diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index d36ef64f5b..a57d089670 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 * Support for testing group URIs on being relative has been added (#478)
 
-* Logging support at the R and C++ level has been added (#479, #487)
+* Logging support at the R and C++ level has been added (#479, #487, #489)
 
 * Use of TileDB Embedded was upgraded to release 2.12.1, and 2.12.2 (#480, #481)
 
diff --git a/inst/include/spdlog_r_sink.h b/inst/include/spdlog_r_sink.h
index 3f0ea824d8..8cd3723264 100644
--- a/inst/include/spdlog_r_sink.h
+++ b/inst/include/spdlog_r_sink.h
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ namespace spdlog {
                 // sending it to its final destination:
                 spdlog::memory_buf_t formatted;
                 spdlog::sinks::base_sink<Mutex>::formatter_->format(msg, formatted);
-                Rprintf(fmt::to_string(formatted).c_str());
+                formatted.push('\0');         // convert to c string
+                Rprintf(formatted.data());    // and print via R's i/o streams
             }
 
             void flush_() override {