diff --git a/bin/cp/cp.c b/bin/cp/cp.c
--- a/bin/cp/cp.c
+++ b/bin/cp/cp.c
@@ -183,7 +183,12 @@
 			sep--;
 		*sep = '\0';
 	}
-	if (strlcpy(to.base, target, sizeof(to.base)) >= sizeof(to.base))
+	/*
+	 * Copy target into to.base, leaving room for a possible separator
+	 * which will be appended later in the non-FILE_TO_FILE cases.
+	 */
+	if (strlcpy(to.base, target, sizeof(to.base) - 1) >=
+	    sizeof(to.base) - 1)
 		errc(1, ENAMETOOLONG, "%s", target);
 
 	/* Set end of argument list for fts(3). */
@@ -264,7 +269,7 @@
 	struct stat created_root_stat, to_stat, *curr_stat;
 	FTS *ftsp;
 	FTSENT *curr;
-	char *recpath = NULL;
+	char *recpath = NULL, *sep;
 	int atflags, dne, badcp, len, rval;
 	mode_t mask, mode;
 	bool beneath = Rflag && type != FILE_TO_FILE;
@@ -280,11 +285,17 @@
 	if (type == FILE_TO_FILE) {
 		to.dir = AT_FDCWD;
 		to.end = to.path + strlcpy(to.path, to.base, sizeof(to.path));
-		strlcpy(to.base, dot, sizeof(to.base));
+		to.base[0] = '\0';
 	} else if (type == FILE_TO_DIR) {
 		to.dir = open(to.base, O_DIRECTORY | O_SEARCH);
 		if (to.dir < 0)
 			err(1, "%s", to.base);
+		/*
+		 * We have previously made sure there is room for this.
+		 */
+		sep = strchr(to.base, '\0');
+		sep[0] = '/';
+		sep[1] = '\0';
 	}
 
 	if ((ftsp = fts_open(argv, fts_options, NULL)) == NULL)
@@ -370,13 +381,20 @@
 					umask(~mask);
 				root_stat = &created_root_stat;
 				curr->fts_number = 1;
+				/*
+				 * We have previously made sure there is
+				 * room for this.
+				 */
+				sep = strchr(to.base, '\0');
+				sep[0] = '/';
+				sep[1] = '\0';
 			} else {
 				/* entering a directory; append its name to to.path */
 				len = snprintf(to.end, END(to.path) - to.end, "%s%s",
 				    to.end > to.path ? "/" : "", curr->fts_name);
 				if (to.end + len >= END(to.path)) {
 					*to.end = '\0';
-					warnc(ENAMETOOLONG, "%s/%s%s%s", to.base,
+					warnc(ENAMETOOLONG, "%s%s%s%s", to.base,
 					    to.path, to.end > to.path ? "/" : "",
 					    curr->fts_name);
 					fts_set(ftsp, curr, FTS_SKIP);
@@ -448,7 +466,7 @@
 				const char *path = *to.path ? to.path : dot;
 				mode = curr_stat->st_mode;
 				if (fchmodat(to.dir, path, mode & mask, 0) != 0) {
-					warn("chmod: %s/%s", to.base, to.path);
+					warn("chmod: %s%s", to.base, to.path);
 					rval = 1;
 				}
 			}
@@ -474,7 +492,7 @@
 			    to.end > to.path ? "/" : "", curr->fts_name);
 			if (to.end + len >= END(to.path)) {
 				*to.end = '\0';
-				warnc(ENAMETOOLONG, "%s/%s%s%s", to.base,
+				warnc(ENAMETOOLONG, "%s%s%s%s", to.base,
 				    to.path, to.end > to.path ? "/" : "",
 				    curr->fts_name);
 				badcp = rval = 1;
@@ -506,7 +524,7 @@
 		if (!dne &&
 		    to_stat.st_dev == curr_stat->st_dev &&
 		    to_stat.st_ino == curr_stat->st_ino) {
-			warnx("%s/%s and %s are identical (not copied).",
+			warnx("%s%s and %s are identical (not copied).",
 			    to.base, to.path, curr->fts_path);
 			badcp = rval = 1;
 			if (S_ISDIR(curr_stat->st_mode))
@@ -558,7 +576,7 @@
 				if (~mask & S_IRWXU)
 					umask(~mask & ~S_IRWXU);
 				if (mkdirat(to.dir, to.path, mode) != 0) {
-					warn("%s/%s", to.base, to.path);
+					warn("%s%s", to.base, to.path);
 					fts_set(ftsp, curr, FTS_SKIP);
 					badcp = rval = 1;
 					if (~mask & S_IRWXU)
@@ -568,7 +586,7 @@
 				if (~mask & S_IRWXU)
 					umask(~mask);
 			} else if (!S_ISDIR(to_stat.st_mode)) {
-				warnc(ENOTDIR, "%s/%s", to.base, to.path);
+				warnc(ENOTDIR, "%s%s", to.base, to.path);
 				fts_set(ftsp, curr, FTS_SKIP);
 				badcp = rval = 1;
 				break;
@@ -611,7 +629,7 @@
 			break;
 		}
 		if (vflag && !badcp)
-			(void)printf("%s -> %s/%s\n", curr->fts_path, to.base, to.path);
+			(void)printf("%s -> %s%s\n", curr->fts_path, to.base, to.path);
 	}
 	if (errno)
 		err(1, "fts_read");
diff --git a/bin/cp/extern.h b/bin/cp/extern.h
--- a/bin/cp/extern.h
+++ b/bin/cp/extern.h
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@
 
 typedef struct {
 	int		 dir;		/* base directory handle */
+	char		 base[PATH_MAX + 1];	/* base directory path */
 	char		*end;		/* pointer to NUL at end of path */
-	char		 base[PATH_MAX];	/* base directory path */
 	char		 path[PATH_MAX];	/* target path */
 } PATH_T;
 
diff --git a/bin/cp/utils.c b/bin/cp/utils.c
--- a/bin/cp/utils.c
+++ b/bin/cp/utils.c
@@ -143,12 +143,12 @@
 	if (!dne) {
 		if (nflag) {
 			if (vflag)
-				printf("%s/%s not overwritten\n",
+				printf("%s%s not overwritten\n",
 				    to.base, to.path);
 			rval = 1;
 			goto done;
 		} else if (iflag) {
-			(void)fprintf(stderr, "overwrite %s/%s? %s",
+			(void)fprintf(stderr, "overwrite %s%s? %s",
 			    to.base, to.path, YESNO);
 			checkch = ch = getchar();
 			while (ch != '\n' && ch != EOF)
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@
 
 	if (lflag) {
 		if (linkat(AT_FDCWD, entp->fts_path, to.dir, to.path, 0) != 0) {
-			warn("%s/%s", to.base, to.path);
+			warn("%s%s", to.base, to.path);
 			rval = 1;
 		}
 		goto done;
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@
 
 	if (sflag) {
 		if (symlinkat(entp->fts_path, to.dir, to.path) != 0) {
-			warn("%s/%s", to.base, to.path);
+			warn("%s%s", to.base, to.path);
 			rval = 1;
 		}
 		goto done;
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@
 		    fs->st_mode & ~(S_ISUID | S_ISGID));
 	}
 	if (to_fd == -1) {
-		warn("%s/%s", to.base, to.path);
+		warn("%s%s", to.base, to.path);
 		rval = 1;
 		goto done;
 	}
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@
 		if (info) {
 			info = 0;
 			(void)fprintf(stderr,
-			    "%s -> %s/%s %3d%%\n",
+			    "%s -> %s%s %3d%%\n",
 			    entp->fts_path, to.base, to.path,
 			    cp_pct(wtotal, fs->st_size));
 		}
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@
 	if (pflag && preserve_fd_acls(from_fd, to_fd) != 0)
 		rval = 1;
 	if (close(to_fd)) {
-		warn("%s/%s", to.base, to.path);
+		warn("%s%s", to.base, to.path);
 		rval = 1;
 	}
 
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@
 
 	if (!dne && nflag) {
 		if (vflag)
-			printf("%s/%s not overwritten\n", to.base, to.path);
+			printf("%s%s not overwritten\n", to.base, to.path);
 		return (1);
 	}
 	if ((len = readlink(p->fts_path, llink, sizeof(llink) - 1)) == -1) {
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@
 	}
 	llink[len] = '\0';
 	if (!dne && unlinkat(to.dir, to.path, atflags) != 0) {
-		warn("unlink: %s/%s", to.base, to.path);
+		warn("unlink: %s%s", to.base, to.path);
 		return (1);
 	}
 	if (symlinkat(llink, to.dir, to.path) != 0) {
@@ -286,15 +286,15 @@
 
 	if (!dne && nflag) {
 		if (vflag)
-			printf("%s/%s not overwritten\n", to.base, to.path);
+			printf("%s%s not overwritten\n", to.base, to.path);
 		return (1);
 	}
 	if (!dne && unlinkat(to.dir, to.path, atflags) != 0) {
-		warn("unlink: %s/%s", to.base, to.path);
+		warn("unlink: %s%s", to.base, to.path);
 		return (1);
 	}
 	if (mkfifoat(to.dir, to.path, from_stat->st_mode) != 0) {
-		warn("mkfifo: %s/%s", to.base, to.path);
+		warn("mkfifo: %s%s", to.base, to.path);
 		return (1);
 	}
 	return (pflag ? setfile(from_stat, -1, beneath) : 0);
@@ -307,15 +307,15 @@
 
 	if (!dne && nflag) {
 		if (vflag)
-			printf("%s/%s not overwritten\n", to.base, to.path);
+			printf("%s%s not overwritten\n", to.base, to.path);
 		return (1);
 	}
 	if (!dne && unlinkat(to.dir, to.path, atflags) != 0) {
-		warn("unlink: %s/%s", to.base, to.path);
+		warn("unlink: %s%s", to.base, to.path);
 		return (1);
 	}
 	if (mknodat(to.dir, to.path, from_stat->st_mode, from_stat->st_rdev) != 0) {
-		warn("mknod: %s/%s", to.base, to.path);
+		warn("mknod: %s%s", to.base, to.path);
 		return (1);
 	}
 	return (pflag ? setfile(from_stat, -1, beneath) : 0);
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@
 	tspec[1] = fs->st_mtim;
 	if (fdval ? futimens(fd, tspec) :
 	    utimensat(to.dir, to.path, tspec, atflags)) {
-		warn("utimensat: %s/%s", to.base, to.path);
+		warn("utimensat: %s%s", to.base, to.path);
 		rval = 1;
 	}
 	if (fdval ? fstat(fd, &ts) :
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@
 		if (fdval ? fchown(fd, fs->st_uid, fs->st_gid) :
 		    fchownat(to.dir, to.path, fs->st_uid, fs->st_gid, atflags)) {
 			if (errno != EPERM) {
-				warn("chown: %s/%s", to.base, to.path);
+				warn("chown: %s%s", to.base, to.path);
 				rval = 1;
 			}
 			fs->st_mode &= ~(S_ISUID | S_ISGID);
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@
 	if (!gotstat || fs->st_mode != ts.st_mode) {
 		if (fdval ? fchmod(fd, fs->st_mode) :
 		    fchmodat(to.dir, to.path, fs->st_mode, atflags)) {
-			warn("chmod: %s/%s", to.base, to.path);
+			warn("chmod: %s%s", to.base, to.path);
 			rval = 1;
 		}
 	}
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@
 			 * that we copied, i.e., that we didn't create.)
 			 */
 			if (errno != EOPNOTSUPP || fs->st_flags != 0) {
-				warn("chflags: %s/%s", to.base, to.path);
+				warn("chflags: %s%s", to.base, to.path);
 				rval = 1;
 			}
 		}
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@
 		acl_supported = 1;
 		acl_type = ACL_TYPE_NFS4;
 	} else if (ret < 0 && errno != EINVAL) {
-		warn("fpathconf(..., _PC_ACL_NFS4) failed for %s/%s",
+		warn("fpathconf(..., _PC_ACL_NFS4) failed for %s%s",
 		    to.base, to.path);
 		return (-1);
 	}
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@
 			acl_supported = 1;
 			acl_type = ACL_TYPE_ACCESS;
 		} else if (ret < 0 && errno != EINVAL) {
-			warn("fpathconf(..., _PC_ACL_EXTENDED) failed for %s/%s",
+			warn("fpathconf(..., _PC_ACL_EXTENDED) failed for %s%s",
 			    to.base, to.path);
 			return (-1);
 		}
@@ -429,12 +429,12 @@
 
 	acl = acl_get_fd_np(source_fd, acl_type);
 	if (acl == NULL) {
-		warn("failed to get acl entries while setting %s/%s",
+		warn("failed to get acl entries while setting %s%s",
 		    to.base, to.path);
 		return (-1);
 	}
 	if (acl_is_trivial_np(acl, &trivial)) {
-		warn("acl_is_trivial() failed for %s/%s",
+		warn("acl_is_trivial() failed for %s%s",
 		    to.base, to.path);
 		acl_free(acl);
 		return (-1);
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@
 		return (0);
 	}
 	if (acl_set_fd_np(dest_fd, acl, acl_type) < 0) {
-		warn("failed to set acl entries for %s/%s",
+		warn("failed to set acl entries for %s%s",
 		    to.base, to.path);
 		acl_free(acl);
 		return (-1);
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@
 	dest_fd = (*dest_dir == '\0') ? to.dir :
 	    openat(to.dir, dest_dir, O_DIRECTORY, AT_RESOLVE_BENEATH);
 	if (dest_fd < 0) {
-		warn("%s: failed to copy ACLs to %s/%s", source_dir,
+		warn("%s: failed to copy ACLs to %s%s", source_dir,
 		    to.base, dest_dir);
 		close(source_fd);
 		return (-1);