diff --git a/vcs-svn/line_buffer.c b/vcs-svn/line_buffer.c
index 57cc1cec03..e416caf8a4 100644
--- a/vcs-svn/line_buffer.c
+++ b/vcs-svn/line_buffer.c
@@ -53,9 +53,9 @@ long buffer_tmpfile_prepare_to_read(struct line_buffer *buf)
 {
 	long pos = ftell(buf->infile);
 	if (pos < 0)
-		return error("ftell error: %s", strerror(errno));
+		return error_errno("ftell error");
 	if (fseek(buf->infile, 0, SEEK_SET))
-		return error("seek error: %s", strerror(errno));
+		return error_errno("seek error");
 	return pos;
 }
 
diff --git a/vcs-svn/sliding_window.c b/vcs-svn/sliding_window.c
index f11d490995..06d273c9e8 100644
--- a/vcs-svn/sliding_window.c
+++ b/vcs-svn/sliding_window.c
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ static int input_error(struct line_buffer *file)
 {
 	if (!buffer_ferror(file))
 		return error("delta preimage ends early");
-	return error("cannot read delta preimage: %s", strerror(errno));
+	return error_errno("cannot read delta preimage");
 }
 
 static int skip_or_whine(struct line_buffer *file, off_t gap)
diff --git a/vcs-svn/svndiff.c b/vcs-svn/svndiff.c
index 74c97c4543..75c753162a 100644
--- a/vcs-svn/svndiff.c
+++ b/vcs-svn/svndiff.c
@@ -64,13 +64,13 @@ static int write_strbuf(struct strbuf *sb, FILE *out)
 {
 	if (fwrite(sb->buf, 1, sb->len, out) == sb->len)	/* Success. */
 		return 0;
-	return error("cannot write delta postimage: %s", strerror(errno));
+	return error_errno("cannot write delta postimage");
 }
 
 static int error_short_read(struct line_buffer *input)
 {
 	if (buffer_ferror(input))
-		return error("error reading delta: %s", strerror(errno));
+		return error_errno("error reading delta");
 	return error("invalid delta: unexpected end of file");
 }
 
diff --git a/vcs-svn/svndump.c b/vcs-svn/svndump.c
index 31d1d83d45..e4b395963b 100644
--- a/vcs-svn/svndump.c
+++ b/vcs-svn/svndump.c
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ static void init(int report_fd)
 int svndump_init(const char *filename)
 {
 	if (buffer_init(&input, filename))
-		return error("cannot open %s: %s", filename ? filename : "NULL", strerror(errno));
+		return error_errno("cannot open %s", filename ? filename : "NULL");
 	init(REPORT_FILENO);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ int svndump_init(const char *filename)
 int svndump_init_fd(int in_fd, int back_fd)
 {
 	if(buffer_fdinit(&input, xdup(in_fd)))
-		return error("cannot open fd %d: %s", in_fd, strerror(errno));
+		return error_errno("cannot open fd %d", in_fd);
 	init(xdup(back_fd));
 	return 0;
 }