diff --git a/lib/com_err/lex.h b/lib/com_err/lex.h
index 76f3e2b2a..e158816bb 100644
--- a/lib/com_err/lex.h
+++ b/lib/com_err/lex.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 
 /* $Id$ */
 
-void error_message (const char *, ...)
+void _lex_error_message (const char *, ...)
 __attribute__ ((format (printf, 1, 2)));
 
 int yylex(void);
diff --git a/lib/com_err/lex.l b/lib/com_err/lex.l
index b17c9d67a..eb39e0cfb 100644
--- a/lib/com_err/lex.l
+++ b/lib/com_err/lex.l
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ getstring(void)
 	    continue;
 	}
 	if(c == '\n'){
-	    error_message("unterminated string");
+	    _lex_error_message("unterminated string");
 	    lineno++;
 	    break;
 	}
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ getstring(void)
 }
 
 void
-error_message (const char *format, ...)
+_lex_error_message (const char *format, ...)
 {
      va_list args;
 
diff --git a/lib/com_err/parse.y b/lib/com_err/parse.y
index 3472f82e0..194965c34 100644
--- a/lib/com_err/parse.y
+++ b/lib/com_err/parse.y
@@ -170,5 +170,5 @@ name2number(const char *str)
 void
 yyerror (char *s)
 {
-     error_message ("%s\n", s);
+     _lex_error_message ("%s\n", s);
 }