diff --git a/client/connectdlg_common.cpp b/client/connectdlg_common.cpp
index 7515b6099e..02a768d148 100644
--- a/client/connectdlg_common.cpp
+++ b/client/connectdlg_common.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <QUuid>
 
 #include <cstring>
+#include <qglobal.h>
 
 #ifdef FREECIV_MSWINDOWS
 #include <windows.h>
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@
 
 bool server_quitting = false;
 
-static char challenge_fullname[MAX_LEN_PATH];
+static QString challenge_fullname{};
 static bool client_has_hack = false;
 
 int internal_server_port;
@@ -318,9 +319,9 @@ static void randomize_string(char *str, size_t n)
    and then sends the string to the server. If the server can open
    and read the string, then the client is given hack access.
  */
-void send_client_wants_hack(const char *filename)
+void send_client_wants_hack(const QString &filename)
 {
-  if (filename[0] != '\0') {
+  if (!filename.isEmpty()) {
     struct packet_single_want_hack_req req;
     struct section_file *file;
     auto sdir = freeciv_storage_dir();
@@ -334,9 +335,7 @@ void send_client_wants_hack(const char *filename)
     }
 
     QDir().mkpath(sdir);
-
-    fc_snprintf(challenge_fullname, sizeof(challenge_fullname), "%s/%s",
-                qUtf8Printable(sdir), filename);
+    challenge_fullname = sdir + QStringLiteral("/") + filename;
 
     // generate an authentication token
     randomize_string(req.token, sizeof(req.token));
@@ -345,7 +344,7 @@ void send_client_wants_hack(const char *filename)
     secfile_insert_str(file, req.token, "challenge.token");
     if (!secfile_save(file, challenge_fullname)) {
       qCritical("Couldn't write token to temporary file: %s",
-                challenge_fullname);
+                qUtf8Printable(challenge_fullname));
     }
     secfile_destroy(file);
 
@@ -360,11 +359,12 @@ void send_client_wants_hack(const char *filename)
 void handle_single_want_hack_reply(bool you_have_hack)
 {
   // remove challenge file
-  if (challenge_fullname[0] != '\0') {
-    if (fc_remove(challenge_fullname) == -1) {
-      qCritical("Couldn't remove temporary file: %s", challenge_fullname);
+  if (!challenge_fullname.isEmpty()) {
+    if (!QFile::remove(challenge_fullname)) {
+      qCritical("Couldn't remove temporary file: %s",
+                qUtf8Printable(challenge_fullname));
     }
-    challenge_fullname[0] = '\0';
+    challenge_fullname.clear();
   }
 
   if (you_have_hack) {
diff --git a/client/connectdlg_common.h b/client/connectdlg_common.h
index 1b610e2dec..21a80efb56 100644
--- a/client/connectdlg_common.h
+++ b/client/connectdlg_common.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ void client_kill_server(bool force);
 bool is_server_running();
 bool can_client_access_hack();
 
-void send_client_wants_hack(const char *filename);
+void send_client_wants_hack(const QString &filename);
 void send_save_game(const char *filename);
 
 void set_ruleset(const char *ruleset);
diff --git a/utility/support.cpp b/utility/support.cpp
index 8df6b5d4a4..73fb28d3a2 100644
--- a/utility/support.cpp
+++ b/utility/support.cpp
@@ -267,25 +267,6 @@ FILE *fc_fopen(const char *filename, const char *opentype)
 #endif // FREECIV_MSWINDOWS
 }
 
-/**
-   Wrapper function for remove() with filename conversion to local
-   encoding on Windows.
- */
-int fc_remove(const char *filename)
-{
-#ifdef FREECIV_MSWINDOWS
-  int result;
-  char *filename_in_local_encoding =
-      internal_to_local_string_malloc(filename);
-
-  result = remove(filename_in_local_encoding);
-  free(filename_in_local_encoding);
-  return result;
-#else  // FREECIV_MSWINDOWS
-  return remove(filename);
-#endif // FREECIV_MSWINDOWS
-}
-
 /**
    Returns last error code.
  */
diff --git a/utility/support.h b/utility/support.h
index d87174256f..4b222ef541 100644
--- a/utility/support.h
+++ b/utility/support.h
@@ -123,7 +123,6 @@ int fc_strcoll(const char *str0, const char *str1);
 int fc_stricoll(const char *str0, const char *str1);
 
 FILE *fc_fopen(const char *filename, const char *opentype);
-int fc_remove(const char *filename);
 
 fc_errno fc_get_errno();
 const char *fc_strerror(fc_errno err);