diff --git a/src/test/regress/regress.c b/src/test/regress/regress.c
index acc5d7a59f2..8d0eec95a8f 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/regress.c
+++ b/src/test/regress/regress.c
@@ -244,25 +244,27 @@ WIDGET *
 widget_in(char *str)
 {
 	char	   *p,
-			   *coord[NARGS],
-				buf2[1000];
+			   *coord[NARGS];
 	int			i;
 	WIDGET	   *result;
 
-	if (str == NULL)
-		return NULL;
 	for (i = 0, p = str; *p && i < NARGS && *p != RDELIM; p++)
-		if (*p == ',' || (*p == LDELIM && !i))
+	{
+		if (*p == DELIM || (*p == LDELIM && i == 0))
 			coord[i++] = p + 1;
-	if (i < NARGS - 1)
-		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	if (i < NARGS)
+		ereport(ERROR,
+				(errcode(ERRCODE_INVALID_TEXT_REPRESENTATION),
+				 errmsg("invalid input syntax for type widget: \"%s\"",
+						str)));
+
 	result = (WIDGET *) palloc(sizeof(WIDGET));
 	result->center.x = atof(coord[0]);
 	result->center.y = atof(coord[1]);
 	result->radius = atof(coord[2]);
 
-	snprintf(buf2, sizeof(buf2), "widget_in: read (%f, %f, %f)\n",
-			 result->center.x, result->center.y, result->radius);
 	return result;
 }
 
@@ -271,12 +273,9 @@ widget_out(WIDGET * widget)
 {
 	char	   *result;
 
-	if (widget == NULL)
-		return NULL;
-
-	result = (char *) palloc(60);
-	sprintf(result, "(%g,%g,%g)",
-			widget->center.x, widget->center.y, widget->radius);
+	result = (char *) palloc(100);
+	snprintf(result, 100, "(%g,%g,%g)",
+			 widget->center.x, widget->center.y, widget->radius);
 	return result;
 }