diff --git a/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/WIN32/osdFindSymbol.c b/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/WIN32/osdFindSymbol.c
index 2753f0959..6c1fb401c 100644
--- a/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/WIN32/osdFindSymbol.c
+++ b/modules/libcom/src/osi/os/WIN32/osdFindSymbol.c
@@ -51,19 +51,27 @@ epicsShareFunc const char *epicsLoadError(void)
     DWORD n;
 
     n = FormatMessage(
-        FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM,
+        FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM|FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS,
         NULL,
         epicsLoadErrorCode,
         0,
         buffer,
         sizeof(buffer)-1, NULL );
 
-    /* n - number of chars stored excluding nil.
-     *
-     * Some messages include a trailing newline, which we strip.
-     */
-    for(; n>=1 && (buffer[n-1]=='\n' || buffer[n-1]=='\r'); n--)
-        buffer[n-1] = '\0';
+    if(n) {
+        /* n - number of chars stored excluding nil.
+         *
+         * Some messages include a trailing newline, which we strip.
+         */
+        for(; n>=1 && (buffer[n-1]=='\n' || buffer[n-1]=='\r'); n--)
+            buffer[n-1] = '\0';
+    } else {
+         epicsSnprintf(buffer, sizeof(buffer),
+                       "Unable to format WIN32 error code %lu",
+                       (unsigned long)epicsLoadErrorCode);
+         buffer[sizeof(buffer)-1] = '\0';
+
+    }
 
     return buffer;
 }