diff --git a/lib/gssapi/display_status.c b/lib/gssapi/display_status.c
index bbe1c5ff3..f91ae7e39 100644
--- a/lib/gssapi/display_status.c
+++ b/lib/gssapi/display_status.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 1998 - 2003 Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan
+ * Copyright (c) 1998 - 2005 Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan
  * (Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden). 
  * All rights reserved. 
  *
@@ -115,13 +115,21 @@ void
 gssapi_krb5_set_error_string (void)
 {
     struct gssapi_thr_context *ctx = gssapi_get_thread_context(1);
+    char *e;
 
     if (ctx == NULL)
 	return;
     HEIMDAL_MUTEX_lock(&ctx->mutex);
     if (ctx->error_string)
 	free(ctx->error_string);
-    ctx->error_string = krb5_get_error_string(gssapi_krb5_context);
+    e = krb5_get_error_string(gssapi_krb5_context);
+    if (e == NULL)
+	ctx->error_string = NULL;
+    else {
+	/* ignore failures, will use status code instead */
+	ctx->error_string = strdup(e); 
+	krb5_free_error_string(e);
+    }
     HEIMDAL_MUTEX_unlock(&ctx->mutex);
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/gssapi/krb5/display_status.c b/lib/gssapi/krb5/display_status.c
index bbe1c5ff3..f91ae7e39 100644
--- a/lib/gssapi/krb5/display_status.c
+++ b/lib/gssapi/krb5/display_status.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 1998 - 2003 Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan
+ * Copyright (c) 1998 - 2005 Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan
  * (Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden). 
  * All rights reserved. 
  *
@@ -115,13 +115,21 @@ void
 gssapi_krb5_set_error_string (void)
 {
     struct gssapi_thr_context *ctx = gssapi_get_thread_context(1);
+    char *e;
 
     if (ctx == NULL)
 	return;
     HEIMDAL_MUTEX_lock(&ctx->mutex);
     if (ctx->error_string)
 	free(ctx->error_string);
-    ctx->error_string = krb5_get_error_string(gssapi_krb5_context);
+    e = krb5_get_error_string(gssapi_krb5_context);
+    if (e == NULL)
+	ctx->error_string = NULL;
+    else {
+	/* ignore failures, will use status code instead */
+	ctx->error_string = strdup(e); 
+	krb5_free_error_string(e);
+    }
     HEIMDAL_MUTEX_unlock(&ctx->mutex);
 }