diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 1ade240b4..7f908acec 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ char *ft_rawfile = "rawspice.raw";
 IFsimulator *ft_sim = NULL;
 
 char *errRtn;     /* name of the routine declaring error */
-char *errMsg;     /* descriptive message about what went wrong */
+char *errMsg = NULL;     /* descriptive message about what went wrong */
 char *cp_program; /* program name 'ngspice' */
 
 
diff --git a/src/spicelib/parser/inperror.c b/src/spicelib/parser/inperror.c
index 86af46d26..c06efef73 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/parser/inperror.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/parser/inperror.c
@@ -27,16 +27,15 @@ extern int vasprintf(char **out, const char *fmt, va_list ap);
 
 char *INPerror(int type)
 {
-    const char *val;
+    char *val;
     char *ebuf;
 
     /*CDHW Lots of things set errMsg but it is never used  so let's hack it in CDHW*/
     if ( errMsg ) {
         val = errMsg;
-        errMsg = NULL;
     } else
         /*CDHW end of hack CDHW*/
-        val = SPerror(type);
+        val = copy(SPerror(type));
 
     if (!val)
         return NULL;
@@ -55,6 +54,6 @@ char *INPerror(int type)
         sprintf(ebuf, "%s\n", val);
     }
 #endif /* HAVE_ASPRINTF */
-    FREE(errMsg); /* pn: really needed ? */
+    tfree(val);
     return ebuf;
 }