diff --git a/wrap/ply/plylib.cpp b/wrap/ply/plylib.cpp
index cd288706..958b5f1a 100644
--- a/wrap/ply/plylib.cpp
+++ b/wrap/ply/plylib.cpp
@@ -1059,7 +1059,8 @@ int PlyFile::OpenRead( const char * filename )
 		goto error;
 	}
 
-	header[0] = 0;
+  header.clear();
+  header.reserve(1536);
 
 		// ********* Parsing header ***********
 
@@ -1069,7 +1070,8 @@ int PlyFile::OpenRead( const char * filename )
 		error = E_UNESPECTEDEOF;
 		goto error;
 	}
-	strcat(header,buf);
+  header.append(buf);
+
 	if( strncmp(buf,HEADER,strlen(HEADER)) )
 	{
 		error = E_NOTHEADER;
@@ -1084,7 +1086,8 @@ int PlyFile::OpenRead( const char * filename )
 		error = E_UNESPECTEDEOF;
 		goto error;
 	}
-	strcat(header,buf);
+  header.append(buf);
+
 	token = strtok(buf,SEP);
 	if(token==0)
 	{
@@ -1131,7 +1134,7 @@ int PlyFile::OpenRead( const char * filename )
 			error = E_UNESPECTEDEOF;
 			goto error;
 		}
-		strcat(header,buf);
+    header.append(buf);
 
 		token = strtok(buf,SEP);
 		if(token==0)
diff --git a/wrap/ply/plylib.h b/wrap/ply/plylib.h
index 7e98d63a..8a346826 100644
--- a/wrap/ply/plylib.h
+++ b/wrap/ply/plylib.h
@@ -295,12 +295,12 @@ public:
 		// Lettura du un elemento
 	int Read( void * mem );
 
-  std::vector<PlyElement> elements;	// Vettore degli elementi
-	std::vector<std::string>	   comments;	// Vettore dei commenti
+  std::vector<PlyElement>   elements;	// Vettore degli elementi
+	std::vector<std::string>  comments;	// Vettore dei commenti
 	static const char * typenames[9];
 	static const char * newtypenames[9];
 
-	inline const char * GetHeader() const { return header; }
+  inline const char * GetHeader() const { return header.c_str(); }
 protected:
 
 	GZFILE gzfp;
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ protected:
 	int    error;				// Errore corrente (vedi enum)
 	int    format;				// Formato del file (vedi enum )
 
-	char   header[4096];			// Testo dell'header	
+  std::string   header;			// Testo dell'header	
 
 	PlyElement * cure;			// Elemento da leggere