diff --git a/apply.c b/apply.c
index e311013..a5f716a 100644
--- a/apply.c
+++ b/apply.c
@@ -4448,6 +4448,7 @@
 			   const char *buf,
 			   unsigned long size)
 {
+	char *newpath = NULL;
 	int res;
 
 	if (state->cached)
@@ -4509,24 +4510,26 @@
 		unsigned int nr = getpid();
 
 		for (;;) {
-			char newpath[PATH_MAX];
-			mksnpath(newpath, sizeof(newpath), "%s~%u", path, nr);
+			newpath = mkpathdup("%s~%u", path, nr);
 			res = try_create_file(state, newpath, mode, buf, size);
 			if (res < 0)
-				return -1;
+				goto out;
 			if (!res) {
 				if (!rename(newpath, path))
-					return 0;
+					goto out;
 				unlink_or_warn(newpath);
 				break;
 			}
 			if (errno != EEXIST)
 				break;
 			++nr;
+			FREE_AND_NULL(newpath);
 		}
 	}
-	return error_errno(_("unable to write file '%s' mode %o"),
-			   path, mode);
+	res = error_errno(_("unable to write file '%s' mode %o"), path, mode);
+out:
+	free(newpath);
+	return res;
 }
 
 static int add_conflicted_stages_file(struct apply_state *state,
diff --git a/contrib/vscode/init.sh b/contrib/vscode/init.sh
index 521d303..f2d61bb 100755
--- a/contrib/vscode/init.sh
+++ b/contrib/vscode/init.sh
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@
         "isexe",
         "iskeychar",
         "kompare",
-        "mksnpath",
         "mktag",
         "mktree",
         "mmblob",
diff --git a/path.c b/path.c
index 8bb223c..67229ed 100644
--- a/path.c
+++ b/path.c
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static char bad_path[] = "/bad-path/";
-
 static struct strbuf *get_pathname(void)
 {
 	static struct strbuf pathname_array[4] = {
@@ -59,21 +57,6 @@
 		strbuf_remove(sb, 0, path - sb->buf);
 }
 
-char *mksnpath(char *buf, size_t n, const char *fmt, ...)
-{
-	va_list args;
-	unsigned len;
-
-	va_start(args, fmt);
-	len = vsnprintf(buf, n, fmt, args);
-	va_end(args);
-	if (len >= n) {
-		strlcpy(buf, bad_path, n);
-		return buf;
-	}
-	return (char *)cleanup_path(buf);
-}
-
 static int dir_prefix(const char *buf, const char *dir)
 {
 	int len = strlen(dir);
diff --git a/path.h b/path.h
index e053eff..ea96487 100644
--- a/path.h
+++ b/path.h
@@ -24,12 +24,6 @@
 	__attribute__((format (printf, 1, 2)));
 
 /*
- * Construct a path and place the result in the provided buffer `buf`.
- */
-char *mksnpath(char *buf, size_t n, const char *fmt, ...)
-	__attribute__((format (printf, 3, 4)));
-
-/*
  * The `git_common_path` family of functions will construct a path into a
  * repository's common git directory, which is shared by all worktrees.
  */