diff --git a/rbd/errors.go b/rbd/errors.go
index 73336b7..5bfc092 100644
--- a/rbd/errors.go
+++ b/rbd/errors.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import "C"
 
 import (
 	"errors"
-	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/ceph/go-ceph/internal/errutil"
 )
@@ -16,11 +15,7 @@ import (
 type rbdError int
 
 func (e rbdError) Error() string {
-	errno, s := errutil.FormatErrno(int(e))
-	if s == "" {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("rbd: ret=%d", errno)
-	}
-	return fmt.Sprintf("rbd: ret=%d, %s", errno, s)
+	return errutil.FormatErrorCode("rbd", int(e))
 }
 
 func (e rbdError) ErrorCode() int {
diff --git a/rbd/errors_test.go b/rbd/errors_test.go
index d37ee43..987fa88 100644
--- a/rbd/errors_test.go
+++ b/rbd/errors_test.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ func TestRBDError(t *testing.T) {
 
 	err = getError(-39) // NOTEMPTY (image still has a snapshot)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, err.Error(), "rbd: ret=39, Directory not empty")
+	assert.Equal(t, err.Error(), "rbd: ret=-39, Directory not empty")
 
 	errno, ok := err.(interface{ ErrorCode() int })
 	assert.True(t, ok)