diff --git a/buffer/circular.cpp b/buffer/circular.cpp
index a188d8c1..dd270ae7 100644
--- a/buffer/circular.cpp
+++ b/buffer/circular.cpp
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ tmpname (std::string &str, size_t length)
 
     str.resize (length);
     std::generate_n (str.begin (), length, [&] (void) {
-        return cruft::random::choose (alphanum);
+        return *cruft::random::choose (alphanum);
     });
 }