diff --git a/tests/commandtest.c b/tests/commandtest.c
index cf5f44a164..6430e20263 100644
--- a/tests/commandtest.c
+++ b/tests/commandtest.c
@@ -178,8 +178,7 @@ static int test2(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     int ret;
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         virCommandFree(cmd);
         return -1;
     }
@@ -190,8 +189,7 @@ static int test2(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     }
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         virCommandFree(cmd);
         return -1;
     }
@@ -218,8 +216,7 @@ static int test3(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
                      VIR_COMMAND_PASS_FD_CLOSE_PARENT);
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -260,8 +257,7 @@ static int test4(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     virCommandDaemonize(cmd);
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -294,8 +290,7 @@ static int test5(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     virCommandAddEnvPassCommon(cmd);
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         virCommandFree(cmd);
         return -1;
     }
@@ -318,8 +313,7 @@ static int test6(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     virCommandAddEnvPassBlockSUID(cmd, "DOESNOTEXIST", NULL);
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         virCommandFree(cmd);
         return -1;
     }
@@ -343,8 +337,7 @@ static int test7(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     virCommandAddEnvPassBlockSUID(cmd, "DOESNOTEXIST", NULL);
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         virCommandFree(cmd);
         return -1;
     }
@@ -368,8 +361,7 @@ static int test8(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     virCommandAddEnvPair(cmd, "USER", "test");
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         virCommandFree(cmd);
         return -1;
     }
@@ -406,8 +398,7 @@ static int test9(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     }
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         virCommandFree(cmd);
         return -1;
     }
@@ -432,8 +423,7 @@ static int test10(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     virCommandAddArgSet(cmd, args);
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         virCommandFree(cmd);
         return -1;
     }
@@ -456,8 +446,7 @@ static int test11(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     virCommandPtr cmd = virCommandNewArgs(args);
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         virCommandFree(cmd);
         return -1;
     }
@@ -478,8 +467,7 @@ static int test12(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     virCommandSetInputBuffer(cmd, "Hello World\n");
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         virCommandFree(cmd);
         return -1;
     }
@@ -506,8 +494,7 @@ static int test13(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     virCommandSetOutputBuffer(cmd, &outactual);
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
     if (!outactual)
@@ -559,8 +546,7 @@ static int test14(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     virCommandSetErrorBuffer(cmd, &erractual);
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
     if (!outactual || !erractual)
@@ -573,8 +559,7 @@ static int test14(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     virCommandSetOutputBuffer(cmd, &jointactual);
     virCommandSetErrorBuffer(cmd, &jointactual);
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
     if (!jointactual)
@@ -620,8 +605,7 @@ static int test15(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     virCommandSetUmask(cmd, 002);
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -651,8 +635,7 @@ static int test16(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     virCommandAddArg(cmd, "G  H");
 
     if ((outactual = virCommandToString(cmd)) == NULL) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot convert to string: %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot convert to string: %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
     if ((fd = open(abs_builddir "/commandhelper.log",
@@ -697,8 +680,7 @@ static int test17(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     }
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -720,8 +702,7 @@ static int test17(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     }
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -756,8 +737,7 @@ static int test18(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 
     alarm(5);
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
     alarm(0);
@@ -798,8 +778,7 @@ static int test19(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 
     alarm(5);
     if (virCommandRunAsync(cmd, &pid) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -848,8 +827,7 @@ static int test20(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     virCommandSetInputBuffer(cmd, buf);
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -891,8 +869,7 @@ static int test21(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     virCommandDoAsyncIO(cmd);
 
     if (virCommandRunAsync(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -930,8 +907,7 @@ test22(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     cmd = virCommandNewArgList("/bin/sh", "-c", "exit 3", NULL);
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, &status) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
     if (status != 3) {
@@ -941,8 +917,7 @@ test22(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 
     virCommandRawStatus(cmd);
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, &status) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
     if (!WIFEXITED(status) || WEXITSTATUS(status) != 3) {
@@ -960,8 +935,7 @@ test22(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 
     virCommandRawStatus(cmd);
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, &status) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
     if (!WIFSIGNALED(status) || WTERMSIG(status) != SIGKILL) {
@@ -1057,8 +1031,7 @@ static int test24(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     virCommandPassListenFDs(cmd);
 
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", err->message);
+        printf("Cannot run child %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/libvirtdconftest.c b/tests/libvirtdconftest.c
index 61d861db1d..daa2b9061e 100644
--- a/tests/libvirtdconftest.c
+++ b/tests/libvirtdconftest.c
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ testCorrupt(const void *opaque)
                                 data->params,
                                 data->paramnum,
                                 &type);
-    virErrorPtr err = NULL;
+    const char *err = NULL;
 
     if (!newdata)
         return -1;
@@ -115,15 +115,15 @@ testCorrupt(const void *opaque)
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    err = virGetLastError();
-    if (!err || !err->message) {
+    err = virGetLastErrorMessage();
+    if (!err) {
         VIR_DEBUG("No error or message %p", err);
         ret = -1;
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
 #if !WITH_SASL
-    if (strstr(err->message, "unsupported auth sasl")) {
+    if (strstr(err, "unsupported auth sasl")) {
         VIR_DEBUG("sasl unsupported, skipping this config");
         goto cleanup;
     }
@@ -131,24 +131,24 @@ testCorrupt(const void *opaque)
 
     switch (type) {
     case VIR_CONF_ULONG:
-        if (!strstr(err->message, "invalid type: got string; expected unsigned long") &&
-            !strstr(err->message, "invalid type: got string; expected long")) {
+        if (!strstr(err, "invalid type: got string; expected unsigned long") &&
+            !strstr(err, "invalid type: got string; expected long")) {
             VIR_DEBUG("Wrong error for long: '%s'",
-                      err->message);
+                      err);
             ret = -1;
         }
         break;
     case VIR_CONF_STRING:
-        if (!strstr(err->message, "invalid type: got unsigned long; expected string")) {
+        if (!strstr(err, "invalid type: got unsigned long; expected string")) {
             VIR_DEBUG("Wrong error for string: '%s'",
-                      err->message);
+                      err);
             ret = -1;
         }
         break;
     case VIR_CONF_LIST:
-        if (!strstr(err->message, "must be a string or list of strings")) {
+        if (!strstr(err, "must be a string or list of strings")) {
             VIR_DEBUG("Wrong error for list: '%s'",
-                      err->message);
+                      err);
             ret = -1;
         }
         break;
@@ -212,8 +212,8 @@ mymain(void)
     }
 
     if (virFileReadAll(filename, 1024*1024, &filedata) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        fprintf(stderr, "Cannot load %s for testing: %s", filename, err->message);
+        const char *err = virGetLastErrorMessage();
+        fprintf(stderr, "Cannot load %s for testing: %s", filename, err);
         ret = -1;
         goto cleanup;
     }
diff --git a/tests/openvzutilstest.c b/tests/openvzutilstest.c
index ccde6365cc..d74716531b 100644
--- a/tests/openvzutilstest.c
+++ b/tests/openvzutilstest.c
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ testReadNetworkConf(const void *data ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     int result = -1;
     virDomainDefPtr def = NULL;
     char *actual = NULL;
-    virErrorPtr err = NULL;
     const char *expected =
         "<domain type='openvz'>\n"
         "  <uuid>00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000</uuid>\n"
@@ -110,16 +109,14 @@ testReadNetworkConf(const void *data ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     def->os.type = VIR_DOMAIN_OSTYPE_EXE;
 
     if (openvzReadNetworkConf(def, 1) < 0) {
-        err = virGetLastError();
-        fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: %s\n", err != NULL ? err->message : "<unknown>");
+        fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
     actual = virDomainDefFormat(def, NULL, VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_FORMAT_INACTIVE);
 
     if (actual == NULL) {
-        err = virGetLastError();
-        fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: %s\n", err != NULL ? err->message : "<unknown>");
+        fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/qemucapsprobe.c b/tests/qemucapsprobe.c
index 9557055074..ced0512e5d 100644
--- a/tests/qemucapsprobe.c
+++ b/tests/qemucapsprobe.c
@@ -35,9 +35,8 @@ eventLoop(void *opaque ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 {
     while (1) {
         if (virEventRunDefaultImpl() < 0) {
-            virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
             fprintf(stderr, "Failed to run event loop: %s\n",
-                    err && err->message ? err->message : "Unknown error");
+                    virGetLastErrorMessage());
         }
     }
 }
@@ -63,9 +62,8 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     }
 
     if (virEventRegisterDefaultImpl() < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
         fprintf(stderr, "Failed to register event implementation: %s\n",
-                err && err->message ? err->message: "Unknown error");
+                virGetLastErrorMessage());
         return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/securityselinuxtest.c b/tests/securityselinuxtest.c
index 49694f3fc5..3423e664c6 100644
--- a/tests/securityselinuxtest.c
+++ b/tests/securityselinuxtest.c
@@ -230,8 +230,7 @@ testSELinuxGenLabel(const void *opaque)
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (virSecurityManagerGenLabel(data->mgr, def) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
-        fprintf(stderr, "Cannot generate label: %s\n", err->message);
+        fprintf(stderr, "Cannot generate label: %s\n", virGetLastErrorMessage());
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -275,9 +274,8 @@ mymain(void)
     if (!(mgr = virSecurityManagerNew("selinux", "QEMU",
                                       VIR_SECURITY_MANAGER_DEFAULT_CONFINED |
                                       VIR_SECURITY_MANAGER_PRIVILEGED))) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virGetLastError();
         fprintf(stderr, "Unable to initialize security driver: %s\n",
-                err->message);
+                virGetLastErrorMessage());
         return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }