diff --git a/ffmpeg.c b/ffmpeg.c
index e199a10ef4..8ed4dafc44 100644
--- a/ffmpeg.c
+++ b/ffmpeg.c
@@ -2486,10 +2486,11 @@ static int transcode_init(void)
         oc->interrupt_callback = int_cb;
         if ((ret = avformat_write_header(oc, &output_files[i]->opts)) < 0) {
             char errbuf[128];
-            const char *errbuf_ptr = errbuf;
-            if (av_strerror(ret, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf)) < 0)
-                errbuf_ptr = strerror(AVUNERROR(ret));
-            snprintf(error, sizeof(error), "Could not write header for output file #%d (incorrect codec parameters ?): %s", i, errbuf_ptr);
+            av_strerror(ret, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf));
+            snprintf(error, sizeof(error),
+                     "Could not write header for output file #%d "
+                     "(incorrect codec parameters ?): %s",
+                     i, errbuf);
             ret = AVERROR(EINVAL);
             goto dump_format;
         }