diff --git a/dcalc/ArnoldiDelayCalc.cc b/dcalc/ArnoldiDelayCalc.cc
index 92ad09a9..d83e5d9c 100644
--- a/dcalc/ArnoldiDelayCalc.cc
+++ b/dcalc/ArnoldiDelayCalc.cc
@@ -880,7 +880,7 @@ ArnoldiDelayCalc::pr_solve1(double s,
         // ignoring a typical error at drive node, that comes
         // from slight inaccuracies in rr
         if (!(rr[order-1]>1.0 && p[order-1]>500.0 && va>v1-0.002))
-	  debugPrint(debug_, "arnoldi", 1, "err, pr_solve1, va<v1");
+	  debugPrint0(debug_, "arnoldi", 1, "err, pr_solve1, va<v1");
       }
       tmin = ta; vmin = va;
     } else {
@@ -893,7 +893,7 @@ ArnoldiDelayCalc::pr_solve1(double s,
         pr_get_v(ta,s,order,p,rr,&va);
       }
       if (va>v1)
-	debugPrint(debug_, "arnoldi", 1, "err, pr_solve1, va>v1");
+	debugPrint0(debug_, "arnoldi", 1, "err, pr_solve1, va>v1");
       tmax = ta; vmax = va;
     }
   } else {
@@ -1459,9 +1459,9 @@ ArnoldiDelayCalc::ar1_ceff_delay(delay_work *D,
       ceff_time = s;
       ceff = pr_ceff(s,r,mod->order,p,rr,ceff_time);
 
-      if((ceff-1e-20) < 0.0) {  // 1e-8pf
-	debugPrint(debug_, "arnoldi", 1,
-                   "Invalid effective capacitance, using total capacitance");
+      if ((ceff-1e-20) < 0.0) {  // 1e-8pf
+	debugPrint0(debug_, "arnoldi", 1,
+                    "Invalid effective capacitance, using total capacitance");
 	ceff = ctot;
       }
 
diff --git a/include/sta/Debug.hh b/include/sta/Debug.hh
index fc042c7d..9c7d017a 100644
--- a/include/sta/Debug.hh
+++ b/include/sta/Debug.hh
@@ -65,4 +65,11 @@ private:
     debug->reportLine(what, msg, ##__VA_ARGS__); \
   }
 
+// Sadly c++11 __VA_ARGS__ macros must have at least one arg, so this form
+// should be used when there are no args for the message.
+#define debugPrint0(debug, what, level, msg) \
+  if (debug->check(what, level)) {  \
+    debug->reportLine(what, msg); \
+  }
+
 } // namespace