diff --git a/qga/commands-posix.c b/qga/commands-posix.c
index f7b85b284c..9ad2891d77 100644
--- a/qga/commands-posix.c
+++ b/qga/commands-posix.c
@@ -433,7 +433,6 @@ int64_t qmp_guest_fsfreeze_freeze(Error **err)
     struct FsMount *mount;
     Error *local_err = NULL;
     int fd;
-    char err_msg[512];
 
     slog("guest-fsfreeze called");
 
@@ -450,9 +449,7 @@ int64_t qmp_guest_fsfreeze_freeze(Error **err)
     QTAILQ_FOREACH(mount, &mounts, next) {
         fd = qemu_open(mount->dirname, O_RDONLY);
         if (fd == -1) {
-            sprintf(err_msg, "failed to open %s, %s", mount->dirname,
-                    strerror(errno));
-            error_set(err, QERR_QGA_COMMAND_FAILED, err_msg);
+            error_setg_errno(err, errno, "failed to open %s", mount->dirname);
             goto error;
         }
 
@@ -468,9 +465,8 @@ int64_t qmp_guest_fsfreeze_freeze(Error **err)
         ret = ioctl(fd, FIFREEZE);
         if (ret == -1) {
             if (errno != EOPNOTSUPP) {
-                sprintf(err_msg, "failed to freeze %s, %s",
-                        mount->dirname, strerror(errno));
-                error_set(err, QERR_QGA_COMMAND_FAILED, err_msg);
+                error_setg_errno(err, errno, "failed to freeze %s",
+                                 mount->dirname);
                 close(fd);
                 goto error;
             }