diff --git a/lib/base/heimbase-svc.h b/lib/base/heimbase-svc.h
index 6e7eb5fb9..1f0abd622 100644
--- a/lib/base/heimbase-svc.h
+++ b/lib/base/heimbase-svc.h
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@
     const char *e_text;                                         \
     char *e_text_buf;                                           \
     heim_string_t reason;                                       \
-    heim_array_t kv
+    heim_array_t kv;                                            \
+    int32_t ret
 
 #endif /* HEIMBASE_SVC_H */
diff --git a/lib/base/log.c b/lib/base/log.c
index 98c4dcddc..904d0c3ba 100644
--- a/lib/base/log.c
+++ b/lib/base/log.c
@@ -820,7 +820,7 @@ heim_audit_trail(heim_svc_req_desc r, heim_error_code ret, const char *retname)
 #define CASE(x)	case x : retval = #x; break
     if (retname) {
         retval = retname;
-    } else switch (ret) {
+    } else switch (ret ? ret : r->ret) {
     CASE(ENOMEM);
     CASE(ENOENT);
     CASE(EACCES);