diff --git a/apply.c b/apply.c
index 98c7f6e110..ce09ed9cc9 100644
--- a/apply.c
+++ b/apply.c
@@ -3497,7 +3497,7 @@ static int load_current(struct apply_state *state,
 	ce = active_cache[pos];
 	if (lstat(name, &st)) {
 		if (errno != ENOENT)
-			return error(_("%s: %s"), name, strerror(errno));
+			return error_errno("%s", name);
 		if (checkout_target(&the_index, ce, &st))
 			return -1;
 	}
@@ -3647,7 +3647,7 @@ static int check_preimage(struct apply_state *state,
 	} else if (!state->cached) {
 		stat_ret = lstat(old_name, st);
 		if (stat_ret && errno != ENOENT)
-			return error(_("%s: %s"), old_name, strerror(errno));
+			return error_errno("%s", old_name);
 	}
 
 	if (state->check_index && !previous) {
@@ -3669,7 +3669,7 @@ static int check_preimage(struct apply_state *state,
 	} else if (stat_ret < 0) {
 		if (patch->is_new < 0)
 			goto is_new;
-		return error(_("%s: %s"), old_name, strerror(errno));
+		return error_errno("%s", old_name);
 	}
 
 	if (!state->cached && !previous)
@@ -3728,7 +3728,7 @@ static int check_to_create(struct apply_state *state,
 
 		return EXISTS_IN_WORKTREE;
 	} else if ((errno != ENOENT) && (errno != ENOTDIR)) {
-		return error("%s: %s", new_name, strerror(errno));
+		return error_errno("%s", new_name);
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -4247,9 +4247,9 @@ static int add_index_file(struct apply_state *state,
 		if (!state->cached) {
 			if (lstat(path, &st) < 0) {
 				free(ce);
-				return error(_("unable to stat newly "
-					       "created file '%s': %s"),
-					     path, strerror(errno));
+				return error_errno(_("unable to stat newly "
+						     "created file '%s'"),
+						   path);
 			}
 			fill_stat_cache_info(ce, &st);
 		}
@@ -4503,7 +4503,7 @@ static int write_out_one_reject(struct apply_state *state, struct patch *patch)
 
 	rej = fopen(namebuf, "w");
 	if (!rej)
-		return error(_("cannot open %s: %s"), namebuf, strerror(errno));
+		return error_errno(_("cannot open %s"), namebuf);
 
 	/* Normal git tools never deal with .rej, so do not pretend
 	 * this is a git patch by saying --git or giving extended