diff --git a/dcicutils/file_utils.py b/dcicutils/file_utils.py
index a1bd0def5..eb865fd64 100644
--- a/dcicutils/file_utils.py
+++ b/dcicutils/file_utils.py
@@ -104,11 +104,26 @@ def are_files_equal(filea: str, fileb: str) -> bool:
 def create_random_file(file: Optional[str] = None,
                        prefix: Optional[str] = None, suffix: Optional[str] = None,
                        nbytes: int = 1024, binary: bool = False) -> str:
-    if not file:
+    if not isinstance(nbytes, int) or nbytes < 0:
+        nbytes = 0
+    if not isinstance(file, str) or not file:
+        if not isinstance(prefix, str):
+            prefix = ""
+        if not isinstance(suffix, str):
+            suffix = ""
         file = create_temporary_file_name(prefix=prefix, suffix=suffix)
     with open(file, "wb" if binary is True else "w") as f:
         if binary is True:
             f.write(os.urandom(nbytes))
         else:
-            f.write(''.join(random.choices(string.ascii_letters + string.digits, k=nbytes)))
+            nchars = 81
+            nlines = nbytes // nchars
+            nremainder = nbytes % nchars
+            for n in range(nlines):
+                f.write("".join(random.choices(string.ascii_letters + string.digits, k=nchars - 1)))
+                f.write("\n")
+            if nremainder > 1:
+                f.write("".join(random.choices(string.ascii_letters + string.digits, k=nremainder - 1)))
+            if nremainder > 0:
+                f.write("\n")
     return file
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 65a60a7e6..b335f35d0 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "dcicutils"
-version = "8.8.4.1b9"  # TODO: To become 8.8.5
+version = "8.8.4.1b10"  # TODO: To become 8.8.5
 description = "Utility package for interacting with the 4DN Data Portal and other 4DN resources"
 authors = ["4DN-DCIC Team <support@4dnucleome.org>"]
 license = "MIT"