--- a/lib/error.c
+++ b/lib/error.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* Error handler for noninteractive utilities
-   Copyright (C) 1990-1998, 2000-2003, 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+   Copyright (C) 1990-1998, 2000-2005, 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
    This file is part of the GNU C Library.
 
    This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifdef _LIBC
+# include <libintl.h>
+# include <stdbool.h>
+# include <stdint.h>
 # include <wchar.h>
 # define mbsrtowcs __mbsrtowcs
 #endif
@@ -59,6 +62,7 @@
 
 # define program_name program_invocation_name
 # include <errno.h>
+# include <limits.h>
 # include <libio/libioP.h>
 
 /* In GNU libc we want do not want to use the common name `error' directly.
@@ -122,14 +126,10 @@
 #endif
 
 #if _LIBC
-  if (_IO_fwide (stderr, 0) > 0)
-    {
-      __fwprintf (stderr, L": %s", s);
-      return;
-    }
+  __fxprintf (NULL, ": %s", s);
+#else
+  fprintf (stderr, ": %s", s);
 #endif
-
-  fprintf (stderr, ": %s", s);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -140,26 +140,65 @@
     {
 # define ALLOCA_LIMIT 2000
       size_t len = strlen (message) + 1;
-      const wchar_t *wmessage = L"out of memory";
-      wchar_t *wbuf = (len < ALLOCA_LIMIT
-		       ? alloca (len * sizeof *wbuf)
-		       : len <= SIZE_MAX / sizeof *wbuf
-		       ? malloc (len * sizeof *wbuf)
-		       : NULL);
+      wchar_t *wmessage = NULL;
+      mbstate_t st;
+      size_t res;
+      const char *tmp;
+      bool use_malloc = false;
+
+      while (1)
+	{
+	  if (__libc_use_alloca (len * sizeof (wchar_t)))
+	    wmessage = (wchar_t *) alloca (len * sizeof (wchar_t));
+	  else
+	    {
+	      if (!use_malloc)
+		wmessage = NULL;
+
+	      wchar_t *p = (wchar_t *) realloc (wmessage,
+						len * sizeof (wchar_t));
+	      if (p == NULL)
+		{
+		  free (wmessage);
+		  fputws_unlocked (L"out of memory\n", stderr);
+		  return;
+		}
+	      wmessage = p;
+	      use_malloc = true;
+	    }
 
-      if (wbuf)
+	  memset (&st, '\0', sizeof (st));
+	  tmp = message;
+
+	  res = mbsrtowcs (wmessage, &tmp, len, &st);
+	  if (res != len)
+	    break;
+
+	  if (__builtin_expect (len >= SIZE_MAX / 2, 0))
+	    {
+	      /* This really should not happen if everything is fine.  */
+	      res = (size_t) -1;
+	      break;
+	    }
+
+	  len *= 2;
+	}
+
+      if (res == (size_t) -1)
 	{
-	  size_t res;
-	  mbstate_t st;
-	  const char *tmp = message;
-	  memset (&st, '\0', sizeof (st));
-	  res = mbsrtowcs (wbuf, &tmp, len, &st);
-	  wmessage = res == (size_t) -1 ? L"???" : wbuf;
+	  /* The string cannot be converted.  */
+	  if (use_malloc)
+	    {
+	      free (wmessage);
+	      use_malloc = false;
+	    }
+	  wmessage = (wchar_t *) L"???";
 	}
 
       __vfwprintf (stderr, wmessage, args);
-      if (! (len < ALLOCA_LIMIT))
-	free (wbuf);
+
+      if (use_malloc)
+	free (wmessage);
     }
   else
 #endif
@@ -170,11 +209,10 @@
   if (errnum)
     print_errno_message (errnum);
 #if _LIBC
-  if (_IO_fwide (stderr, 0) > 0)
-    putwc (L'\n', stderr);
-  else
+  __fxprintf (NULL, "\n");
+#else
+  putc ('\n', stderr);
 #endif
-    putc ('\n', stderr);
   fflush (stderr);
   if (status)
     exit (status);
@@ -207,11 +245,10 @@
   else
     {
 #if _LIBC
-      if (_IO_fwide (stderr, 0) > 0)
-	__fwprintf (stderr, L"%s: ", program_name);
-      else
+      __fxprintf (NULL, "%s: ", program_name);
+#else
+      fprintf (stderr, "%s: ", program_name);
 #endif
-	fprintf (stderr, "%s: ", program_name);
     }
 
   va_start (args, message);
@@ -267,21 +304,19 @@
   else
     {
 #if _LIBC
-      if (_IO_fwide (stderr, 0) > 0)
-	__fwprintf (stderr, L"%s: ", program_name);
-      else
+      __fxprintf (NULL, "%s:", program_name);
+#else
+      fprintf (stderr, "%s:", program_name);
 #endif
-	fprintf (stderr, "%s:", program_name);
     }
 
   if (file_name != NULL)
     {
 #if _LIBC
-      if (_IO_fwide (stderr, 0) > 0)
-	__fwprintf (stderr, L"%s:%d: ", file_name, line_number);
-      else
+      __fxprintf (NULL, "%s:%d: ", file_name, line_number);
+#else
+      fprintf (stderr, "%s:%d: ", file_name, line_number);
 #endif
-	fprintf (stderr, "%s:%d: ", file_name, line_number);
     }
 
   va_start (args, message);