diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLQuickMatchMenu.cpp b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLQuickMatchMenu.cpp
index 2c556656d7f..bfa6cd19d4b 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLQuickMatchMenu.cpp
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLQuickMatchMenu.cpp
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ static GameWindow *comboBoxColor = NULL;
 
 static Bool isShuttingDown = false;
 static Bool buttonPushed = false;
-static const char *nextScreen = NULL;
+static AsciiString nextScreen;
 static Bool raiseMessageBoxes = false;
 static Bool isInInit = FALSE;
 static const Image *selectedImage = NULL;
@@ -736,7 +736,7 @@ void WOLQuickMatchMenuInit( WindowLayout *layout, void *userData )
 		}
 	}
 
-	nextScreen = NULL;
+	nextScreen.clear();
 	buttonPushed = false;
 	isShuttingDown = false;
 	raiseMessageBoxes = true;
@@ -928,14 +928,14 @@ static void shutdownComplete( WindowLayout *layout )
 	layout->hide( TRUE );
 
 	// our shutdown is complete
-	TheShell->shutdownComplete( layout, (nextScreen != NULL) );
+	TheShell->shutdownComplete( layout, nextScreen.isNotEmpty() );
 
-	if (nextScreen != NULL)
+	if (nextScreen.isNotEmpty())
 	{
 		TheShell->push(nextScreen);
 	}
 
-	nextScreen = NULL;
+	nextScreen.clear();
 
 }
 
diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLWelcomeMenu.cpp b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLWelcomeMenu.cpp
index c4e2b366bf6..e4d8088a8d4 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLWelcomeMenu.cpp
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLWelcomeMenu.cpp
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@
 // PRIVATE DATA ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 static Bool isShuttingDown = FALSE;
 static Bool buttonPushed = FALSE;
-static const char *nextScreen = NULL;
+static AsciiString nextScreen;
 
 // window ids ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 static NameKeyType parentWOLWelcomeID = NAMEKEY_INVALID;
@@ -192,14 +192,14 @@ static void shutdownComplete( WindowLayout *layout )
 	layout->hide( TRUE );
 
 	// our shutdown is complete
-	TheShell->shutdownComplete( layout, (nextScreen != NULL) );
+	TheShell->shutdownComplete( layout, nextScreen.isNotEmpty() );
 
-	if (nextScreen != NULL)
+	if (nextScreen.isNotEmpty())
 	{
 		TheShell->push(nextScreen);
 	}
 
-	nextScreen = NULL;
+	nextScreen.clear();
 
 }
 
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ static Bool raiseMessageBoxes = FALSE;
 //-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 void WOLWelcomeMenuInit( WindowLayout *layout, void *userData )
 {
-	nextScreen = NULL;
+	nextScreen.clear();
 	buttonPushed = FALSE;
 	isShuttingDown = FALSE;
 
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLQuickMatchMenu.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLQuickMatchMenu.cpp
index 2d84d9ff4c0..72c9fcef2a8 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLQuickMatchMenu.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLQuickMatchMenu.cpp
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ static GameWindow *comboBoxColor = NULL;
 
 static Bool isShuttingDown = false;
 static Bool buttonPushed = false;
-static const char *nextScreen = NULL;
+static AsciiString nextScreen;
 static Bool raiseMessageBoxes = false;
 static Bool isInInit = FALSE;
 static const Image *selectedImage = NULL;
@@ -860,7 +860,7 @@ void WOLQuickMatchMenuInit( WindowLayout *layout, void *userData )
 		}
 	}
 
-	nextScreen = NULL;
+	nextScreen.clear();
 	buttonPushed = false;
 	isShuttingDown = false;
 	raiseMessageBoxes = true;
@@ -1291,14 +1291,14 @@ static void shutdownComplete( WindowLayout *layout )
 	layout->hide( TRUE );
 
 	// our shutdown is complete
-	TheShell->shutdownComplete( layout, (nextScreen != NULL) );
+	TheShell->shutdownComplete( layout, nextScreen.isNotEmpty() );
 
-	if (nextScreen != NULL)
+	if (nextScreen.isNotEmpty())
 	{
 		TheShell->push(nextScreen);
 	}
 
-	nextScreen = NULL;
+	nextScreen.clear();
 
 }
 
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLWelcomeMenu.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLWelcomeMenu.cpp
index 99c67f32cce..47bdbee6a3a 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLWelcomeMenu.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLWelcomeMenu.cpp
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
 // PRIVATE DATA ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 static Bool isShuttingDown = FALSE;
 static Bool buttonPushed = FALSE;
-static const char *nextScreen = NULL;
+static AsciiString nextScreen;
 
 // window ids ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 static NameKeyType parentWOLWelcomeID = NAMEKEY_INVALID;
@@ -195,14 +195,14 @@ static void shutdownComplete( WindowLayout *layout )
 	layout->hide( TRUE );
 
 	// our shutdown is complete
-	TheShell->shutdownComplete( layout, (nextScreen != NULL) );
+	TheShell->shutdownComplete( layout, nextScreen.isNotEmpty() );
 
-	if (nextScreen != NULL)
+	if (nextScreen.isNotEmpty())
 	{
 		TheShell->push(nextScreen);
 	}
 
-	nextScreen = NULL;
+	nextScreen.clear();
 
 }
 
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ void WOLWelcomeMenuInit( WindowLayout *layout, void *userData )
 {
 	updateNumPlayersOnline();
 
-	nextScreen = NULL;
+	nextScreen.clear();
 	buttonPushed = FALSE;
 	isShuttingDown = FALSE;