diff --git a/src/libltfs/tape.c b/src/libltfs/tape.c
index f971cb79..a3280fd6 100644
--- a/src/libltfs/tape.c
+++ b/src/libltfs/tape.c
@@ -1665,6 +1665,13 @@ int tape_get_volume_change_reference(struct device_data *dev, uint64_t *volume_c
 	int ret;
 	unsigned char vcr_data[TC_MAM_PAGE_VCR_SIZE + TC_MAM_PAGE_HEADER_SIZE];
 
+	/* The VCR is read as a 32-bit field at offset 5 (just past the page
+	 * header), so the buffer must hold at least 5 + 4 bytes. Lock that at
+	 * compile time so a change to the page-size constants cannot make the
+	 * read below run off the end of the buffer. */
+	_Static_assert(sizeof(vcr_data) >= 5 + sizeof(uint32_t),
+		"MAM VCR page too small to hold the volume change reference");
+
 	CHECK_ARG_NULL(dev, -LTFS_NULL_ARG);
 	CHECK_ARG_NULL(dev->backend, -LTFS_NULL_ARG);
 
@@ -1741,7 +1748,8 @@ int tape_get_cart_coherency(struct device_data *dev, const tape_partition_t part
 		if (ap_clent_specific_len != 42 && ap_clent_specific_len != 43) {
 			ltfsmsg(LTFS_WARN, 12061W, ap_clent_specific_len);
 			return -LTFS_UNEXPECTED_VALUE;
-		} else if (strncmp((char *)coh_data + 32, "LTFS", sizeof("LTFS")) != 0) {
+		} else if (strncmp((char *)coh_data + 32, TC_MAM_COHERENCY_SIGNATURE,
+						   sizeof(TC_MAM_COHERENCY_SIGNATURE)) != 0) {
 			ltfsmsg(LTFS_WARN, 12062W);
 			return -LTFS_UNEXPECTED_VALUE;
 		}
@@ -1769,6 +1777,18 @@ int tape_set_cart_coherency(struct device_data *dev, const tape_partition_t part
 	int ret;
 	unsigned char coh_data[TC_MAM_PAGE_COHERENCY_SIZE + TC_MAM_PAGE_HEADER_SIZE];
 
+	/* The coherency record is written below at fixed byte offsets; the version
+	 * byte at offset 74 is the highest, so the page must be at least 75 bytes.
+	 * Lock that invariant at compile time so a future change to the page-size
+	 * constants cannot silently overflow this stack buffer. */
+	_Static_assert(sizeof(coh_data) > 74,
+		"MAM coherency page too small for the coherency record layout");
+
+	/* Zero unwritten bytes for deterministic on-medium content. The "LTFS"
+	 * signature's NUL terminator is written explicitly below, so correctness of
+	 * the signature no longer depends on this memset. */
+	memset(coh_data, 0, sizeof(coh_data));
+
 	CHECK_ARG_NULL(dev, -LTFS_NULL_ARG);
 	CHECK_ARG_NULL(dev->backend, -LTFS_NULL_ARG);
 
@@ -1782,8 +1802,13 @@ int tape_set_cart_coherency(struct device_data *dev, const tape_partition_t part
 	/* APPLICATION CLIENT SPECIFIC INFORMATION LENGTH */
 	coh_data[30] = 0;  /* Size of APPLICATION CLIENT SPECIFIC INFORMATION (Byte 1) */
 	coh_data[31] = 43; /* Size of APPLICATION CLIENT SPECIFIC INFORMATION (Byte 0) */
-	/* Size of the buffer to insert 'LTFS' needs to be size of 5 for the 4 letters and the null terminator*/
-	arch_strncpy((char *)coh_data + 32,"LTFS", 5, 4);
+	/* Volume coherency signature: the 4 letters "LTFS" plus a trailing NUL at
+	 * offset 36. The reader compares all 5 bytes, so copy the NUL terminator
+	 * explicitly (an earlier strncpy-based write copied only 4 bytes and left
+	 * byte 36 uninitialised, triggering a full consistency check on every mount). */
+	_Static_assert(sizeof(TC_MAM_COHERENCY_SIGNATURE) == 5,
+		"LTFS coherency signature must be 4 characters plus a NUL terminator");
+	memcpy(coh_data + 32, TC_MAM_COHERENCY_SIGNATURE, sizeof(TC_MAM_COHERENCY_SIGNATURE));
 	memcpy(coh_data + 37, coh->uuid, 37);
 	/*
 	   Version field
@@ -1803,6 +1828,13 @@ int tape_get_cart_volume_lock_status(struct device_data *dev, int *status)
 	int ret;
 	unsigned char attr_data[TC_MAM_LOCKED_MAM_SIZE + TC_MAM_PAGE_HEADER_SIZE];
 
+	/* The lock status byte is read at offset TC_MAM_PAGE_HEADER_SIZE, so the
+	 * buffer must extend past the page header. Lock that at compile time so a
+	 * change to the page-size constants cannot make the read below run off the
+	 * end of the buffer. */
+	_Static_assert(sizeof(attr_data) > TC_MAM_PAGE_HEADER_SIZE,
+		"MAM locked-MAM page too small to hold the lock status byte");
+
 	CHECK_ARG_NULL(dev, -LTFS_NULL_ARG);
 	CHECK_ARG_NULL(status, -LTFS_NULL_ARG);
 
diff --git a/src/libltfs/tape_ops.h b/src/libltfs/tape_ops.h
index 34c7a128..75160422 100644
--- a/src/libltfs/tape_ops.h
+++ b/src/libltfs/tape_ops.h
@@ -250,6 +250,7 @@ typedef enum {
 #define TC_MAM_PAGE_VCR_SIZE       (0x4)    /* Size of Volume Change Reference */
 #define TC_MAM_PAGE_COHERENCY      (0x080C)
 #define TC_MAM_PAGE_COHERENCY_SIZE (0x46)
+#define TC_MAM_COHERENCY_SIGNATURE "LTFS" /* Volume coherency signature; 4 chars + NUL, reader compares all 5 */
 
 #define TC_MAM_APP_VENDER          (0x0800)
 #define TC_MAM_APP_VENDER_SIZE     (0x8)