMessage(void);
 
@@ -396,12 +395,6 @@ EXFreeGC(GC gc)
    XFreeGC(disp, gc);
 }
 
-void
-Epplet_send_ipc(const char *s)
-{
-   ECommsSend(s);
-}
-
 char               *
 Epplet_wait_for_ipc(void)
 {
@@ -540,16 +533,13 @@ Epplet_Init(const char *name, const char *version, const char *info,
    win_info = info;
    xid_context = XUniqueContext();
    CommsSetup();
-   snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "set clientname %s", win_name);
-   ECommsSend(s);
-   snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "set version %s", win_version);
-   ECommsSend(s);
-   snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "set info %s", win_info);
-   ECommsSend(s);
+   Epplet_send_ipc("set clientname %s", win_name);
+   Epplet_send_ipc("set version %s", win_version);
+   Epplet_send_ipc("set info %s", win_info);
    ESYNC;
 
    /* Check if the epplet imageclasses are there. */
-   ECommsSend("imageclass EPPLET_BUTTON query");
+   Epplet_send_ipc("imageclass EPPLET_BUTTON query");
    msg = ECommsWaitForMessage();
    if (!msg || strstr(msg, "not"))
      {
@@ -651,7 +641,7 @@ Epplet_internal_create_window(int w, int h, const char *title, char vertical,
    ESYNC;
 
    /* Check if the epplet imageclasses are there. */
-   ECommsSend("imageclass EPPLET_BUTTON query");
+   Epplet_send_ipc("imageclass EPPLET_BUTTON query");
    msg = ECommsWaitForMessage();
    if (!msg || strstr(msg, "not"))
      {
@@ -998,19 +988,13 @@ Epplet_show(void)
 void
 Epplet_remember(void)
 {
-   char                s[1024];
-
-   snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "wop %x snap all auto", (unsigned int)mainwin->win);
-   ECommsSend(s);
+   Epplet_send_ipc("wop %x snap all auto", (unsigned int)mainwin->win);
 }
 
 void
 Epplet_unremember(void)
 {
-   char                s[1024];
-
-   snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "wop %x snap none", (unsigned int)mainwin->win);
-   ECommsSend(s);
+   Epplet_send_ipc("wop %x snap none", (unsigned int)mainwin->win);
    ESYNC;
 }
 
@@ -1023,11 +1007,8 @@ Epplet_get_main_window(void)
 void
 Epplet_imageclass_apply(const char *iclass, const char *state, Window ww)
 {
-   char                s[1024];
-
-   snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "imageclass %s apply 0x%x %s", iclass,
-	    (unsigned int)ww, state);
-   ECommsSend(s);
+   Epplet_send_ipc("imageclass %s apply 0x%x %s", iclass,
+		   (unsigned int)ww, state);
 }
 
 void
@@ -1035,12 +1016,11 @@ Epplet_imageclass_paste(const char *iclass, const char *state, Window ww,
 			int x, int y, int w, int h)
 {
    Pixmap              p = 0, m = 0;
-   char                s[1024], *msg;
+   char               *msg;
    GC                  gc;
 
-   snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "imageclass %s apply_copy 0x%x %s %i %i", iclass,
-	    (unsigned int)ww, state, w, h);
-   ECommsSend(s);
+   Epplet_send_ipc("imageclass %s apply_copy 0x%x %s %i %i", iclass,
+		   (unsigned int)ww, state, w, h);
    msg = ECommsWaitForMessage();
    if (msg)
      {
@@ -1050,9 +1030,8 @@ Epplet_imageclass_paste(const char *iclass, const char *state, Window ww,
 	XSetClipMask(disp, gc, m);
 	XSetClipOrigin(disp, gc, x, y);
 	XCopyArea(disp, p, context_win->win, gc, 0, 0, w, h, x, y);
-	snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "imageclass %s free_pixmap 0x%x", iclass,
-		 (unsigned int)p);
-	ECommsSend(s);
+	Epplet_send_ipc("imageclass %s free_pixmap 0x%x", iclass,
+			(unsigned int)p);
 	EXFreeGC(gc);
      }
 }
@@ -1062,12 +1041,11 @@ Epplet_imageclass_get_pixmaps(const char *iclass, const char *state, Pixmap * p,
 			      Pixmap * m, int w, int h)
 {
    Pixmap              pp = 0, mm = 0;
-   char                s[1024], *msg;
+   char               *msg;
    GC                  gc, mgc;
 
-   snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "imageclass %s apply_copy 0x%x %s %i %i", iclass,
-	    (unsigned int)context_win->win, state, w, h);
-   ECommsSend(s);
+   Epplet_send_ipc("imageclass %s apply_copy 0x%x %s %i %i", iclass,
+		   (unsigned int)context_win->win, state, w, h);
    msg = ECommsWaitForMessage();
    if (msg)
      {
@@ -1093,9 +1071,8 @@ Epplet_imageclass_get_pixmaps(const char *iclass, const char *state, Pixmap * p,
 	     XCopyArea(disp, mm, *m, mgc, 0, 0, w, h, 0, 0);
 	     EXFreeGC(mgc);
 	  }
-	snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "imageclass %s free_pixmap 0x%x", iclass,
-		 (unsigned int)pp);
-	ECommsSend(s);
+	Epplet_send_ipc("imageclass %s free_pixmap 0x%x", iclass,
+			(unsigned int)pp);
      }
 }
 
@@ -1103,20 +1080,16 @@ void
 Epplet_textclass_draw(const char *iclass, const char *state, Window ww, int x,
 		      int y, const char *txt)
 {
-   char                s[1024];
-
-   snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "textclass %s apply 0x%x %i %i %s %s", iclass,
-	    (unsigned int)ww, x, y, state, txt);
-   ECommsSend(s);
+   Epplet_send_ipc("textclass %s apply 0x%x %i %i %s %s", iclass,
+		   (unsigned int)ww, x, y, state, txt);
 }
 
 void
 Epplet_textclass_get_size(const char *iclass, int *w, int *h, const char *txt)
 {
-   char                s[1024], *msg = NULL;
+   char               *msg;
 
-   snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "textclass %s query_size %s", iclass, txt);
-   ECommsSend(s);
+   Epplet_send_ipc("textclass %s query_size %s", iclass, txt);
    msg = ECommsWaitForMessage();
    if (msg)
      {
@@ -1786,19 +1759,28 @@ CommsFindCommsWindow(void)
       XSelectInput(dd, comms_win, StructureNotifyMask | SubstructureNotifyMask);
 }
 
-static void
-ECommsSend(const char *s)
+void
+Epplet_send_ipc(const char *fmt, ...)
 {
+   static Atom         a = None;
+   va_list             args;
+   char                buf[1024];
    char                ss[21];
    int                 i, j, k, len;
    XEvent              ev;
-   Atom                a = 0;
 
-   if (!s || !dd)
+   if (!fmt || !dd)
       return;
-   len = strlen(s);
+
    if (!a)
       a = XInternAtom(dd, "ENL_MSG", False);
+
+   va_start(args, fmt);
+   len = vsnprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), fmt, args);
+   va_end(args);
+   if (len >= (int)sizeof(buf))
+      len = sizeof(buf) - 1;
+
    ev.xclient.type = ClientMessage;
    ev.xclient.serial = 0;
    ev.xclient.send_event = True;
@@ -1811,8 +1793,8 @@ ECommsSend(const char *s)
 	snprintf(ss, sizeof(ss), "%8x", (int)my_win);
 	for (j = 0; j < 12; j++)
 	  {
-	     ss[8 + j] = s[i + j];
-	     if (!s[i + j])
+	     ss[8 + j] = buf[i + j];
+	     if (!buf[i + j])
 		j = 12;
 	  }
 	ss[20] = 0;
@@ -5377,7 +5359,7 @@ void
 Epplet_dialog_ok(const char *fmt, ...)
 {
    va_list             args;
-   char                buf[1000], s[1024];
+   char                buf[1000];
 
    va_start(args, fmt);
    vsnprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), fmt, args);
@@ -5389,8 +5371,7 @@ Epplet_dialog_ok(const char *fmt, ...)
 	return;
      }
 
-   snprintf(s, sizeof(s), "dialog_ok %s", buf);
-   ECommsSend(s);
+   Epplet_send_ipc("dialog_ok %s", buf);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/api/epplet.h.in b/api/epplet.h.in
index c79556b..6b2d8f8 100644
--- a/api/epplet.h.in
+++ b/api/epplet.h.in
@@ -122,8 +122,8 @@ EAPI int            Epplet_gadget_get_type(Epplet_gadget gad);
 /****************************************************************************/
 /* IPC calls                                                                */
 /****************************************************************************/
-/* send the string "s" to Enlightenment */
-EAPI void           Epplet_send_ipc(const char *s);
+/* send command to e16 */
+EAPI void           Epplet_send_ipc(const char *fmt, ...);
 
 /* sit and wait for an IPc message - nothing happens whilst waiting no */
 /* timers run, no events or anything else is handled. */
diff --git a/epplets/E-Slides.c b/epplets/E-Slides.c
index 4d1c5ea..bed8ac5 100644
--- a/epplets/E-Slides.c
+++ b/epplets/E-Slides.c
@@ -218,30 +218,16 @@ set_background(int tiled, int keep_aspect)
 
    snprintf(bg_name, sizeof(bg_name), "E_SLIDES_BG_%s", filenames[CUR_PIC()]);
 
-   snprintf(buff, sizeof(buff), "background %s bg.file %s/%s", bg_name, path,
-	    filenames[CUR_PIC()]);
-   Epplet_send_ipc(buff);
-   snprintf(buff, sizeof(buff), "background %s bg.solid 0 0 0", bg_name);
-   Epplet_send_ipc(buff);
-   snprintf(buff, sizeof(buff), "background %s bg.tile %d", bg_name, tiled);
-   Epplet_send_ipc(buff);
-   snprintf(buff, sizeof(buff), "background %s bg.keep_aspect %d", bg_name,
-	    keep_aspect);
-   Epplet_send_ipc(buff);
-   snprintf(buff, sizeof(buff), "background %s bg.xperc %d", bg_name,
-	    (tiled ? 0 : 1024));
-   Epplet_send_ipc(buff);
-   snprintf(buff, sizeof(buff), "background %s bg.yperc %d", bg_name,
-	    (tiled ? 0 : 1024));
-   Epplet_send_ipc(buff);
-   snprintf(buff, sizeof(buff), "background %s bg.xjust %d", bg_name,
-	    (tiled ? 0 : 512));
-   Epplet_send_ipc(buff);
-   snprintf(buff, sizeof(buff), "background %s bg.yjust %d", bg_name,
-	    (tiled ? 0 : 512));
-   Epplet_send_ipc(buff);
-   snprintf(buff, sizeof(buff), "use_bg %s %d", bg_name, current_desk);
-   Epplet_send_ipc(buff);
+   Epplet_send_ipc("background %s bg.file %s/%s", bg_name, path,
+		   filenames[CUR_PIC()]);
+   Epplet_send_ipc("background %s bg.solid 0 0 0", bg_name);
+   Epplet_send_ipc("background %s bg.tile %d", bg_name, tiled);
+   Epplet_send_ipc("background %s bg.keep_aspect %d", bg_name, keep_aspect);
+   Epplet_send_ipc("background %s bg.xperc %d", bg_name, (tiled ? 0 : 1024));
+   Epplet_send_ipc("background %s bg.yperc %d", bg_name, (tiled ? 0 : 1024));
+   Epplet_send_ipc("background %s bg.xjust %d", bg_name, (tiled ? 0 : 512));
+   Epplet_send_ipc("background %s bg.yjust %d", bg_name, (tiled ? 0 : 512));
+   Epplet_send_ipc("use_bg %s %d", bg_name, current_desk);
    Esync();
 }