diff --git a/lib/strerror.c b/lib/strerror.c
index a85c216a5..83a96dda1 100644
--- a/lib/strerror.c
+++ b/lib/strerror.c
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@
 #include "curl_memory.h"
 #include "memdebug.h"
 
+#if defined(WIN32) || defined(_WIN32_WCE)
+#define PRESERVE_WINDOWS_ERROR_CODE
+#endif
+
 const char *
 curl_easy_strerror(CURLcode error)
 {
@@ -432,6 +436,10 @@ curl_share_strerror(CURLSHcode error)
 static const char *
 get_winsock_error (int err, char *buf, size_t len)
 {
+#ifdef PRESERVE_WINDOWS_ERROR_CODE
+  DWORD old_win_err = GetLastError();
+#endif
+  int old_errno = errno;
   const char *p;
 
 #ifndef CURL_DISABLE_VERBOSE_STRINGS
@@ -611,6 +619,15 @@ get_winsock_error (int err, char *buf, size_t len)
 #endif
   strncpy(buf, p, len);
   buf [len-1] = '\0';
+
+  if(errno != old_errno)
+    errno = old_errno;
+
+#ifdef PRESERVE_WINDOWS_ERROR_CODE
+  if(old_win_err != GetLastError())
+    SetLastError(old_win_err);
+#endif
+
   return buf;
 }
 #endif   /* USE_WINSOCK */
@@ -628,19 +645,16 @@ get_winsock_error (int err, char *buf, size_t len)
  */
 const char *Curl_strerror(struct connectdata *conn, int err)
 {
+#ifdef PRESERVE_WINDOWS_ERROR_CODE
+  DWORD old_win_err = GetLastError();
+#endif
+  int old_errno = errno;
   char *buf, *p;
   size_t max;
-  int old_errno;
-#ifdef WIN32
-  DWORD old_win_err;
-#endif
+
   DEBUGASSERT(conn);
   DEBUGASSERT(err >= 0);
 
-  old_errno = errno;
-#ifdef WIN32
-  old_win_err = GetLastError();
-#endif
   buf = conn->syserr_buf;
   max = sizeof(conn->syserr_buf)-1;
   *buf = '\0';
@@ -727,12 +741,14 @@ const char *Curl_strerror(struct connectdata *conn, int err)
   p = strrchr(buf, '\r');
   if(p && (p - buf) >= 1)
     *p = '\0';
-#ifdef WIN32
+
+  if(errno != old_errno)
+    errno = old_errno;
+
+#ifdef PRESERVE_WINDOWS_ERROR_CODE
   if(old_win_err != GetLastError())
     SetLastError(old_win_err);
 #endif
-  if(errno != old_errno)
-    errno = old_errno;
 
   return buf;
 }
@@ -740,17 +756,19 @@ const char *Curl_strerror(struct connectdata *conn, int err)
 #ifdef USE_WINDOWS_SSPI
 const char *Curl_sspi_strerror (struct connectdata *conn, int err)
 {
+#ifdef PRESERVE_WINDOWS_ERROR_CODE
+  DWORD old_win_err = GetLastError();
+#endif
+  int old_errno = errno;
+  const char *txt;
+  char *outbuf;
+  size_t outmax;
 #ifndef CURL_DISABLE_VERBOSE_STRINGS
   char txtbuf[80];
   char msgbuf[sizeof(conn->syserr_buf)];
   char *p, *str, *msg = NULL;
   bool msg_formatted = FALSE;
-  int old_errno;
-  DWORD old_win_err;
 #endif
-  const char *txt;
-  char *outbuf;
-  size_t outmax;
 
   DEBUGASSERT(conn);
 
@@ -760,9 +778,6 @@ const char *Curl_sspi_strerror (struct connectdata *conn, int err)
 
 #ifndef CURL_DISABLE_VERBOSE_STRINGS
 
-  old_errno = errno;
-  old_win_err = GetLastError();
-
   switch(err) {
     case SEC_E_OK:
       txt = "No error";
@@ -1062,12 +1077,6 @@ const char *Curl_sspi_strerror (struct connectdata *conn, int err)
       strncpy(outbuf, str, outmax);
   }
 
-  if(old_win_err != GetLastError())
-    SetLastError(old_win_err);
-
-  if(errno != old_errno)
-    errno = old_errno;
-
 #else
 
   if(err == SEC_E_OK)
@@ -1081,6 +1090,14 @@ const char *Curl_sspi_strerror (struct connectdata *conn, int err)
 
   outbuf[outmax] = '\0';
 
+  if(errno != old_errno)
+    errno = old_errno;
+
+#ifdef PRESERVE_WINDOWS_ERROR_CODE
+  if(old_win_err != GetLastError())
+    SetLastError(old_win_err);
+#endif
+
   return outbuf;
 }
 #endif /* USE_WINDOWS_SSPI */
diff --git a/tests/libtest/lib505.c b/tests/libtest/lib505.c
index 0c128c666..ad5d214c6 100644
--- a/tests/libtest/lib505.c
+++ b/tests/libtest/lib505.c
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ int test(char *URL)
   int hd;
   struct_stat file_info;
   struct curl_slist *hl;
-  int error;
 
   struct curl_slist *headerlist=NULL;
   const char *buf_1 = "RNFR 505";
@@ -55,9 +54,8 @@ int test(char *URL)
 
   hd_src = fopen(libtest_arg2, "rb");
   if(NULL == hd_src) {
-    error = errno;
     fprintf(stderr, "fopen failed with error: %d %s\n",
-            error, strerror(error));
+            errno, strerror(errno));
     fprintf(stderr, "Error opening file: %s\n", libtest_arg2);
     return TEST_ERR_MAJOR_BAD; /* if this happens things are major weird */
   }
@@ -66,9 +64,8 @@ int test(char *URL)
   hd = fstat(fileno(hd_src), &file_info);
   if(hd == -1) {
     /* can't open file, bail out */
-    error = errno;
     fprintf(stderr, "fstat() failed with error: %d %s\n",
-            error, strerror(error));
+            errno, strerror(errno));
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: cannot open file %s\n", libtest_arg2);
     fclose(hd_src);
     return TEST_ERR_MAJOR_BAD;
diff --git a/tests/libtest/lib525.c b/tests/libtest/lib525.c
index f468efa25..715b7fbe2 100644
--- a/tests/libtest/lib525.c
+++ b/tests/libtest/lib525.c
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ int test(char *URL)
   CURL *curl = NULL;
   FILE *hd_src = NULL;
   int hd;
-  int error;
   struct_stat file_info;
   CURLM *m = NULL;
   int running;
@@ -55,9 +54,8 @@ int test(char *URL)
 
   hd_src = fopen(libtest_arg2, "rb");
   if(NULL == hd_src) {
-    error = errno;
     fprintf(stderr, "fopen failed with error: %d (%s)\n",
-            error, strerror(error));
+            errno, strerror(errno));
     fprintf(stderr, "Error opening file: (%s)\n", libtest_arg2);
     return TEST_ERR_FOPEN;
   }
@@ -66,9 +64,8 @@ int test(char *URL)
   hd = fstat(fileno(hd_src), &file_info);
   if(hd == -1) {
     /* can't open file, bail out */
-    error = errno;
     fprintf(stderr, "fstat() failed with error: %d (%s)\n",
-            error, strerror(error));
+            errno, strerror(errno));
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: cannot open file (%s)\n", libtest_arg2);
     fclose(hd_src);
     return TEST_ERR_FSTAT;
diff --git a/tests/libtest/lib541.c b/tests/libtest/lib541.c
index 9aa4a0826..94a26a4b7 100644
--- a/tests/libtest/lib541.c
+++ b/tests/libtest/lib541.c
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ int test(char *URL)
   FILE *hd_src;
   int hd;
   struct_stat file_info;
-  int error;
 
   if(!libtest_arg2) {
     fprintf(stderr, "Usage: <url> <file-to-upload>\n");
@@ -47,9 +46,8 @@ int test(char *URL)
 
   hd_src = fopen(libtest_arg2, "rb");
   if(NULL == hd_src) {
-    error = errno;
     fprintf(stderr, "fopen failed with error: %d %s\n",
-            error, strerror(error));
+            errno, strerror(errno));
     fprintf(stderr, "Error opening file: %s\n", libtest_arg2);
     return -2; /* if this happens things are major weird */
   }
@@ -58,9 +56,8 @@ int test(char *URL)
   hd = fstat(fileno(hd_src), &file_info);
   if(hd == -1) {
     /* can't open file, bail out */
-    error = errno;
     fprintf(stderr, "fstat() failed with error: %d %s\n",
-            error, strerror(error));
+            errno, strerror(errno));
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: cannot open file %s\n", libtest_arg2);
     fclose(hd_src);
     return TEST_ERR_MAJOR_BAD;
diff --git a/tests/libtest/lib582.c b/tests/libtest/lib582.c
index 23772be59..f55e5de71 100644
--- a/tests/libtest/lib582.c
+++ b/tests/libtest/lib582.c
@@ -228,7 +228,6 @@ int test(char *URL)
   CURL *curl = NULL;
   FILE *hd_src = NULL;
   int hd;
-  int error;
   struct_stat file_info;
   CURLM *m = NULL;
   struct ReadWriteSockets sockets = {{NULL, 0, 0}, {NULL, 0, 0}};
@@ -244,9 +243,8 @@ int test(char *URL)
 
   hd_src = fopen(libtest_arg2, "rb");
   if(NULL == hd_src) {
-    error = errno;
     fprintf(stderr, "fopen() failed with error: %d (%s)\n",
-            error, strerror(error));
+            errno, strerror(errno));
     fprintf(stderr, "Error opening file: (%s)\n", libtest_arg2);
     return TEST_ERR_FOPEN;
   }
@@ -255,9 +253,8 @@ int test(char *URL)
   hd = fstat(fileno(hd_src), &file_info);
   if(hd == -1) {
     /* can't open file, bail out */
-    error = errno;
     fprintf(stderr, "fstat() failed with error: %d (%s)\n",
-            error, strerror(error));
+            errno, strerror(errno));
     fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: cannot open file (%s)\n", libtest_arg2);
     fclose(hd_src);
     return TEST_ERR_FSTAT;
diff --git a/tests/libtest/lib591.c b/tests/libtest/lib591.c
index c04d3fbae..53ede3fcd 100644
--- a/tests/libtest/lib591.c
+++ b/tests/libtest/lib591.c
@@ -44,15 +44,13 @@ int test(char *URL)
   int msgs_left;
   CURLMsg *msg;
   FILE *upload = NULL;
-  int error;
 
   start_test_timing();
 
   upload = fopen(libtest_arg3, "rb");
   if(!upload) {
-    error = errno;
     fprintf(stderr, "fopen() failed with error: %d (%s)\n",
-            error, strerror(error));
+            errno, strerror(errno));
     fprintf(stderr, "Error opening file: (%s)\n", libtest_arg3);
     return TEST_ERR_FOPEN;
   }