Index: runtime/parrot/library/libpcre.pir
===================================================================
--- runtime/parrot/library/libpcre.pir	(revision 49024)
+++ runtime/parrot/library/libpcre.pir	(working copy)
@@ -19,36 +19,31 @@
     .param string pat
     .param int options
 
-    .local string error
     .local pmc PCRE_NCI_compile
-    .local int error_size
 
     .local pmc NULL
     null NULL
 
+    .local pmc errstr_p
+    errstr_p = new ['Pointer']
+
     .local pmc errptr
     errptr= new 'Integer'
 
-    ## error message string size
-    error_size= 500
-
-    ## allocate space in string for error message
-    repeat error, " ", error_size
-
     PCRE_NCI_compile = get_hll_global ['PCRE'; 'NCI'], 'PCRE_compile'

     .local pmc code
 
-    code = PCRE_NCI_compile( pat, options, error, errptr, NULL )
+    code = PCRE_NCI_compile( pat, options, errstr_p, errptr, NULL )
 
     .local int is_code_defined
+    .local string errstr
     is_code_defined = defined code
-    unless is_code_defined goto RETURN
+    if is_code_defined goto RETURN
+    errstr = errstr_p
 
-    error = ""
-
 RETURN:
-    .return( code, error, errptr )
+    .return( code, errstr, errptr )
 .end