diff --git a/appl/ftp/ftp/ftp.c b/appl/ftp/ftp/ftp.c
index c4f2c64c9..c5f1c15de 100644
--- a/appl/ftp/ftp/ftp.c
+++ b/appl/ftp/ftp/ftp.c
@@ -63,11 +63,7 @@ hookup(char *host, int port)
     } else {
 	hp = gethostbyname(host);
 	if (hp == NULL) {
-#ifdef HAVE_H_ERRNO
 	    warnx("%s: %s", host, hstrerror(h_errno));
-#else
-	    warnx("%s: %s", host, "unknown error");
-#endif
 	    code = -1;
 	    return NULL;
 	}
diff --git a/appl/kx/kx.c b/appl/kx/kx.c
index ca008a51d..cefa7c6cb 100644
--- a/appl/kx/kx.c
+++ b/appl/kx/kx.c
@@ -114,12 +114,7 @@ connect_host (char *host, char *user, des_cblock *key,
      hostent = gethostbyname (host);
      if (hostent == NULL) {
 	 warnx ("gethostbyname '%s' failed: %s", host,
-#ifdef HAVE_H_ERRNO
-		hstrerror(h_errno)
-#else
-		"unknown error"
-#endif
-	     );
+		hstrerror(h_errno));
 	 return -1;
      }
 
diff --git a/appl/telnet/telnet/commands.c b/appl/telnet/telnet/commands.c
index 0aaa84a37..70ef871d6 100644
--- a/appl/telnet/telnet/commands.c
+++ b/appl/telnet/telnet/commands.c
@@ -2104,11 +2104,7 @@ tn(int argc, char **argv)
 	srp = 0;
 	temp = sourceroute(hostp, &srp, &srlen);
 	if (temp == 0) {
-#ifdef HAVE_H_ERRNO
 	    fprintf (stderr, "%s: %s\r\n", srp ? srp : "", hstrerror(h_errno));
-#else
-	    fprintf (stderr, "%s: %s\r\n", srp ? srp : "", "unknown error");
-#endif
 	    setuid(getuid());
 	    return 0;
 	} else if (temp == -1) {
@@ -2176,11 +2172,7 @@ tn(int argc, char **argv)
 		hostname = _hostname;
 	    } else {
 	        fprintf (stderr, "%s: %s\r\n", hostp ? hostp : "",
-#ifdef HAVE_H_ERRNO
 			 hstrerror(h_errno));
-#else
-			 "unknown error");
-#endif
 		setuid(getuid());
 		return 0;
 	    }