diff --git a/drivers/base/node.c b/drivers/base/node.c
index 90aa2a11a933b448a536a353c5d932668c3f8e11..af1a177216f12573c7e481fea0a568c09b97ef12 100644
--- a/drivers/base/node.c
+++ b/drivers/base/node.c
@@ -592,11 +592,9 @@ static ssize_t print_nodes_state(enum node_states state, char *buf)
 {
 	int n;
 
-	n = nodelist_scnprintf(buf, PAGE_SIZE, node_states[state]);
-	if (n > 0 && PAGE_SIZE > n + 1) {
-		*(buf + n++) = '\n';
-		*(buf + n++) = '\0';
-	}
+	n = nodelist_scnprintf(buf, PAGE_SIZE-2, node_states[state]);
+	buf[n++] = '\n';
+	buf[n] = '\0';
 	return n;
 }