diff --git a/include/crm/common/util.h b/include/crm/common/util.h
index cb2461713f..82c8485869 100644
--- a/include/crm/common/util.h
+++ b/include/crm/common/util.h
@@ -1,154 +1,155 @@
 /*
  * Copyright 2004-2022 the Pacemaker project contributors
  *
  * The version control history for this file may have further details.
  *
  * This source code is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License
  * version 2.1 or later (LGPLv2.1+) WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY.
  */
 
 #ifndef PCMK__CRM_COMMON_UTIL__H
 #  define PCMK__CRM_COMMON_UTIL__H
 
 #  include <sys/types.h>    // gid_t, mode_t, size_t, time_t, uid_t
 #  include <stdlib.h>
 #  include <stdbool.h>
 #  include <stdint.h>       // uint32_t
 #  include <limits.h>
 #  include <signal.h>
 #  include <glib.h>
 
 #  include <libxml/tree.h>
 
 #  include <crm/lrmd.h>
 #  include <crm/common/acl.h>
 #  include <crm/common/agents.h>
 #  include <crm/common/results.h>
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
 /**
  * \file
  * \brief Utility functions
  * \ingroup core
  */
 
 
 #  define ONLINESTATUS  "online"  // Status of an online client
 #  define OFFLINESTATUS "offline" // Status of an offline client
 
 /* public node attribute functions (from attrd_client.c) */
 char *pcmk_promotion_score_name(const char *rsc_id);
 
 /* public Pacemaker Remote functions (from remote.c) */
 int crm_default_remote_port(void);
 
 /* public score-related functions (from scores.c) */
+const char *pcmk_readable_score(int score);
 int char2score(const char *score);
 char *score2char(int score);
 char *score2char_stack(int score, char *buf, size_t len);
 int pcmk__add_scores(int score1, int score2);
 
 /* public string functions (from strings.c) */
 gboolean crm_is_true(const char *s);
 int crm_str_to_boolean(const char *s, int *ret);
 long long crm_get_msec(const char *input);
 char * crm_strip_trailing_newline(char *str);
 char *crm_strdup_printf(char const *format, ...) G_GNUC_PRINTF(1, 2);
 
 guint crm_parse_interval_spec(const char *input);
 
 /* public operation functions (from operations.c) */
 gboolean parse_op_key(const char *key, char **rsc_id, char **op_type,
                       guint *interval_ms);
 gboolean decode_transition_key(const char *key, char **uuid, int *transition_id,
                                int *action_id, int *target_rc);
 gboolean decode_transition_magic(const char *magic, char **uuid,
                                  int *transition_id, int *action_id,
                                  int *op_status, int *op_rc, int *target_rc);
 int rsc_op_expected_rc(lrmd_event_data_t *event);
 gboolean did_rsc_op_fail(lrmd_event_data_t *event, int target_rc);
 bool crm_op_needs_metadata(const char *rsc_class, const char *op);
 xmlNode *crm_create_op_xml(xmlNode *parent, const char *prefix,
                            const char *task, const char *interval_spec,
                            const char *timeout);
 #define CRM_DEFAULT_OP_TIMEOUT_S "20s"
 
 bool pcmk_is_probe(const char *task, guint interval);
 bool pcmk_xe_is_probe(xmlNode *xml_op);
 bool pcmk_xe_mask_probe_failure(xmlNode *xml_op);
 
 int compare_version(const char *version1, const char *version2);
 
 /* coverity[+kill] */
 void crm_abort(const char *file, const char *function, int line,
                const char *condition, gboolean do_core, gboolean do_fork);
 
 /*!
  * \brief Check whether any of specified flags are set in a flag group
  *
  * \param[in] flag_group        The flag group being examined
  * \param[in] flags_to_check    Which flags in flag_group should be checked
  *
  * \return true if \p flags_to_check is nonzero and any of its flags are set in
  *         \p flag_group, or false otherwise
  */
 static inline bool
 pcmk_any_flags_set(uint64_t flag_group, uint64_t flags_to_check)
 {
     return (flag_group & flags_to_check) != 0;
 }
 
 /*!
  * \brief Check whether all of specified flags are set in a flag group
  *
  * \param[in] flag_group        The flag group being examined
  * \param[in] flags_to_check    Which flags in flag_group should be checked
  *
  * \return true if \p flags_to_check is zero or all of its flags are set in
  *         \p flag_group, or false otherwise
  */
 static inline bool
 pcmk_all_flags_set(uint64_t flag_group, uint64_t flags_to_check)
 {
     return (flag_group & flags_to_check) == flags_to_check;
 }
 
 /*!
  * \brief Convenience alias for pcmk_all_flags_set(), to check single flag
  */
 #define pcmk_is_set(g, f)   pcmk_all_flags_set((g), (f))
 
 char *crm_meta_name(const char *field);
 const char *crm_meta_value(GHashTable * hash, const char *field);
 
 char *crm_md5sum(const char *buffer);
 
 char *crm_generate_uuid(void);
 
 // This belongs in ipc.h but is here for backward compatibility
 bool crm_is_daemon_name(const char *name);
 
 int crm_user_lookup(const char *name, uid_t * uid, gid_t * gid);
 int pcmk_daemon_user(uid_t *uid, gid_t *gid);
 
 #ifdef HAVE_GNUTLS_GNUTLS_H
 void crm_gnutls_global_init(void);
 #endif
 
 char *pcmk_hostname(void);
 
 bool pcmk_str_is_infinity(const char *s);
 bool pcmk_str_is_minus_infinity(const char *s);
 
 #if !defined(PCMK_ALLOW_DEPRECATED) || (PCMK_ALLOW_DEPRECATED == 1)
 #include <crm/common/util_compat.h>
 #endif
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
 
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/common/scores.c b/lib/common/scores.c
index a0cf264ab3..311ea3e63b 100644
--- a/lib/common/scores.c
+++ b/lib/common/scores.c
@@ -1,200 +1,216 @@
 /*
  * Copyright 2004-2022 the Pacemaker project contributors
  *
  * The version control history for this file may have further details.
  *
  * This source code is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License
  * version 2.1 or later (LGPLv2.1+) WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY.
  */
 
 #include <crm_internal.h>
 
 #ifndef _GNU_SOURCE
 #  define _GNU_SOURCE
 #endif
 
 #include <stdio.h>      // snprintf(), NULL
 #include <string.h>     // strcpy(), strdup()
 #include <sys/types.h>  // size_t
 
 int pcmk__score_red = 0;
 int pcmk__score_green = 0;
 int pcmk__score_yellow = 0;
 
 /*!
  * \brief Get the integer value of a score string
  *
  * Given a string representation of a score, return the integer equivalent.
  * This accepts infinity strings as well as red, yellow, and green, and
  * bounds the result to +/-INFINITY.
  *
  * \param[in] score  Score as string
  *
  * \return Integer value corresponding to \p score
  */
 int
 char2score(const char *score)
 {
     if (score == NULL) {
         return 0;
 
     } else if (pcmk_str_is_minus_infinity(score)) {
         return -CRM_SCORE_INFINITY;
 
     } else if (pcmk_str_is_infinity(score)) {
         return CRM_SCORE_INFINITY;
 
     } else if (pcmk__str_eq(score, PCMK__VALUE_RED, pcmk__str_casei)) {
         return pcmk__score_red;
 
     } else if (pcmk__str_eq(score, PCMK__VALUE_YELLOW, pcmk__str_casei)) {
         return pcmk__score_yellow;
 
     } else if (pcmk__str_eq(score, PCMK__VALUE_GREEN, pcmk__str_casei)) {
         return pcmk__score_green;
 
     } else {
         long long score_ll;
 
         pcmk__scan_ll(score, &score_ll, 0LL);
         if (score_ll > CRM_SCORE_INFINITY) {
             return CRM_SCORE_INFINITY;
 
         } else if (score_ll < -CRM_SCORE_INFINITY) {
             return -CRM_SCORE_INFINITY;
 
         } else {
             return (int) score_ll;
         }
     }
 }
 
+/*!
+ * \brief Return a displayable static string for a score value
+ *
+ * Given a score value, return a pointer to a static string representation of
+ * the score suitable for log messages, output, etc.
+ *
+ * \param[in] score  Score to display
+ *
+ * \return Pointer to static memory containing string representation of \p score
+ * \note Subsequent calls to this function will overwrite the returned value, so
+ *       it should be used only in a local context such as a printf()-style
+ *       statement.
+ */
+const char *
+pcmk_readable_score(int score)
+{
+    // The longest possible result is "-INFINITY"
+    static char score_s[sizeof(CRM_MINUS_INFINITY_S)];
+
+    if (score >= CRM_SCORE_INFINITY) {
+        strcpy(score_s, CRM_INFINITY_S);
+
+    } else if (score <= -CRM_SCORE_INFINITY) {
+        strcpy(score_s, CRM_MINUS_INFINITY_S);
+
+    } else {
+        // Range is limited to +/-1000000, so no chance of overflow
+        snprintf(score_s, sizeof(score_s), "%d", score);
+    }
+
+    return score_s;
+}
+
 /*!
  * \brief Convert an integer score to a string, using a provided buffer
  *
  * Store the string equivalent of a given integer score in a given string
  * buffer, using "INFINITY" and "-INFINITY" when appropriate.
  *
  * \param[in]  score  Integer score to convert
  * \param[out] buf    Where to store string representation of \p score
  * \param[in]  len    Size of \p buf (in bytes)
  *
  * \return \p buf (or NULL if \p len is too small)
  */
 char *
 score2char_stack(int score, char *buf, size_t len)
 {
     CRM_CHECK((buf != NULL) && (len >= sizeof(CRM_MINUS_INFINITY_S)),
               return NULL);
-
-    if (score >= CRM_SCORE_INFINITY) {
-        strcpy(buf, CRM_INFINITY_S);
-    } else if (score <= -CRM_SCORE_INFINITY) {
-        strcpy(buf, CRM_MINUS_INFINITY_S);
-    } else {
-        snprintf(buf, len, "%d", score);
-    }
+    strcpy(buf, pcmk_readable_score(score));
     return buf;
 }
 
 /*!
  * \brief Return the string equivalent of an integer score
  *
  * Return the string equivalent of a given integer score, using "INFINITY" and
  * "-INFINITY" when appropriate.
  *
  * \param[in]  score  Integer score to convert
  *
  * \return Newly allocated string equivalent of \p score
  * \note The caller is responsible for freeing the return value. This function
  *       asserts on memory errors, so the return value can be assumed to be
  *       non-NULL.
  */
 char *
 score2char(int score)
 {
-    char *result = NULL;
+    char *result = strdup(pcmk_readable_score(score));
 
-    if (score >= CRM_SCORE_INFINITY) {
-        result = strdup(CRM_INFINITY_S);
-        CRM_ASSERT(result != NULL);
-
-    } else if (score <= -CRM_SCORE_INFINITY) {
-        result = strdup(CRM_MINUS_INFINITY_S);
-        CRM_ASSERT(result != NULL);
-
-    } else {
-        result = pcmk__itoa(score);
-    }
+    CRM_ASSERT(result != NULL);
     return result;
 }
 
 /*!
  * \internal
  * \brief Add two scores, bounding to +/-INFINITY
  *
  * \param[in] score1  First score to add
  * \param[in] score2  Second score to add
  */
 int
 pcmk__add_scores(int score1, int score2)
 {
     int result = score1 + score2;
 
     // First handle the cases where one or both is infinite
 
     if (score1 <= -CRM_SCORE_INFINITY) {
 
         if (score2 <= -CRM_SCORE_INFINITY) {
             crm_trace("-INFINITY + -INFINITY = -INFINITY");
         } else if (score2 >= CRM_SCORE_INFINITY) {
             crm_trace("-INFINITY + +INFINITY = -INFINITY");
         } else {
             crm_trace("-INFINITY + %d = -INFINITY", score2);
         }
 
         return -CRM_SCORE_INFINITY;
 
     } else if (score2 <= -CRM_SCORE_INFINITY) {
 
         if (score1 >= CRM_SCORE_INFINITY) {
             crm_trace("+INFINITY + -INFINITY = -INFINITY");
         } else {
             crm_trace("%d + -INFINITY = -INFINITY", score1);
         }
 
         return -CRM_SCORE_INFINITY;
 
     } else if (score1 >= CRM_SCORE_INFINITY) {
 
         if (score2 >= CRM_SCORE_INFINITY) {
             crm_trace("+INFINITY + +INFINITY = +INFINITY");
         } else {
             crm_trace("+INFINITY + %d = +INFINITY", score2);
         }
 
         return CRM_SCORE_INFINITY;
 
     } else if (score2 >= CRM_SCORE_INFINITY) {
         crm_trace("%d + +INFINITY = +INFINITY", score1);
         return CRM_SCORE_INFINITY;
     }
 
     /* As long as CRM_SCORE_INFINITY is less than half of the maximum integer,
      * we can ignore the possibility of integer overflow
      */
 
     // Bound result to infinity
 
     if (result >= CRM_SCORE_INFINITY) {
         crm_trace("%d + %d = +INFINITY", score1, score2);
         return CRM_SCORE_INFINITY;
 
     } else if (result <= -CRM_SCORE_INFINITY) {
         crm_trace("%d + %d = -INFINITY", score1, score2);
         return -CRM_SCORE_INFINITY;
     }
 
     crm_trace("%d + %d = %d", score1, score2, result);
     return result;
 }