diff --git a/lib/krb5/get_default_realm.c b/lib/krb5/get_default_realm.c
index 2c62cc057..43cc2e601 100644
--- a/lib/krb5/get_default_realm.c
+++ b/lib/krb5/get_default_realm.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 1997 - 2001 Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan
+ * Copyright (c) 1997 - 2001, 2004 Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan
  * (Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden). 
  * All rights reserved. 
  *
@@ -63,15 +63,15 @@ krb5_error_code
 krb5_get_default_realm(krb5_context context,
 		       krb5_realm *realm)
 {
+    krb5_error_code ret;
     char *res;
 
     if (context->default_realms == NULL
 	|| context->default_realms[0] == NULL) {
-	krb5_error_code ret = krb5_set_default_realm (context, NULL);
-	if (ret) {
-	    krb5_set_error_string(context, "no default realm configured");
-	    return KRB5_CONFIG_NODEFREALM;
-	}
+	krb5_clear_error_string(context);
+	ret = krb5_set_default_realm (context, NULL);
+	if (ret)
+	    return ret;
     }
 
     res = strdup (context->default_realms[0]);