diff --git a/ndn-cpp/c/encoding/binary-xml-interest.c b/ndn-cpp/c/encoding/binary-xml-interest.c
index a540222..b835ebd 100644
--- a/ndn-cpp/c/encoding/binary-xml-interest.c
+++ b/ndn-cpp/c/encoding/binary-xml-interest.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
     
     if (entry->type == ndn_Exclude_COMPONENT) {
       if ((error = ndn_BinaryXmlEncoder_writeBlobDTagElement
-          (encoder, ndn_BinaryXml_DTag_Component, entry->component, entry->componentLength)))
+          (encoder, ndn_BinaryXml_DTag_Component, entry->component.value, entry->component.valueLength)))
         return error;
     }
     else if (entry->type == ndn_Exclude_ANY) {
diff --git a/ndn-cpp/c/interest.h b/ndn-cpp/c/interest.h
index bdb28b1..c3a1647 100644
--- a/ndn-cpp/c/interest.h
+++ b/ndn-cpp/c/interest.h
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@
  */
 struct ndn_ExcludeEntry {
   ndn_ExcludeType type;
-  unsigned char *component;     /**< pointer to the pre-allocated buffer for the component value */
-  unsigned int componentLength; /**< the number of bytes in value */
+  struct ndn_NameComponent component;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -37,8 +36,7 @@
 static inline void ndn_ExcludeEntry_init(struct ndn_ExcludeEntry *self, ndn_ExcludeType type, unsigned char *component, unsigned int componentLength) 
 {
   self->type = type;
-  self->component = component;
-  self->componentLength = componentLength;
+  ndn_NameComponent_init(&self->component, component, componentLength);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/ndn-cpp/interest.cpp b/ndn-cpp/interest.cpp
index 5417fa0..b9a4b69 100644
--- a/ndn-cpp/interest.cpp
+++ b/ndn-cpp/interest.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
     ndn_ExcludeEntry *entry = &excludeStruct.entries[i];
     
     if (entry->type == ndn_Exclude_COMPONENT)
-      addComponent(entry->component, entry->componentLength);
+      addComponent(entry->component.value, entry->component.valueLength);
     else if (entry->type == ndn_Exclude_ANY)
       addAny();
     else
diff --git a/ndn-cpp/interest.hpp b/ndn-cpp/interest.hpp
index ed5835b..5d7169a 100644
--- a/ndn-cpp/interest.hpp
+++ b/ndn-cpp/interest.hpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
    * Create an ExcludeEntry of type ndn_Exclude_COMPONENT
    */
   ExcludeEntry(unsigned char *component, unsigned int componentLen) 
-  : type_(ndn_Exclude_COMPONENT), component_(component, component + componentLen)
+  : type_(ndn_Exclude_COMPONENT), component_(component, componentLen)
   {
   }
   
@@ -41,19 +41,17 @@
   void get(struct ndn_ExcludeEntry &excludeEntryStruct) const 
   {
     excludeEntryStruct.type = type_;
-    if (type_ == ndn_Exclude_COMPONENT) {
-      excludeEntryStruct.componentLength = component_.size();
-      excludeEntryStruct.component = (unsigned char *)&component_[0];
-    }
+    if (type_ == ndn_Exclude_COMPONENT)
+      component_.get(excludeEntryStruct.component);
   }
   
   ndn_ExcludeType getType() const { return type_; }
   
-  const std::vector<unsigned char> &getComponent() const { return component_; }
+  const Name::Component &getComponent() const { return component_; }
   
 private:
   ndn_ExcludeType type_;
-  std::vector<unsigned char> component_; /**< only used if type_ is ndn_Exclude_COMPONENT */
+  Name::Component component_; /**< only used if type_ is ndn_Exclude_COMPONENT */
 }; 
   
 /**
diff --git a/ndn-cpp/name.hpp b/ndn-cpp/name.hpp
index 2baee7d..5d6fb19 100644
--- a/ndn-cpp/name.hpp
+++ b/ndn-cpp/name.hpp
@@ -50,8 +50,9 @@
      */
     void get(struct ndn_NameComponent &componentStruct) const 
     {
-      componentStruct.value = (unsigned char *)&value_[0];
       componentStruct.valueLength = value_.size(); 
+      if (value_.size() > 0)
+        componentStruct.value = (unsigned char *)&value_[0];
     }
   
     /**