diff --git a/src/shellmatta.c b/src/shellmatta.c
index feb2109..59ac79e 100644
--- a/src/shellmatta.c
+++ b/src/shellmatta.c
@@ -66,6 +66,53 @@ static void writeEcho(  shellmatta_instance_t   *inst,
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ * @brief           itoa like function to convert int to an ascii string
+ * @warning         you have to provide a large enough buffer
+ * @param[in]       value
+ * @param[in,out]   buffer
+ * @param[in]       base
+ * @return          number of bytes in string
+ */
+static uint32_t shellItoa(int32_t value, char *buffer, uint32_t base)
+{
+    char tempBuffer[34u];
+    uint32_t i;
+    uint32_t bufferIdx = 0u;
+    char digitValue;
+
+    /** -# check the base for plausibility */
+    if((2 <= base) && (16 >= base))
+    {
+        /** -# check for sign */
+        if(0 > value)
+        {
+            value = value * (-1);
+            buffer[0u] = '-';
+            bufferIdx += 1u;
+        }
+
+        /** -# loop through all digits in reverse order */
+        i = 0u;
+        do
+        {
+            digitValue = (char) (value % base);
+            tempBuffer[i] = (digitValue < 10u) ? ('0' + digitValue) : ('A' + digitValue);
+            value /= base;
+            i ++;
+        }while(value > 0);
+
+        /** -# store the string in the correct order onto the buffer */
+        while(i > 0u)
+        {
+            buffer[bufferIdx] = tempBuffer[i - 1u];
+            i --;
+            bufferIdx ++;
+        }
+    }
+    return bufferIdx;
+}
+
 /**
  * @brief       appends a byte to the history ring stack buffer
  * @param[in]   inst    pointer to a shellmatta instance
@@ -312,8 +359,11 @@ static void rewindCursor(shellmatta_instance_t *inst, uint32_t length)
     length = SHELLMATTA_MIN (length, inst->cursor);
     if(length > 0u)
     {
-        size = snprintf(terminalCmd, sizeof(terminalCmd), "\e[%uD", length);
-        writeEcho(inst, terminalCmd, size);
+        terminalCmd[0]  = '\e';
+        terminalCmd[1]  = '[';
+        size = 2u + shellItoa(length, &terminalCmd[2], 10);
+        terminalCmd[size] = 'D';
+        writeEcho(inst, terminalCmd, size + 1u);
         inst->cursor -= length;
     }
 }
@@ -331,8 +381,11 @@ static void forwardCursor(shellmatta_instance_t *inst, uint32_t length)
     length = SHELLMATTA_MAX (length, (inst->inputCount - inst->cursor));
     if (length > 0u)
     {
-        size = snprintf(terminalCmd, sizeof(terminalCmd), "\e[%uC", length);
-        writeEcho(inst, terminalCmd, size);
+        terminalCmd[0]  = '\e';
+        terminalCmd[1]  = '[';
+        size = 2u + shellItoa(length, &terminalCmd[2], 10);
+        terminalCmd[size] = 'C';
+        writeEcho(inst, terminalCmd, size + 1u);
         inst->cursor += length;
     }
 }