diff --git a/servers/slapd/connection.c b/servers/slapd/connection.c
index 1599fa5a69..972a5d0213 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/connection.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/connection.c
@@ -921,8 +921,7 @@ connection_input(
 
 		Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_TRACE,
 			"ber_get_next on fd %d failed errno=%d (%s)\n",
-			ber_pvt_sb_get_desc( conn->c_sb ), err,
-			err > -1 && err < sys_nerr ?  sys_errlist[err] : "unknown" );
+			ber_pvt_sb_get_desc( conn->c_sb ), err, strerror(err) );
 		Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_TRACE,
 			"\t*** got %ld of %lu so far\n",
 			(long)(conn->c_currentber->ber_rwptr - conn->c_currentber->ber_buf),
diff --git a/servers/slapd/result.c b/servers/slapd/result.c
index 7b1dc7cb8a..563e83aa35 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/result.c
+++ b/servers/slapd/result.c
@@ -186,8 +186,7 @@ static long send_ldap_ber(
 		 */
 
 		Debug( LDAP_DEBUG_CONNS, "ber_flush failed errno=%d reason=\"%s\"\n",
-		    err, err > -1 && err < sys_nerr ? sys_errlist[err]
-		    : "unknown", 0 );
+		    err, strerror(err) );
 
 		if ( err != EWOULDBLOCK && err != EAGAIN ) {
 			connection_closing( conn );