diff --git a/glib/giochannel.c b/glib/giochannel.c
index b44fff35b..e54aea256 100644
--- a/glib/giochannel.c
+++ b/glib/giochannel.c
@@ -877,26 +877,31 @@ g_io_channel_set_line_term (GIOChannel	*channel,
                             const gchar	*line_term,
 			    gint         length)
 {
-  guint length_unsigned;
-
   g_return_if_fail (channel != NULL);
   g_return_if_fail (line_term == NULL || length != 0); /* Disallow "" */
 
+  g_free (channel->line_term);
+
   if (line_term == NULL)
-    length_unsigned = 0;
+    {
+      channel->line_term = NULL;
+      channel->line_term_len = 0;
+    }
   else if (length >= 0)
-    length_unsigned = (guint) length;
+    {
+      /* We store the value nul-terminated even if the input is not */
+      channel->line_term = g_malloc0 (length + 1);
+      memcpy (channel->line_term, line_term, length);
+      channel->line_term_len = (guint) length;
+    }
   else
     {
-      /* FIXME: We’re constrained by line_term_len being a guint here */
+      /* We’re constrained by line_term_len being a guint here */
       gsize length_size = strlen (line_term);
       g_return_if_fail (length_size <= G_MAXUINT);
-      length_unsigned = (guint) length_size;
+      channel->line_term = g_strdup (line_term);
+      channel->line_term_len = (guint) length_size;
     }
-
-  g_free (channel->line_term);
-  channel->line_term = line_term ? g_memdup2 (line_term, length_unsigned) : NULL;
-  channel->line_term_len = length_unsigned;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -906,7 +911,8 @@ g_io_channel_set_line_term (GIOChannel	*channel,
  *
  * This returns the string that #GIOChannel uses to determine
  * where in the file a line break occurs. A value of %NULL
- * indicates autodetection.
+ * indicates autodetection. Since 2.84, the return value is always
+ * nul-terminated.
  *
  * Returns: The line termination string. This value
  *   is owned by GLib and must not be freed.
diff --git a/glib/tests/io-channel.c b/glib/tests/io-channel.c
index c5dd01d04..99879be1b 100644
--- a/glib/tests/io-channel.c
+++ b/glib/tests/io-channel.c
@@ -178,6 +178,8 @@ test_read_line_embedded_nuls (void)
   GError *local_error = NULL;
   gchar *line = NULL;
   gsize line_length, terminator_pos;
+  const gchar *line_term;
+  gint line_term_length;
   GIOStatus status;
 
   g_test_summary ("Test that reading a line containing embedded nuls works "
@@ -200,6 +202,11 @@ test_read_line_embedded_nuls (void)
    * Use length -1 here to exercise glib#2323; the case where length > 0
    * is covered in glib/tests/protocol.c. */
   g_io_channel_set_line_term (channel, "\n", -1);
+
+  line_term = g_io_channel_get_line_term (channel, &line_term_length);
+  g_assert_cmpstr (line_term, ==, "\n");
+  g_assert_cmpint (line_term_length, ==, 1);
+
   g_io_channel_set_encoding (channel, NULL, &local_error);
   g_assert_no_error (local_error);