diff --git a/appl/ftp/ftp/ftp.c b/appl/ftp/ftp/ftp.c
index 2fcb5ea2d..2a683b7db 100644
--- a/appl/ftp/ftp/ftp.c
+++ b/appl/ftp/ftp/ftp.c
@@ -64,7 +64,11 @@ hookup(char *host, int port)
 	} else {
 		hp = gethostbyname(host);
 		if (hp == NULL) {
+#ifdef __CYGWIN32__
+			warnx("%s: %s", host, "unknown error");
+#else
 			warnx("%s: %s", host, hstrerror(h_errno));
+#endif
 			code = -1;
 			return NULL;
 		}
diff --git a/appl/telnet/telnet/commands.c b/appl/telnet/telnet/commands.c
index daab6184a..5c7d012f8 100644
--- a/appl/telnet/telnet/commands.c
+++ b/appl/telnet/telnet/commands.c
@@ -2213,7 +2213,11 @@ tn(int argc, char **argv)
 	srp = 0;
 	temp = sourceroute(hostp, &srp, &srlen);
 	if (temp == 0) {
+#ifdef __CYGWIN32__
+	    fprintf (stderr, "%s: %s\n", srp ? srp : "", "unknown error");
+#else
 	    fprintf (stderr, "%s: %s\n", srp ? srp : "", hstrerror(h_errno));
+#endif
 	    setuid(getuid());
 	    return 0;
 	} else if (temp == -1) {
@@ -2247,8 +2251,13 @@ tn(int argc, char **argv)
 		_hostname[sizeof(_hostname)-1] = '\0';
 		hostname = _hostname;
 	    } else {
+#ifdef __CYGWIN32__
+	        fprintf (stderr, "%s: %s\n", hostp ? hostp : "",
+			 "unknown error");
+#else
 	        fprintf (stderr, "%s: %s\n", hostp ? hostp : "",
 			 hstrerror(h_errno));
+#endif
 		setuid(getuid());
 		return 0;
 	    }