diff --git a/common/ipc-client.c b/common/ipc-client.c
index 3515ef0ae..13fd8a052 100644
--- a/common/ipc-client.c
+++ b/common/ipc-client.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ int ipc_open_socket(const char *socket_path) {
 }
 
 struct ipc_response *ipc_recv_response(int socketfd) {
-	char data[ipc_header_size];
+	char *data = malloc(sizeof(char) * ipc_header_size);
 	uint32_t *data32 = (uint32_t *)(data + sizeof(ipc_magic));
 
 	size_t total = 0;
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ struct ipc_response *ipc_recv_response(int socketfd) {
 	total = 0;
 	memcpy(&response->size, &data32[0], sizeof(data32[0]));
 	memcpy(&response->type, &data32[1], sizeof(data32[1]));
+	free(data);
+
 	char *payload = malloc(response->size + 1);
 	if (!payload) {
 		goto error_2;
@@ -99,6 +101,7 @@ struct ipc_response *ipc_recv_response(int socketfd) {
 	return response;
 error_2:
 	free(response);
+	free(payload);
 error_1:
 	wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Unable to allocate memory for IPC response");
 	return NULL;
@@ -110,7 +113,7 @@ void free_ipc_response(struct ipc_response *response) {
 }
 
 char *ipc_single_command(int socketfd, uint32_t type, const char *payload, uint32_t *len) {
-	char data[ipc_header_size];
+	char *data = malloc(sizeof(char) * ipc_header_size);
 	uint32_t *data32 = (uint32_t *)(data + sizeof(ipc_magic));
 	memcpy(data, ipc_magic, sizeof(ipc_magic));
 	memcpy(&data32[0], len, sizeof(*len));
@@ -120,6 +123,8 @@ char *ipc_single_command(int socketfd, uint32_t type, const char *payload, uint3
 		sway_abort("Unable to send IPC header");
 	}
 
+	free(data);
+
 	if (write(socketfd, payload, *len) == -1) {
 		sway_abort("Unable to send IPC payload");
 	}
diff --git a/common/pango.c b/common/pango.c
index 3bc97808c..18b92e9d3 100644
--- a/common/pango.c
+++ b/common/pango.c
@@ -87,11 +87,11 @@ PangoLayout *get_pango_layout(cairo_t *cairo, const char *font,
 
 void get_text_size(cairo_t *cairo, const char *font, int *width, int *height,
 		int *baseline, double scale, bool markup, const char *fmt, ...) {
-	char buf[max_chars];
+	char *buf = malloc(sizeof(char) * max_chars);
 
 	va_list args;
 	va_start(args, fmt);
-	if (vsnprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), fmt, args) >= max_chars) {
+	if (vsnprintf(buf, sizeof(char) * max_chars, fmt, args) >= max_chars) {
 		strcpy(&buf[sizeof(buf) - sizeof(overflow)], overflow);
 	}
 	va_end(args);
@@ -103,15 +103,17 @@ void get_text_size(cairo_t *cairo, const char *font, int *width, int *height,
 		*baseline = pango_layout_get_baseline(layout) / PANGO_SCALE;
 	}
 	g_object_unref(layout);
+
+	free(buf);
 }
 
 void pango_printf(cairo_t *cairo, const char *font,
 		double scale, bool markup, const char *fmt, ...) {
-	char buf[max_chars];
+	char *buf = malloc(sizeof(char) * max_chars);
 
 	va_list args;
 	va_start(args, fmt);
-	if (vsnprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), fmt, args) >= max_chars) {
+	if (vsnprintf(buf, sizeof(char) * max_chars, fmt, args) >= max_chars) {
 		strcpy(&buf[sizeof(buf) - sizeof(overflow)], overflow);
 	}
 	va_end(args);
@@ -124,4 +126,6 @@ void pango_printf(cairo_t *cairo, const char *font,
 	pango_cairo_update_layout(cairo, layout);
 	pango_cairo_show_layout(cairo, layout);
 	g_object_unref(layout);
+
+	free(buf);
 }
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 520a87ad8..2285cbdf0 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ add_project_arguments(
 		'-Wno-unused-parameter',
 		'-Wno-unused-result',
 		'-Wundef',
+		'-Wvla',
 	],
 	language: 'c',
 )
diff --git a/sway/ipc-server.c b/sway/ipc-server.c
index ff1bc89fb..73fa8ae5b 100644
--- a/sway/ipc-server.c
+++ b/sway/ipc-server.c
@@ -234,25 +234,29 @@ int ipc_client_handle_readable(int client_fd, uint32_t mask, void *data) {
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	uint8_t buf[ipc_header_size];
+	uint8_t *buf = malloc(sizeof(uint8_t) * ipc_header_size);
 	uint32_t *buf32 = (uint32_t*)(buf + sizeof(ipc_magic));
 	// Should be fully available, because read_available >= ipc_header_size
 	ssize_t received = recv(client_fd, buf, ipc_header_size, 0);
 	if (received == -1) {
 		wlr_log_errno(WLR_INFO, "Unable to receive header from IPC client");
 		ipc_client_disconnect(client);
+		free(buf);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
 	if (memcmp(buf, ipc_magic, sizeof(ipc_magic)) != 0) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "IPC header check failed");
 		ipc_client_disconnect(client);
+		free(buf);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
 	memcpy(&client->payload_length, &buf32[0], sizeof(buf32[0]));
 	memcpy(&client->current_command, &buf32[1], sizeof(buf32[1]));
 
+	free(buf);
+
 	if (read_available - received >= (long)client->payload_length) {
 		ipc_client_handle_command(client);
 	}
@@ -860,7 +864,7 @@ exit_cleanup:
 bool ipc_send_reply(struct ipc_client *client, const char *payload, uint32_t payload_length) {
 	assert(payload);
 
-	char data[ipc_header_size];
+	char *data = malloc(sizeof(char) * ipc_header_size);
 	uint32_t *data32 = (uint32_t*)(data + sizeof(ipc_magic));
 
 	memcpy(data, ipc_magic, sizeof(ipc_magic));
@@ -875,6 +879,7 @@ bool ipc_send_reply(struct ipc_client *client, const char *payload, uint32_t pay
 	if (client->write_buffer_size > 4e6) { // 4 MB
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Client write buffer too big, disconnecting client");
 		ipc_client_disconnect(client);
+		free(data);
 		return false;
 	}
 
@@ -882,6 +887,7 @@ bool ipc_send_reply(struct ipc_client *client, const char *payload, uint32_t pay
 	if (!new_buffer) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "Unable to reallocate ipc client write buffer");
 		ipc_client_disconnect(client);
+		free(data);
 		return false;
 	}
 	client->write_buffer = new_buffer;
@@ -891,6 +897,8 @@ bool ipc_send_reply(struct ipc_client *client, const char *payload, uint32_t pay
 	memcpy(client->write_buffer + client->write_buffer_len, payload, payload_length);
 	client->write_buffer_len += payload_length;
 
+	free(data);
+
 	if (!client->writable_event_source) {
 		client->writable_event_source = wl_event_loop_add_fd(
 				server.wl_event_loop, client->fd, WL_EVENT_WRITABLE,
diff --git a/swaybar/ipc.c b/swaybar/ipc.c
index 0dc394390..9fe3e6263 100644
--- a/swaybar/ipc.c
+++ b/swaybar/ipc.c
@@ -13,9 +13,10 @@
 void ipc_send_workspace_command(struct swaybar *bar, const char *ws) {
 	const char *fmt = "workspace \"%s\"";
 	uint32_t size = snprintf(NULL, 0, fmt, ws);
-	char command[size];
+	char *command = malloc(sizeof(char) * size);
 	snprintf(command, size, fmt, ws);
 	ipc_single_command(bar->ipc_socketfd, IPC_COMMAND, command, &size);
+	free(command);
 }
 
 char *parse_font(const char *font) {
diff --git a/swaynag/config.c b/swaynag/config.c
index 60bda3e03..b4c224436 100644
--- a/swaynag/config.c
+++ b/swaynag/config.c
@@ -365,11 +365,12 @@ int swaynag_load_config(char *path, struct swaynag *swaynag, list_t *types) {
 			}
 			free(name);
 		} else {
-			char flag[nread + 3];
+			char *flag = malloc(sizeof(char) * (nread + 3));
 			sprintf(flag, "--%s", line);
 			char *argv[] = {"swaynag", flag};
 			result = swaynag_parse_options(2, argv, swaynag, types, type,
 					NULL, NULL);
+			free(flag);
 			if (result != 0) {
 				break;
 			}
diff --git a/swaynag/swaynag.c b/swaynag/swaynag.c
index 674c24b52..ceb795a89 100644
--- a/swaynag/swaynag.c
+++ b/swaynag/swaynag.c
@@ -28,9 +28,10 @@ static bool terminal_execute(char *terminal, char *command) {
 	fprintf(tmp, "#!/bin/sh\nrm %s\n%s", fname, command);
 	fclose(tmp);
 	chmod(fname, S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR | S_IXUSR);
-	char cmd[strlen(terminal) + strlen(" -e ") + strlen(fname) + 1];
+	char *cmd = malloc(sizeof(char) * (strlen(terminal) + strlen(" -e ") + strlen(fname) + 1));
 	sprintf(cmd, "%s -e %s", terminal, fname);
 	execl("/bin/sh", "/bin/sh", "-c", cmd, NULL);
+	free(cmd);
 	return true;
 }