diff --git a/mailutils/mail.c b/mailutils/mail.c
index 2ad959f7d..6726654f7 100644
--- a/mailutils/mail.c
+++ b/mailutils/mail.c
@@ -107,18 +107,7 @@ static char* FAST_FUNC parse_url(char *url, char **user, char **pass)
 }
 */
 
-void FAST_FUNC encode_base64(char *fname, const char *text, const char *eol)
-{
-	size_t len = len;
-	if (text) {
-		// though we do not call uuencode(NULL, NULL) explicitly
-		// still we do not want to break things suddenly
-		len = strlen(text);
-	}
-	encode_n_base64(fname, text, len, eol);
-}
-
-void FAST_FUNC encode_n_base64(char *fname, const char *text, size_t len, const char *eol)
+static void encode_n_base64(const char *fname, const char *text, size_t len)
 {
 	enum {
 		SRC_BUF_SIZE = 57,  /* This *MUST* be a multiple of 3 */
@@ -130,10 +119,9 @@ void FAST_FUNC encode_n_base64(char *fname, const char *text, size_t len, const
 	char dst_buf[DST_BUF_SIZE + 1];
 
 	if (fname) {
-		fp = (NOT_LONE_DASH(fname)) ? xfopen_for_read(fname) : (FILE *)text;
+		fp = (NOT_LONE_DASH(fname)) ? xfopen_for_read(fname) : stdin;
 		src_buf = src;
-	} else if (!text)
-		return;
+	}
 
 	while (1) {
 		size_t size;
@@ -151,7 +139,7 @@ void FAST_FUNC encode_n_base64(char *fname, const char *text, size_t len, const
 		// encode the buffer we just read in
 		bb_uuencode(dst_buf, src_buf, size, bb_uuenc_tbl_base64);
 		if (fname) {
-			puts(eol);
+			puts("");
 		} else {
 			src_buf += size;
 			len -= size;
@@ -163,6 +151,21 @@ void FAST_FUNC encode_n_base64(char *fname, const char *text, size_t len, const
 #undef src_buf
 }
 
+void FAST_FUNC printstr_base64(const char *text)
+{
+	encode_n_base64(NULL, text, strlen(text));
+}
+
+void FAST_FUNC printbuf_base64(const char *text, unsigned len)
+{
+	encode_n_base64(NULL, text, len);
+}
+
+void FAST_FUNC printfile_base64(const char *fname)
+{
+	encode_n_base64(fname, NULL, 0);
+}
+
 /*
  * get username and password from a file descriptor
  */
diff --git a/mailutils/mail.h b/mailutils/mail.h
index 4eb2bc2c0..b14228a4a 100644
--- a/mailutils/mail.h
+++ b/mailutils/mail.h
@@ -34,5 +34,6 @@ void get_cred_or_die(int fd) FAST_FUNC;
 
 char *send_mail_command(const char *fmt, const char *param) FAST_FUNC;
 
-void encode_base64(char *fname, const char *text, const char *eol) FAST_FUNC;
-void encode_n_base64(char *fname, const char *text, size_t size, const char *eol) FAST_FUNC;
+void printbuf_base64(const char *buf, unsigned len) FAST_FUNC;
+void printstr_base64(const char *buf) FAST_FUNC;
+void printfile_base64(const char *fname) FAST_FUNC;
diff --git a/mailutils/makemime.c b/mailutils/makemime.c
index 577bcde39..7539d5134 100644
--- a/mailutils/makemime.c
+++ b/mailutils/makemime.c
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ int makemime_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 			, G.opt_charset
 			, bb_get_last_path_component_strip(*argv)
 		);
-		encode_base64(*argv++, (const char *)stdin, "");
+		printfile_base64(*argv++);
 	}
 
 	// put multipart footer
diff --git a/mailutils/sendmail.c b/mailutils/sendmail.c
index 1dbaf595c..2fbceaad2 100644
--- a/mailutils/sendmail.c
+++ b/mailutils/sendmail.c
@@ -371,13 +371,13 @@ int sendmail_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 			// substitute placeholders
 			plain_auth[0] = '\0';
 			plain_auth[1 + user_len] = '\0';
-			encode_n_base64(NULL, plain_auth, 1 + user_len + 1 + pass_len, NULL);
+			printbuf_base64(plain_auth, 1 + user_len + 1 + pass_len);
 			free(plain_auth);
 		} else if ((opts & OPT_am_mask) == OPT_am_login) {
 			smtp_check("AUTH LOGIN", 334);
-			encode_base64(NULL, G.user, NULL);
+			printstr_base64(G.user);
 			smtp_check("", 334);
-			encode_base64(NULL, G.pass, NULL);
+			printstr_base64(G.pass);
 		}
 		smtp_check("", 235);
 	}