diff --git a/lib/krb5/deprecated.c b/lib/krb5/deprecated.c
index 8c577c922..44fdb1925 100644
--- a/lib/krb5/deprecated.c
+++ b/lib/krb5/deprecated.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #define KRB5_DEPRECATED
 
 #include "krb5_locl.h"
+#include <com_right.h>
 
 #undef __attribute__
 #define __attribute__(x)
@@ -540,4 +541,32 @@ krb5_generate_subkey(krb5_context context,
     return krb5_generate_subkey_extended(context, key, ETYPE_NULL, subkey);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Return the error string for the error code. The caller must not
+ * free the string.
+ *
+ * This function is deprecated since its not threadsafe.
+ *
+ * @param context Kerberos 5 context.
+ * @param code Kerberos error code.
+ *
+ * @return the error message matching code
+ *
+ * @ingroup krb5
+ */
+
+const char* KRB5_LIB_FUNCTION
+krb5_get_err_text(krb5_context context, krb5_error_code code) KRB5_DEPRECATED
+{
+    const char *p = NULL;
+    if(context != NULL)
+	p = com_right(context->et_list, code);
+    if(p == NULL)
+	p = strerror(code);
+    if (p == NULL)
+	p = "Unknown error";
+    return p;
+}
+
+
 #endif /* HEIMDAL_SMALLER */