diff --git a/vm/image.cpp b/vm/image.cpp
index fe607ad747..3a58b950b8 100644
--- a/vm/image.cpp
+++ b/vm/image.cpp
@@ -203,12 +203,9 @@ bool factor_vm::read_embedded_image_footer(FILE* file,
 char *threadsafe_strerror(int errnum) {
   char *buf = (char *) malloc(STRERROR_BUFFER_SIZE);
   if(!buf) {
-    fatal_error("Out of memory in threadsafe_strerror", 0);
-  }
-  int ret = THREADSAFE_STRERROR(errnum, buf, STRERROR_BUFFER_SIZE);
-  if(ret != 0) {
-    std::cout << "Truncated output from THREADSAFE_STRERROR, error code:" << errnum << ", ret: " << ret << std::endl;
+    fatal_error("Out of memory in threadsafe_strerror, errno", errnum);
   }
+  THREADSAFE_STRERROR(errnum, buf, STRERROR_BUFFER_SIZE);
   return buf;
 }
 
diff --git a/vm/os-unix.cpp b/vm/os-unix.cpp
index 2b816b361a..d5122545e9 100644
--- a/vm/os-unix.cpp
+++ b/vm/os-unix.cpp
@@ -502,8 +502,4 @@ void abort() {
   ::abort();
 }
 
-int THREADSAFE_STRERROR(int errnum, char *buf, size_t buflen) {
-  return strerror_r(errnum, buf, buflen);
-}
-
 }
diff --git a/vm/os-unix.hpp b/vm/os-unix.hpp
index 036399f91b..ca3bd3bd66 100644
--- a/vm/os-unix.hpp
+++ b/vm/os-unix.hpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ typedef char symbol_char;
 
 #define OPEN_READ(path) fopen(path, "rb")
 #define OPEN_WRITE(path) fopen(path, "wb")
+#define THREADSAFE_STRERROR(errnum, buf, buflen) strerror_r(errnum, buf, buflen)
 
 #define print_native_string(string) print_string(string)
 
@@ -46,6 +47,4 @@ void move_file(const vm_char* path1, const vm_char* path2);
 
 static inline void breakpoint() { __builtin_trap(); }
 
-int THREADSAFE_STRERROR(int errnum, char *buf, size_t buflen);
-
 }
diff --git a/vm/os-windows.cpp b/vm/os-windows.cpp
index d8699280b3..f83f67f91d 100644
--- a/vm/os-windows.cpp
+++ b/vm/os-windows.cpp
@@ -373,8 +373,4 @@ void factor_vm::end_sampling_profiler_timer() {
 
 void abort() { ::abort(); }
 
-int THREADSAFE_STRERROR(int errnum, char *buf, size_t buflen) {
-  return strerror_s(buf, buflen, errnum);
-}
-
 }
diff --git a/vm/os-windows.hpp b/vm/os-windows.hpp
index de00b89f0f..a70025bda7 100644
--- a/vm/os-windows.hpp
+++ b/vm/os-windows.hpp
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ typedef HANDLE THREADHANDLE;
 
 #define OPEN_READ(path) _wfopen((path), L"rb")
 #define OPEN_WRITE(path) _wfopen((path), L"wb")
+#define THREADSAFE_STRERROR(errnum, buf, buflen) strerror_s(buf, buflen, errnum)
 
 inline static void early_init() {}
 uint64_t nano_count();
@@ -94,5 +95,4 @@ inline static void breakpoint() { DebugBreak(); }
 
 extern HANDLE boot_thread;
 
-int THREADSAFE_STRERROR(int errnum, char *buf, size_t buflen);
 }