diff --git a/modules/libcom/src/error/errSymLib.c b/modules/libcom/src/error/errSymLib.c
index b220f2bc0..b7ed1dc48 100644
--- a/modules/libcom/src/error/errSymLib.c
+++ b/modules/libcom/src/error/errSymLib.c
@@ -40,9 +40,8 @@ typedef struct errnumnode {
     long               pad;
 } ERRNUMNODE;
 
-static ELLLIST errnumlist = ELLLIST_INIT;
-static ERRNUMNODE **hashtable;
-static int initialized = 0;
+static ERRNUMNODE **hashtable = NULL;
+#define initialized (hashtable!=NULL)
 extern ERRSYMTAB_ID errSymTbl;
 
 /****************************************************************
@@ -56,9 +55,6 @@ extern ERRSYMTAB_ID errSymTbl;
 int errSymBld(void)
 {
     ERRSYMBOL      *errArray = errSymTbl->symbols;
-    ERRNUMNODE     *perrNumNode = NULL;
-    ERRNUMNODE     *pNextNode = NULL;
-    ERRNUMNODE    **phashnode = NULL;
     int             i;
     int             modnum;
 
@@ -79,22 +75,6 @@ int errSymBld(void)
             continue;
         }
     }
-    perrNumNode = (ERRNUMNODE *) ellFirst(&errnumlist);
-    while (perrNumNode) {
-        /* hash each perrNumNode->errNum */
-        epicsUInt16 hashInd = errhash(perrNumNode->errNum);
-
-        phashnode = (ERRNUMNODE**)&hashtable[hashInd];
-        pNextNode = (ERRNUMNODE*) *phashnode;
-        /* search for last node (NULL) of hashnode linked list */
-        while (pNextNode) {
-            phashnode = &pNextNode->hashnode;
-            pNextNode = *phashnode;
-        }
-        *phashnode = perrNumNode;
-        perrNumNode = (ERRNUMNODE *) ellNext((ELLNODE *) perrNumNode);
-    }
-    initialized = 1;
     return(0);
 }
 
@@ -118,12 +98,32 @@ static epicsUInt16 errhash(long errNum)
  ***************************************************************/
 int errSymbolAdd(long errNum, const char *name)
 {
-    ERRNUMNODE *pNew = (ERRNUMNODE*) callocMustSucceed(1,
+    ERRNUMNODE     *perrNumNode;
+    ERRNUMNODE     *pNextNode = NULL;
+    ERRNUMNODE    **phashnode = NULL;
+    epicsUInt16     hashInd;
+
+    if (!initialized)
+         errSymBld();
+
+    perrNumNode = (ERRNUMNODE*) callocMustSucceed(1,
         sizeof(ERRNUMNODE), "errSymbolAdd");
 
-    pNew->errNum = errNum;
-    pNew->message = name;
-    ellAdd(&errnumlist, (ELLNODE*)pNew);
+    perrNumNode->errNum = errNum;
+    perrNumNode->message = name;
+
+    /* hash each perrNumNode->errNum */
+    hashInd = errhash(perrNumNode->errNum);
+    phashnode = (ERRNUMNODE**)&hashtable[hashInd];
+    pNextNode = (ERRNUMNODE*) *phashnode;
+    /* search for last node (NULL) of hashnode linked list */
+    while (pNextNode) {
+        phashnode = &pNextNode->hashnode;
+        pNextNode = *phashnode;
+    }
+    *phashnode = perrNumNode;
+    perrNumNode = (ERRNUMNODE *) ellNext((ELLNODE *) perrNumNode);
+
     return 0;
 }