diff --git a/src/context.h b/src/context.h
index 814f8e5..a942c66 100644
--- a/src/context.h
+++ b/src/context.h
@@ -114,7 +114,11 @@ typedef struct nwipe_context_t_
 	pthread_t         thread;           /* The ID of the thread.                                          */
 	u64               throughput;       /* Average throughput in bytes per second.                        */
 	u64               verify_errors;    /* The number of verification errors across all passes.           */
-	struct hd_driveid  identity;	    /* The serial number of the drive (where applicable)              */
+    char              serial_no[21];    /* Serial number(processed), 20 characters, plus null termination */
+	struct hd_driveid  identity;	    /* Identity contains the raw serial number of the drive           */
+                                        /* (where applicable), however, for use within nwipe use the      */
+                                        /* processed serial_no[21] string above. To access serial no. use */
+                                        /* c[i]->serial_no) and not c[i]->identity.serial_no);            */
 } nwipe_context_t;
 
 
diff --git a/src/device.c b/src/device.c
index 91f3100..edb33b8 100644
--- a/src/device.c
+++ b/src/device.c
@@ -148,8 +148,14 @@ int check_device( nwipe_context_t*** c, PedDevice* dev, int dcount )
 	 */
 	ioctl(fd, HDIO_GET_IDENTITY, &next_device->identity);
 	close( fd );
-	trim ( (char*) next_device->identity.serial_no ); /* Remove leading/training whitespace from serial number and left justify */
-	nwipe_log( NWIPE_LOG_INFO,"Found drive model=\"%s\", device path=\"%s\", size=\"%s\", serial number=\"%s\"", next_device->label, next_device->device_name, next_device->device_size_text, next_device->identity.serial_no);
+
+    int idx;
+    for (idx=0; idx<20; idx++) next_device->serial_no[idx]=next_device->identity.serial_no[idx];
+    
+    next_device->serial_no[20]=0;               /* terminate the string */
+    trim ( (char*) next_device->serial_no );    /* Remove leading/training whitespace from serial number and left justify */
+
+    nwipe_log( NWIPE_LOG_INFO,"Found drive model=\"%s\", device path=\"%s\", size=\"%s\", serial number=\"%s\"", next_device->label, next_device->device_name, next_device->device_size_text, next_device->serial_no);
 
 	(*c)[dcount] = next_device;
         
diff --git a/src/gui.c b/src/gui.c
index 5f31493..b4eee72 100644
--- a/src/gui.c
+++ b/src/gui.c
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@ void nwipe_gui_select( int count, nwipe_context_t** c )
 					wprintw( main_window, " [wipe] %i. %s - %s %s (%s)", (i + offset + 1),
 										c[i+offset]->device_name,
 										c[i+offset]->label,
-										c[i+offset]->identity.serial_no,
+										c[i+offset]->serial_no,
 										c[i+offset]->device_size_text );
 					break;
 
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ void nwipe_gui_select( int count, nwipe_context_t** c )
 					wprintw( main_window, " [    ] %i. %s - %s %s (%s)", (i + offset +1),
 										c[i+offset]->device_name,
 										c[i+offset]->label,
-										c[i+offset]->identity.serial_no,
+										c[i+offset]->serial_no,
 										c[i+offset]->device_size_text );
 					break;
 
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ void nwipe_gui_select( int count, nwipe_context_t** c )
 					wprintw( main_window, " [****] %i. %s - %s %s (%s)", (i + offset +1),
 										c[i+offset]->device_name,
 										c[i+offset]->label,
-										c[i+offset]->identity.serial_no,
+										c[i+offset]->serial_no,
 										c[i+offset]->device_size_text );
 					break;
 
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ void nwipe_gui_select( int count, nwipe_context_t** c )
 					wprintw( main_window, " [----] %i. %s - %s %s (%s)", (i + offset +1),
 										c[i+offset]->device_name,
 										c[i+offset]->label,
-										c[i+offset]->identity.serial_no,
+										c[i+offset]->serial_no,
 										c[i+offset]->device_size_text );
 					break;
 
@@ -1813,11 +1813,11 @@ void *nwipe_gui_status( void *ptr )
 			for( i = offset ; i < offset + slots && i < count ; i++ )
 			{
 				/* Print the context label. */
-				if ( strlen((const char*)c[i]->identity.serial_no) )	
+				if ( strlen((const char*)c[i]->serial_no) )	
 				{
 					mvwprintw( main_window, yy++, 2, "%s - %s (%s)", c[i]->device_name,
 												c[i]->label,
-												c[i]->identity.serial_no);
+												c[i]->serial_no);
 				}
 				else {
 					mvwprintw( main_window, yy++, 2, "%s - %s", c[i]->device_name,
diff --git a/src/nwipe.c b/src/nwipe.c
index 8a324cf..31e6a01 100644
--- a/src/nwipe.c
+++ b/src/nwipe.c
@@ -291,8 +291,8 @@ int main( int argc, char** argv )
                 */
 
                 /* Print serial number of device if it exists. */
-		if ( strlen((const char*)c2[i]->identity.serial_no) ) {
-                        nwipe_log( NWIPE_LOG_INFO, "Device %s has serial number %s", c2[i]->device_name, c2[i]->identity.serial_no);
+		if ( strlen((const char*)c2[i]->serial_no) ) {
+                        nwipe_log( NWIPE_LOG_INFO, "Device %s has serial number %s", c2[i]->device_name, c2[i]->serial_no);
                 }