diff --git a/source/blender/blenlib/intern/dynlib.c b/source/blender/blenlib/intern/dynlib.c
index e7fa3332f43..858aa6e60bf 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenlib/intern/dynlib.c
+++ b/source/blender/blenlib/intern/dynlib.c
@@ -78,10 +78,7 @@ char *PIL_dynlib_get_error_as_string(PILdynlib* lib) {
 
 	/* if lib is NULL reset the last error code */
 	err= GetLastError();
-	if (!lib) {
-		SetLastError(ERROR_SUCCESS);
-		err = ERROR_SUCCESS;
-	}
+	if (!lib) SetLastError(ERROR_SUCCESS);
 
 	if (err) {
 		static char buf[1024];
@@ -96,7 +93,7 @@ char *PIL_dynlib_get_error_as_string(PILdynlib* lib) {
 			return buf;
 	}
 	
-	return "unrecognized error";
+	return err;
 }
 
 void PIL_dynlib_close(PILdynlib *lib) {
diff --git a/source/blender/imbuf/intern/dynlibtiff.c b/source/blender/imbuf/intern/dynlibtiff.c
index b057e3f8bd2..b9186e482c5 100644
--- a/source/blender/imbuf/intern/dynlibtiff.c
+++ b/source/blender/imbuf/intern/dynlibtiff.c
@@ -106,8 +106,11 @@ void *libtiff_findsymbol(char *name)
 	assert(libtiff != NULL);
 	symbol = PIL_dynlib_find_symbol(libtiff, name);
 	if (symbol == NULL) {
-		printf("libtiff_findsymbol: error %s\n",
-			PIL_dynlib_get_error_as_string(libtiff));
+		char *err = PIL_dynlib_get_error_as_string(libtiff);
+
+		if (err) printf("libtiff_findsymbol: error %s\n",err);
+		else printf("libtiff_findsymbol: error Unknown.\n");
+
 		libtiff = NULL;
 		G.have_libtiff = (0);
 		return NULL;
diff --git a/source/blender/yafray/intern/export_Plugin.cpp b/source/blender/yafray/intern/export_Plugin.cpp
index 92ec7ba8d82..db9fb7ccc72 100644
--- a/source/blender/yafray/intern/export_Plugin.cpp
+++ b/source/blender/yafray/intern/export_Plugin.cpp
@@ -171,7 +171,9 @@ bool yafrayPluginRender_t::initExport()
 		corehandle = PIL_dynlib_open((char *)(location + "\\yafraycore.dll").c_str());
 		if (corehandle==NULL)
 		{
-			cerr << "Error loading yafray plugin: " << PIL_dynlib_get_error_as_string(corehandle) << endl;
+			char *err = PIL_dynlib_get_error_as_string(corehandle);
+			if (err) cerr << "Error loading yafray plugin: " << err << endl;
+			else cerr << "Error loading yafray plugin: Unknown." << endl;
 			return false;
 		}
 		location += "\\yafrayplugin.dll";