diff --git a/dbus/setup.go b/dbus/dbus.go
similarity index 80%
rename from dbus/setup.go
rename to dbus/dbus.go
index 2fb7c79..d0e82e1 100644
--- a/dbus/setup.go
+++ b/dbus/dbus.go
@@ -4,8 +4,9 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
-	"strings"
 	"sync"
+
+	"git.ophivana.moe/cat/fortify/helper"
 )
 
 // Proxy holds references to a xdg-dbus-proxy process, and should never be copied.
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ type Proxy struct {
 	read  *chan error
 	ready *chan bool
 
-	seal *string
+	seal helper.Args
 	lock sync.RWMutex
 }
 
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ func (p *Proxy) String() string {
 	}
 
 	if p.seal != nil {
-		return *p.seal
+		return p.seal.String()
 	}
 
 	return "(unsealed dbus proxy)"
@@ -60,21 +61,20 @@ func (p *Proxy) Seal(session, system *Config) error {
 		return errors.New("no configuration to seal")
 	}
 
-	seal := strings.Builder{}
+	seal := helper.NewArgs()
 
+	var args []string
 	if session != nil {
-		if err := session.buildSeal(&seal, p.session); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+		args = append(args, session.Args(p.session)...)
 	}
 	if system != nil {
-		if err := system.buildSeal(&seal, p.system); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+		args = append(args, system.Args(p.system)...)
+	}
+	if err := seal.Seal(args); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
-	v := seal.String()
-	p.seal = &v
+	p.seal = seal
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/dbus/run.go b/dbus/run.go
index 315b31d..cc77606 100644
--- a/dbus/run.go
+++ b/dbus/run.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func (p *Proxy) Start(ready *chan bool) error {
 
 	statsP, argsP := p.statP[0], p.argsP[1]
 
-	if _, err := argsP.Write([]byte(*p.seal)); err != nil {
+	if _, err := p.seal.WriteTo(argsP); err != nil {
 		if err1 := p.cmd.Process.Kill(); err1 != nil {
 			panic(err1)
 		}
diff --git a/helper/args.go b/helper/args.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bbb66f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helper/args.go
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+package helper
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"strings"
+	"sync"
+)
+
+var (
+	ErrContainsNull = errors.New("argument contains null character")
+)
+
+// Args is sealed with a slice of arguments for writing to the helper args FD.
+// The sealing args is checked to not contain null characters.
+// Attempting to seal an instance twice will cause a panic.
+type Args interface {
+	Seal(args []string) error
+	io.WriterTo
+	fmt.Stringer
+}
+
+// argsFD implements Args for helpers expecting null terminated arguments to a file descriptor.
+// argsFD must not be copied after first use.
+type argsFD struct {
+	seal []byte
+	sync.RWMutex
+}
+
+func (a *argsFD) Seal(args []string) error {
+	a.Lock()
+	defer a.Unlock()
+
+	if a.seal != nil {
+		panic("args sealed twice")
+	}
+
+	seal := bytes.Buffer{}
+
+	n := 0
+	for _, arg := range args {
+		// reject argument strings containing null
+		if hasNull(arg) {
+			return ErrContainsNull
+		}
+
+		// accumulate buffer size
+		n += len(arg) + 1
+	}
+	seal.Grow(n)
+
+	// write null terminated arguments
+	for _, arg := range args {
+		seal.WriteString(arg)
+		seal.WriteByte('\x00')
+	}
+
+	a.seal = seal.Bytes()
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (a *argsFD) WriteTo(w io.Writer) (int64, error) {
+	if a.seal == nil {
+		panic("attempted to activate unsealed args")
+	}
+
+	n, err := w.Write(a.seal)
+	return int64(n), err
+}
+
+func (a *argsFD) String() string {
+	if a == nil {
+		return "(invalid helper args)"
+	}
+
+	if a.seal == nil {
+		return "(unsealed helper args)"
+	}
+
+	return strings.ReplaceAll(string(a.seal), "\x00", " ")
+}
+
+func hasNull(s string) bool {
+	for _, b := range s {
+		if b == '\x00' {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+// NewArgs returns a new instance of Args
+func NewArgs() Args {
+	return new(argsFD)
+}
diff --git a/helper/helper.go b/helper/helper.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d9bcc7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helper/helper.go
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+/*
+Package helper runs external helpers and manages their status and args FDs.
+*/
+package helper