diff --git a/clock.c b/clock.c
index 159fcb2..5001e66 100644
--- a/clock.c
+++ b/clock.c
@@ -846,6 +846,7 @@ struct clock *clock_create(enum clock_type type, struct config *config,
 			   const char *phc_device)
 {
 	enum servo_type servo = config_get_int(config, NULL, "clock_servo");
+	char ts_label[IF_NAMESIZE], phc[32], *tmp;
 	enum timestamp_type timestamping;
 	int fadj = 0, max_adj = 0, sw_ts;
 	int phc_index, required_modes = 0;
@@ -853,7 +854,6 @@ struct clock *clock_create(enum clock_type type, struct config *config,
 	const char *uds_ifname;
 	struct port *p;
 	unsigned char oui[OUI_LEN];
-	char phc[32], *tmp;
 	struct interface *iface, *udsif = &c->uds_interface;
 	struct timespec ts;
 	int sfl;
@@ -951,7 +951,9 @@ struct clock *clock_create(enum clock_type type, struct config *config,
 	c->timestamping = timestamping;
 	required_modes = clock_required_modes(c);
 	STAILQ_FOREACH(iface, &config->interfaces, list) {
-		rtnl_get_ts_device(interface_name(iface), iface->ts_label);
+		memset(ts_label, 0, sizeof(ts_label));
+		rtnl_get_ts_device(interface_name(iface), ts_label);
+		interface_set_label(iface, ts_label);
 		interface_ensure_tslabel(iface);
 		interface_get_tsinfo(iface);
 		if (iface->ts_info.valid &&
diff --git a/nsm.c b/nsm.c
index e82fc37..1292c6b 100644
--- a/nsm.c
+++ b/nsm.c
@@ -262,13 +262,16 @@ static void nsm_help(FILE *fp)
 static int nsm_open(struct nsm *nsm, struct config *cfg)
 {
 	enum transport_type transport;
+	char ts_label[IF_NAMESIZE];
 	const char *ifname, *name;
 	struct interface *iface;
 	int count = 0;
 
 	STAILQ_FOREACH(iface, &cfg->interfaces, list) {
 		ifname = interface_name(iface);
-		rtnl_get_ts_device(ifname, iface->ts_label);
+		memset(ts_label, 0, sizeof(ts_label));
+		rtnl_get_ts_device(ifname, ts_label);
+		interface_set_label(iface, ts_label);
 		interface_ensure_tslabel(iface);
 		count++;
 	}
diff --git a/port.c b/port.c
index 05eb1d6..c20c3fc 100644
--- a/port.c
+++ b/port.c
@@ -2500,7 +2500,7 @@ void port_link_status(void *ctx, int linkup, int ts_index)
 	/* ts_label changed */
 	old_ts_label = interface_label(p->iface);
 	if (if_indextoname(ts_index, ts_label) && strcmp(old_ts_label, ts_label)) {
-		strncpy(p->iface->ts_label, ts_label, MAX_IFNAME_SIZE);
+		interface_set_label(p->iface, ts_label);
 		p->link_status |= TS_LABEL_CHANGED;
 		pr_notice("port %hu: ts label changed to %s", portnum(p), ts_label);
 	}
diff --git a/rtnl.c b/rtnl.c
index d9c76d7..b7a2667 100644
--- a/rtnl.c
+++ b/rtnl.c
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ static void rtnl_get_ts_device_callback(void *ctx, int linkup, int ts_index)
 	*dst = ts_index;
 }
 
-int rtnl_get_ts_device(const char *device, char *ts_device)
+int rtnl_get_ts_device(const char *device, char ts_device[IF_NAMESIZE])
 {
 	int err, fd;
 	int ts_index = -1;
diff --git a/rtnl.h b/rtnl.h
index c5ea979..8fef4a9 100644
--- a/rtnl.h
+++ b/rtnl.h
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #ifndef HAVE_RTNL_H
 #define HAVE_RTNL_H
 
+#include <net/if.h>
+
 typedef void (*rtnl_callback)(void *ctx, int linkup, int ts_index);
 
 /**
@@ -37,7 +39,7 @@ int rtnl_close(int fd);
  *                  at least IF_NAMESIZE bytes long.
  * @return          Zero on success, or -1 on error.
  */
-int rtnl_get_ts_device(const char *device, char *ts_device);
+int rtnl_get_ts_device(const char *device, char ts_device[IF_NAMESIZE]);
 
 /**
  * Request the link status from the kernel.