diff --git a/libmariadb/mariadb_lib.c b/libmariadb/mariadb_lib.c
index d31f33ab..8abcad90 100644
--- a/libmariadb/mariadb_lib.c
+++ b/libmariadb/mariadb_lib.c
@@ -2044,7 +2044,7 @@ void my_set_error(MYSQL *mysql,
 {
   va_list ap;
 
-  const char *errmsg;
+  const char *errmsg= format;
 
   mysql->net.last_errno= error_nr;
   ma_strmake(mysql->net.sqlstate, sqlstate, SQLSTATE_LENGTH);
@@ -2061,8 +2061,7 @@ void my_set_error(MYSQL *mysql,
   }
 
   va_start(ap, format);
-  vsnprintf(mysql->net.last_error, MYSQL_ERRMSG_SIZE - 1,
-            format ? format : errmsg, ap);
+  vsnprintf(mysql->net.last_error, MYSQL_ERRMSG_SIZE - 1, errmsg, ap);
   va_end(ap);
   return;
 }
diff --git a/libmariadb/mariadb_stmt.c b/libmariadb/mariadb_stmt.c
index 7e922164..3f610669 100644
--- a/libmariadb/mariadb_stmt.c
+++ b/libmariadb/mariadb_stmt.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ void stmt_set_error(MYSQL_STMT *stmt,
 {
   va_list ap;
 
-  const char *errmsg;
+  const char *errmsg= format;
 
   stmt->last_errno= error_nr;
   ma_strmake(stmt->sqlstate, sqlstate, SQLSTATE_LENGTH);
@@ -116,8 +116,7 @@ void stmt_set_error(MYSQL_STMT *stmt,
   }
 
   va_start(ap, format);
-  vsnprintf(stmt->last_error, MYSQL_ERRMSG_SIZE - 1,
-            format ? format : errmsg, ap);
+  vsnprintf(stmt->last_error, MYSQL_ERRMSG_SIZE - 1, errmsg, ap);
   va_end(ap);
   return;
 }